How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Wilmette

Overpriced auto insurance can empty your savings account, especially in this economy. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket. Companies like GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

It's important to compare rates quite often since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best rates a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. You'll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to find cheap auto insurance.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be asked about prior to getting the savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Payment Discounts - By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.

Keep in mind that some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

You have some control over your rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

Having a spouse can save you money - Getting married can actually save you money on auto insurance. It means you're more mature it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Older drivers pay less - More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible when driving and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
How credit affects auto insurance rates - Credit score is a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit.
Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as real estate brokers, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations such as pilots, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping auto theft.

Different people need different coverages

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you may require specific advice.

Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
What are the best liability limits?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?

If you can't answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and may give you better protection.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Illinois drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you switch to their company.

How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More sites with auto insurance information

More information can be read on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Illinois drivers can get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

In the end, you save

Affordable auto insurance is available on the web and also from your neighborhood Wilmette agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

In this article, we covered a lot of ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as .