Tightwads Tips for Saving on Mattoon Car Insurance

Expensive car insurance can overdraw your savings account, especially in this economy. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Drivers have multiple to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a choice, it can be more challenging to compare rates.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates quite often since rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal last year you may be paying too much now. So just ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to show you the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Low Cost Mattoon Car Insurance

There are several ways to compare car insurance quotes, and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day driving to insurance agencies in Mattoon, or you can stay home and use the web to quickly compare rates.

All the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing for coverage. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The only drawback to doing it this way is you are unable to specify which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to choose individual companies to compare rates, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Wisconsin. Click here for list of insurance companies in Wisconsin.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but make darn sure you compare identical coverages and limits for each price quote. If you use different deductibles you will not be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Mattoon.

Mattoon Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It's important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

Listed below are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Pay less after the wedding - Being married can actually save you money on your policy. It means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Older drivers save more - Youthful drivers in Wisconsin are statistically proven to be more careless when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a young driver to your car insurance policy can really hurt. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Poor driving leads to higher costs - Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even one moving violation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have serious citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Big city or small town - Residing in a small town can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many add-on coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and term life insurance may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money eliminate them to save money.

How much can you save with discounts?

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you're just leaving money on the table.

Sign Online - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
Good Student Discount - Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
College Student - Kids in college who live away from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

For a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Wisconsin, click here to view.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a "best" method to buy coverage. Every insured's situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Wisconsin?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?

If you're not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, free and may give you better protection.

Additional information is available on the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Click here for link. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, and view agent and company licensing information.

In the end, you save

Cheap car insurance is available both online and also from your neighborhood Mattoon agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

We just covered many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a lesser-known regional company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .