Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Steeleville Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, many Steeleville consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in big savings.

  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are many extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Do you know you're credit rating? - A driver's credit score is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. So if your credit score is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers who have poor credit.
  • Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Occupations such as judges, architects and dentists have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as actors, historians and homemakers get better rates.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - Liability insurance provides coverage if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Your car's features help determine rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart your car from being stolen.

auto insurance in Steeleville

Quick Steeleville Auto Insurance Quotes

There are several ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find the lowest rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  1. The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for repetitive form entry to each individual auto insurance company. Completing one form will return quotes direct from many companies.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare and fill out their own quote form. For example, we'll assume you want to compare rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

    To view a list of companies in Steeleville, click here.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just compare exactly the same coverages and limits for every quote you compare. If you have different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine the best price in Steeleville. Just a small difference in coverages can result in a big premium difference. Just keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.

Save big with these discounts

Companies don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched both the well known and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Defensive Driver - Taking part in a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
  • Claim Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
  • Organization Discounts - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Steeleville, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who fall outside the requirements must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why you need to compare many company's rates. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Even more information is located at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, discover disciplinary actions, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

auto insurance in Steeleville

Do the work, save more money

Cheaper auto insurance is available both online as well as from independent agents in Steeleville, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don't offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We covered a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like .