Top Ways to Save on Wood River Car Insurance

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your checking account, especially in this economy. Comparing price quotes is free and is an excellent way to help make ends meet. Multiple compete for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare and get the best coverage at the lowest price

It's important to get comparison quotes on a regular basis since rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price six months ago you can probably find a better price now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I'm going to let you in on the secrets to the proper way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

If you have insurance now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Finding the best rates in Wood River is quite easy. Illinois drivers only need an understanding of the proper methods to buy car insurance online.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Pleasure use saves money - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year's time the more you will pay for car insurance. The majority of insurers rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your car insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.
Are you male or female? - Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Tickets mean higher rates - Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than bad drivers. Only having one citation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have serious citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
High deductibles save money - Physical damage insurance, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Most car insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who consolidate policies with them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. If you currently are using one company, you still need to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Too many car insurance claims drive up costs - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in Illinois give better rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.

Are you getting all your discounts?

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If they aren't giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Auto/Life Discount - Larger companies have lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Accident Waiver - A few companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Good Student Discount - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
Multi-car Discount - Buying coverage for more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
Government Employees - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
Sign Online - Certain companies will give a small break simply for signing on their website.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Wood River, click this link.

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

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings if you switch your policy.

How do they all make the same claim?

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who matches those parameters receives the best rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Additional car insurance information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance located here. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

Best coverage at the best price

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

Cost effective car insurance is available from both online companies in addition to many Wood River insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

You just learned many ideas to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the best prices are with a small local company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as .