Tightwads Guide for Saving on Woodhull Auto Insurance

Sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in Illinois. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to get lower rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding the best rates in Woodhull is not that difficult. Illinois consumers only need to know the best way to shop for auto insurance online.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Woodhull

Most major insurance companies provide pricing directly from their websites. Getting online rates is pretty easy as you just enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information based on many factors. Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit each company's website and repetitively type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it's very important to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find better auto insurance pricing.

Quote rates the easy way

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates uses one simple form that gets prices from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes price shopping online much more efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it gets priced and you can choose your choice of the returned quotes. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To save time and find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This way, you will get comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Woodhull

It's important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better auto insurance rates.

Choose a safe vehicle and save - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
One company can mean more discounts - Most companies will award you with lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount you may still want to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance companies don't list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you're just leaving money on the table.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to enroll in driver's education in school.
Defensive Driver - Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Air Bag Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky.

For a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Woodhull, follow this link.

Even more information can be found at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can find disaster information, view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.

Best coverage at the best price

The cheapest auto insurance can be found online and with local Woodhull insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.