Top Ways to Save on Winthrop Harbor Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is a great way to tighten up your finances.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage quite often because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best price last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to quote online to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Teen drivers pay high rates - Teen drivers in Illinois have a tendency to be more careless when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver onto your auto insurance can break the bank. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Men are more aggressive - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are quite a few add-on coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and membership fees are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
Being married is a good thing - Having a spouse helps lower the price on auto insurance. It usually means you are more responsible and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Liability coverage protects you - Your policy's liability coverage is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.

Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois

All major auto insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm provide coverage price quotes online. This process doesn't take a lot of time as you just type in your coverage information as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and provides a quote. Quoting online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the work required to visit different websites and complete many quote forms can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it's very important to perform this step if you want to find the best price on auto insurance.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to locate the lowest prices uses one form that gets price quotes from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes comparison shopping much easier. Immediately after submitting the form, it gets priced with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the resulting price quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you'll know if lower rates are available.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you input your coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you are getting an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be asked for before being credited.

College Student - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don't have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can earn a substantially lower rate.
Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.
Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Illinois, click here.

How can Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. How does each company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for these standards will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone's situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you may require specific advice.

Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Winthrop Harbor?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?

If you can't answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance located here. Illinois consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, and get help finding coverage.

Shop smart and save

When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.

Cheap auto insurance is attainable online in addition to many Winthrop Harbor insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.