Quote Bloomington Illinois Auto Insurance for Less Money With These Proven Techniques

If price shopping auto insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to be confused by the large number of online auto insurance companies and websites vying for business in Bloomington.

It’s a good idea to check auto insurance prices quite often due to the fact that insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the best rates on your last policy you may be paying too much now. So block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Finding affordable coverage in Bloomington is easy if you know what you’re doing. Just about everyone who shops for auto insurance most likely will be able to save money. Although Illinois drivers can benefit from knowing how companies compete online.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

All major auto insurance companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO quote prices for coverage directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing is fairly simple as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once entered, the company’s rating system will order reports for credit and driving violations and returns a price quote based on many factors.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but the time required to go to several different sites and fill out multiple forms can be a bit repetitive. But it is imperative to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the best price on auto insurance.

Quote rates the easy way

The quickest way to lower your rates uses one simple form that gets price quotes from more than one company. This type of form saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending your information, it is quoted and you can select your choice of the pricing results. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and buy the policy. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

If you want to get comparison pricing now, click here and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you copy deductibles and limits just like they are on your policy. This ensures you will be getting rate quotes for similar insurance coverage.

Save $486 a year? Really?

Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all seem to make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you switch to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be a mature driver, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Consumers who do not match the requirements must pay higher premiums and this can result in business not being written. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Factors that affect insurance rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs. Bloomington Illinois insurance prices

Theft deterrents lower rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent car theft.
The more you drive the more you pay – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Better credit scores mean better rates – Credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history is low, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
How many coverages with the same company – The majority of insurers provide better rates to people who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
Being married can save on auto insurance – Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other translates into being more mature and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize every discount very well, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in high school.
Safety Course Discount – Taking a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Clubs and Organizations – Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.

Are insurance agents a thing of the past?

Certain consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing rates online is you may find better rates but also keep your business local.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How cool is that?! You’ll get the best rates and work with a local agent.

Choosing an insurer should depend on more than just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:

Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?

Types of insurance agents

When searching for an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Bloomington agents are categorized either independent or captive.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents primarily because of the brand legacy and solid financial strength.

Listed below are Bloomington captive agencies that can give you price quote information.

Farmers Insurance Group – 2101 Eastland Dr – Bloomington, IL 61704 – (309) 662-4414
State Farm Insurance – 202 S Eldorado Rd # A2 – Bloomington, IL 61704 – (309) 663-5111
American Family Insurance – 2422 E Washington St # 203 – Bloomington, IL 61704 – (309) 664-0200
Illinois Farm Bureau – 1701 N Towanda Ave – Bloomington, IL 61701 – (309) 557-2111
Allstate Insurance – 2310 E Oakland Ave # 4b – Bloomington, IL 61701 – (309) 663-8918

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, you should always contact several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with different regional companies who may have lower rates.

Listed below are independent agencies in Bloomington that can give you comparison quotes.

Horizon Insurance Assoc – 1114 E Oakland Ave – Bloomington, IL 61701 – (309) 829-8448
Hank Smith Agency – 2302 E Oakland Ave # 1 – Bloomington, IL 61701 – (309) 664-0058
Bloomington Insurance – 2703 Mcgraw Dr # 1 – Bloomington, IL 61704 – (309) 661-8873
R W Gipson Agency Inc – 219 E Washington St – Bloomington, IL 61701 – (309) 827-8523

For a complete listing of Bloomington insurance agents, please view this page.

Once you have good answers for all questions you ask and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance.

A little work can save a LOT of money

Drivers change insurance companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, high prices, high rates after DUI convictions and even delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

Discount auto insurance is available both online and also from your neighborhood Bloomington agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

For more information

Additional detailed information is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can download brochures, get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about specific coverages.

The following information may also be useful.