Secret Methods for Buying Bolingbrook Auto Insurance for Less Money

Expensive auto insurance can empty your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to cut your insurance bill. Insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to see through the deception and find the best price available.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every available discount very well, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Anti-theft System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
  • Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
  • Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
  • Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings of up to 25% or more.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
  • Student in College – Kids in college living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.

Make smart decisions and save

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

  • Your stress level may be raising your rates – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Careers like judges, social workers and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates because of stressful work requirements and long work hours. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and performers receive lower rates.
  • The more you drive the more you pay – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your auto insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven.
  • Don’t skimp on liability – Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • With age comes lower rates – Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers are statistically proven to be more careless when behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions can help discover whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
  • Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
  • Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
  • Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
  • Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Illinois?
  • Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Buying auto insurance from a local agent

Certain consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.

After completing this short form, the quote information is sent to participating agents in Bolingbrook who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no need to drive around as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?!auto insurance image

Picking an insurer requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

  • Can they give you a list of client referrals?
  • Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
  • Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
  • Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
  • Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?

Independent or Captive: It’s your choice

When finding an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Bolingbrook agents are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ since it can impact your selection of an agent.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only write with one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below are captive insurance agents in Bolingbrook willing to provide rate quotes.

American Family Insurance – 595 N Pinecrest Rd # D2 – Bolingbrook, IL 60440 – (630) 972-1548
State Farm Insurance – 1 Wood Ct – Bolingbrook, IL 60440 – (630) 759-1331
Farmers Insurance Group – 440 W Boughton Rd – Bolingbrook, IL 60440 – (630) 771-1622
Allstate Insurance – 281 S Schmidt Rd – Bolingbrook, IL 60440 – (630) 759-0111

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

Shown below are Bolingbrook independent insurance agents that are able to give price quotes.

Roy P Thomas Insurance – 305 W Briarcliff Rd # 105 – Bolingbrook, IL 60440 – (630) 679-9400
Insurance Solutions – 421 Primrose Ln – Bolingbrook, IL 60490 – (630) 378-9390

To view a complete directory of insurance agents in Bolingbrook, click here to link.

Upon receiving acceptable answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that will properly service your auto insurance policy.

More tips and info about auto insurance can be read at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read industry bulletins.

Final considerations

Discount auto insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Bolingbrook insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.