Schaumburg Car Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Finding low-cost Schaumburg car insurance online may be somewhat difficult for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. Since there are so many companies competing online, how can consumers have a chance to compare the different rates to find the best available rates?

You should take the time to do rate comparisons occasionally because rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the best price on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the easiest way to find great coverage at a great price.

Car Insurance Prices in Schaumburg, IL

Getting a cheaper price on insurance is not rocket science. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes comparing price quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

• Probably the best way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for every car insurance company. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from several companies. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
• A different way to analyze rates requires visiting the website of each company and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Progressive, 21st Century and Allstate. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Schaumburg, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing identical coverage information on every quote. If each company quotes mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Schaumburg.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Consumers in Illinois get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the same claim that you can save if you move to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be over the age of 50, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who matches those parameters receives the best rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will be quoted more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Discounts are basically free money

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but a few need to be manually applied before you get the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get reduced rates.
• Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy qualifies for this discount.
• Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
• Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
• Defensive Driver – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will reduce your premiums.

Additional car insurance information is available on the Illinois Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, read consumer alerts, and file complaints about a company.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

You just learned some good ideas how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies.

Low-cost car insurance is available on the web and with local Schaumburg insurance agents, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an insured cut physical damage coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.