Car Insurance in Aurora – 10 Discounts You May be Losing Out On

Buying cheap Aurora car insurance over the internet can be somewhat difficult for consumers new to buying insurance online. With a ridiculous number of companies in the marketplace, how can anyone have a chance to compare every company to locate the cheapest rates?

If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. The purpose of this article is to tell you how to effectively get price quotes. But Illinois car owners do need to learn the way insurance companies market insurance on the web.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Aurora, Illinois

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from local in Aurora, Illinoiscar insurance companies. The best method to compare insurance prices is to use the internet to compare rates. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The first (and easiest) way consumers can make multiple comparisons is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for every car insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes instantly.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
Another way to analyze rates requires visiting each company website to request a price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, Farmers and Allstate. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, and that’s why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Aurora, click here.
The least efficient method to compare rates is to spend your day driving to local Aurora insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. Drivers can get the lowest quotes online but buy from a local insurance agent and we’ll touch on that later.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use apples-to-apples information for each price quote. If you compare mixed coverages it’s impossible to make a fair comparison in Aurora. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits could mean much higher rates. Just keep in mind that quoting more provides better odds of finding lower pricing.

You probably qualify for some discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but some must be inquired about before you will receive the discount.

Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing online.
Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
College Student – Kids in college who live away from home and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings on car insurance.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your premiums.

For a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Aurora, follow this link.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

For example, these questions can help discover whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
Do I need rental car coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.

What if I want to buy from a local Aurora agent?

A small number of people prefer to sit down with an agent and that is just fine! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find better rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is especially important in Aurora.

By using this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents in Aurora who will battle for your coverage. You never need to even leave your home as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?! Get lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="http://www.quoteclickinsure.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ci175-84.jpg" alt="Illinois car insurance prices”/>

If you want to contact a specific insurance agent in Aurora, go to this page.

Selecting an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
Which company do they place the most coverage with?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
What insurance companies do they work with?
Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Illinois?
What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?

Once you have received acceptable answers to these questions and locked in a price quote, most likely you have located an insurer that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Car insurance coverages 101

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as hitting a deer, rock chips in glass, a broken windshield, falling objects and fire damage. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

This coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (Illinois limits are 20/40/15), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Auto collision coverage

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for things such as crashing into a building, crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability coverages

This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for claims like bail bonds, legal defense fees, loss of income and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Illinois state law requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/15,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for surgery, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses, doctor visits and ambulance fees. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Final considerations

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, high prices, questionable increases in premium and even being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding the right car insurance provider can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Cheap car insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Aurora, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

For more Illinois car insurance information

Much more information about car insurance in Illinois is available on the Illinois Department of Insurance website located here. Illinois consumers can learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, and read industry bulletins.