Easy Techniques to Cut Costs on Matteson Auto Insurance

Buying the most affordable Matteson auto insurance on the internet can seem to be somewhat difficult for beginners to buying insurance on the web. With so many choices of online companies, how can consumers possibly compare every one to find the best price?

It's important to price shop coverage yearly because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn the proper way to lower your annual insurance bill.

If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to shop for the lowest rates and possibly find even better coverage. The purpose of this post is to teach you how car insurance quotes work and some tips to save money. Illinois drivers only need an understanding of the most efficient way to get comparison rates online.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get big savings.

Listed below are some of the factors that factor into your rates.

Traffic violations increase rates - Even a single speeding ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
More people means more accidents - Residing in less populated areas has it's advantages when insuring your vehicles. Lower population means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers regularly have congested traffic and a longer drive to work. Higher commute times means more change of being in an accident.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance is the protection in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Your car's features help determine rates - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
Teen drivers pay high rates - More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers are statistically proven to get distracted easily when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.

Compare Auto Insurance Today

Reducing your insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. You just have to spend a few minutes on the computer to get quotes from different insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method eliminates the need for separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. A single, simple form will return quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices. This is perfect if you don't have a lot of time.
A less efficient way to get quotes online is to take the time to go to each company website and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, let's say you want comparison quotes from , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Matteson, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to waste gas driving to local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the professional guidance only provided by licensed agents. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make sure you use the exact same coverages and limits for every quote you compare. If you enter different deductibles you will not be able to determine the best price in Matteson.

Save big with these discounts

Car insurance companies don't always advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If they aren't giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Good Student Discount - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
Multi-policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
Organization Discounts - Participating in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
Discount for New Cars - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts compared to accident-prone drivers.
Own a Home - Being a homeowner may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home requires personal responsibility.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn't quite work that way.

To choose providers offering auto insurance discounts in Matteson, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Illinois consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as State Farm and Allstate. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy.

How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. A driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who fall outside the "perfect" profile will be charged higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. That is why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Every insured's situation is different.

These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

Should I buy only the required Illinois minimum liability coverage?
What are the best liability limits?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can file complaints about a company, view agent and company licensing information, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

A tidy conclusion

In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Low-cost auto insurance is available online in addition to many Matteson insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.