Jacksonville Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Shopping for the most affordable Jacksonville auto insurance online is somewhat difficult for consumers new to comparison shopping online. With so many choices of companies competing online, how can you have a chance to compare the different rates to find the lowest rates?

Why some people pay less for insurance in Jacksonville

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping auto theft.
  • Being married is a good thing - Having a spouse helps lower the price on auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
  • High deductibles save money - The deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, or theft. The higher the amount you're willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Illinois have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver to your policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
  • Males pay more for insurance - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents in similar percentages, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal.

compare Jacksonville auto insurance rates

Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Jacksonville, Illinois?

All major auto insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO provide pricing on the web. This process is pretty easy as you simply type in the coverages you want as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the system will obtain credit information and your driving record and generates pricing information.

Being able to quote online makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit many different websites and type in the same information can be a bit repetitive. But it's very important to perform this step if you want to find better auto insurance pricing.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to find lower prices uses one form that gets prices from a lot of companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable and efficient. As soon as you send your information, it gets priced with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the resulting price quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you copy your coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will have a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before you get the savings.

  • Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
  • Paperwork-free - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Distant 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.
  • Accident Waiver - Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

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

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO consistently run ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings if you change to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards will be quoted a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional information can be found on the Illinois Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, get help finding coverage, and report car insurance fraud.

Shop smart and save

Drivers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, lack of trust in their agent or even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced both online and with local Jacksonville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.