If you are new to online auto insurance, you may be overwhelmed by the vast number of online companies vying for business in Chicago.
A recent study showed that about 70% of customers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for over three years, and practically 40% of auto insurance customers have never compared rate quotes at all. Many drivers in Chicago could cut their rates by 40% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they don’t want to take the time to compare rates.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will definitely be able to find better prices using the concepts you’re about to learn. The purpose of this article is to teach you how car insurance companies work and some tips to save money. Nevertheless, Illinois vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies set your policy premium because it varies considerably.
Affordable auto insurance in Chicago, IL
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide free quotes in Illinois. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
Get cheaper Chevy Spark EV insurance rates in Chicago
Companies don’t list every discount they offer in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known and also the lesser-known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Chicago car insurance online.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance carriers reward you with a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accidents.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Accident Waiver – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a handful of insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a specific time period.
- Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when getting a Chicago car insurance quote.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few insurance companies offer discounts for buying a new policy prior to your current Spark EV insurance policy expiration. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Multiple Cars – Drivers who insure several vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts include:
- State Farm includes discounts for multiple autos, student away at school, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, and passive restraint.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include new vehicle discount, teen driver discount, new move discount, multi-policy, new graduate, and newly married.
- American Family may include discounts for good driver, mySafetyValet, bundled insurance, early bird, air bags, TimeAway discount, and Steer into Savings.
- Progressive offers discounts including homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, multi-policy, online quote discount, and online signing.
- Farmers Insurance discounts include homeowner, bundle discounts, good student, mature driver, electronic funds transfer, business and professional, and distant student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for company car, mature driver, multiple vehicles, good student, air bags, and paid in full.
- SAFECO offers discounts for bundle discounts, anti-theft, accident prevention training, drive less, and anti-lock brakes.
If you want inexpensive Chicago car insurance quotes, ask every company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts may not apply in your area. To find companies with discount rates in Chicago, click here to view.
Local neighborhood insurance agents
Certain consumers would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who will give competitive quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to do any legwork due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It’s the lowest rates AND a local agent. If you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, feel free to find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.
Picking the best company should include more criteria than just the price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- If they are an independent agency in Chicago, which companies do they recommend?
Car insurance agents in Chicago come in two varieties
When narrowing the list to find a reliable insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Agencies in Chicago can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can only write with one company such as Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Many people purchase coverage from exclusives primarily because of high brand loyalty rather than low price.
The following is a list of exclusive agents in Chicago who may provide you with price quote information.
- Mark Mackey – State Farm Insurance Agent
3338 W Foster Ave – Chicago, IL 60625 – (773) 604-4334 – View Map - Bill Dillard – State Farm Insurance Agent
516 W Diversey Pkwy – Chicago, IL 60614 – (773) 549-2605 – View Map - Russ Spinelli – State Farm Insurance Agent
1525 E 53rd St #727 – Chicago, IL 60615 – (773) 955-3133 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that choose to be independent often have many company appointments so they have the ability to put coverage through many different car insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If prices rise, they can switch companies in-house which requires no work on your part. If you need lower rates, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most also write with companies that do not advertise much that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
The following are independent agents in Chicago who can help you get price quotes.
- ABI Insurance Agency
4806 N Milwaukee Ave – Chicago, IL 60630 – (773) 202-9666 – View Map - Illinois Vehicle Auto Insurance
100 W. Randolph, Suite C14 – Chicago, IL 60601 – (312) 201-9111 – View Map - American Auto Insurance
3201 N Harlem Ave #1 – Chicago, IL 60634 – (773) 286-3500 – View Map
After receiving good feedback to these questions and low cost Chevrolet Spark EV insurance quotes, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that can be relied on to insure your vehicles.
The insurance bait and switch
Well-known insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm seem to constantly run ads on television and other media. All the ads try to convey promises about savings just by moving your policy. But how can every company claim to save you money? It’s all in the wording.
Insurance companies provide the lowest rates for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, this type of insured may need to be over the age of 35, has other policies, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any driver that matches those criteria receives the best car insurance rates in Chicago and have a good chance to save quite a bit of money when switching.
People who don’t measure up to these standards may be forced to pay higher premiums and this results in the prospect going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That is how insurance companies can confidently make those claims. Different companies use different criteria so you absolutely need to get as many free Chicago car insurance quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Insurance savings summarized
We just presented a lot of ways to get a better price on Chevy Spark EV insurance in Chicago. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting low cost Chicago car insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest premium rates come from the smaller companies.
Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, being labeled a high risk driver and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right insurance provider can be easy and end up saving you some money.
Lower-priced insurance in Chicago can be found both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to shop Chicago car insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not provide rates over the internet and these regional carriers only sell through independent agencies.
To read more, feel free to visit the following helpful articles:
- Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers with a DUI in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Chicago Auto Insurance for a Chevrolet Silverado? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for Uber Drivers in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Camry in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Protect Yourself Against Auto Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Automakers compete to add autobraking (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)