Do you get confused by the dozens of auto insurance sources in Chicago? Many other drivers are too. There are so many choices that it can be a challenge to find the perfect company for you. Chicago is a great city to live in, but high auto insurance premiums can make it hard for many residents to purchase enough protection.
Shockingly, almost 70% of insureds in Illinois kept buying from the same company for a minimum of four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never quoted auto insurance rates at all. American insurance shoppers can cut their rates by up to $860 a year by just comparing quotes, but they feel it's too difficult to compare rate quotes online.
You should make it a habit to price shop coverage as often as possible because insurance rates go up and down regularly. If you had the best premium rates on Kia K900 insurance in Chicago a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. You can search a lot of K900 insurance on the internet, but by reading this article, you're going to learn the easiest ways to lower your auto insurance bill.
Smart Consumers Can Lower Their Insurance Prices
The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at some of the things that go into determining car insurance rates. If you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you lower rates.
Deter theft and save - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you some money. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all help stop auto theft and help lower rates.
Commute or pleasure use - Driving more miles annually the more you'll pay to insure it. Most insurance companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars that do not get driven very much receive better premium rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. It's a good idea to make sure your declarations sheet reflects the correct usage. Having the wrong rating on your K900 is just wasting money.
Why do you need liability coverage? - The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are responsible for an accident. Your liability coverage provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Car insurance rates and age - Beginning drivers in Illinois are statistically shown to be easily distracted behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Adding a youthful driver to your car insurance policy can be very expensive. Older insureds are proven to be safer behind the wheel, statistically cause fewer accidents, and get fewer tickets.
Low stress occupation equals lower premiums - Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupations such as doctors, executives and medical professionals tend to pay higher rates than average attributed to intense work-related stress and lots of time spent away from family. Other careers such as professors, engineers and the unemployed pay lower than average rates.
Marriage can save on car insurance - Being married may cut your premiums when shopping for car insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more responsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married couples file fewer claims.
When price shopping your coverage, comparing more prices helps locate a lower rate. Some companies don't provide online Chicago K900 insurance quotes, so you should also compare rates on coverage from those companies, too.
The companies in the list below are ready to provide price comparisons in Illinois. If multiple companies are shown, we suggest you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Insurance does more than just repair your car
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Chicago, insurance is required in Illinois but it also protects you in many ways.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability protection in order to license the vehicle. In Illinois these limits are 20/40/15 which means you must have $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your Kia K900, it's most likely the lender will force you to have insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If you let the policy lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Kia at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your vehicle and your assets. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially with large liability claims. But the average American driver is overpaying more than $855 a year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to save money.
Get cheaper Kia K900 insurance in Chicago with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so the below list has some of the more common as well as some of the hidden savings tricks you should be using when you buy Chicago car insurance online.
- Life Insurance Discount - Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn better prices if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Claim Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best car insurance rates when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Own a Home and Save - Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount since owning and maintaining a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Professional Memberships - Belonging to certain professional organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your next renewal.
- Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags can get savings of more than 20%.
- Driver's Education for Students - It's a good idea to have your young drivers participate in a local driver's education class if it's offered in school.
- Anti-lock Brake System - Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Theft Deterrent System - Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Good Students Pay Less - This discount could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. You can use this discount normally well after school through age 25.
- Data Collection Discounts - People who choose to allow their insurance company to look at vehicle usage by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate's Drivewise system may get a rate reduction if their driving habits are good.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn't be very happy.
Companies and the discounts they provide are:
- GEICO may have discounts that include emergency military deployment, driver training, defensive driver, good student, and membership and employees.
- USAA includes discounts for safe driver, driver training, vehicle storage, good student, multi-vehicle, family discount, and new vehicle.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, good student, and continuous coverage.
- American Family may include discounts for early bird, multi-vehicle, air bags, Steer into Savings, and bundled insurance.
- Esurance offers discounts for safety device, Switch & Save, multi-car, claim free, Pac-12 alumni, anti-lock brakes, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for alternative fuel, pay in full, switch companies, youthful driver, early shopping, and electronic funds transfer.
- State Farm has discounts for accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, driver's education, passive restraint, and anti-theft.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company which credits you are entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policyholders in Chicago.
Independent and exclusive insurance agencies
Some people just prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and we recommend doing that The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheap insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
After completing this quick form, the quote information is instantly submitted to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered to your email. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. If you need to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance provider, just navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
Finding a good insurer shouldn't rely on just a cheap quote. The following questions are important to ask.
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
Insurance agent types
If you need to find a local Chicago insurance agent, you should know the different agency structures that you can choose from. Insurance agents can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents can only provide one company's prices and examples are Allstate and State Farm. These agents are not able to compare other company's rates so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are trained well on their company's products which helps them compete with independent agents. Many people choose to use a exclusive agent mostly because of loyalty to the company rather than having low rates.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Chicago who can help you get price quotes.
- GEICO Insurance Agent
8549 S Cicero Ave - Chicago, IL 60652 - (773) 582-2886 - View Map - Gus Andrade - State Farm Insurance Agent
4355 W 26th St - Chicago, IL 60623 - (773) 521-0216 - View Map - Dwayne Jackson - State Farm Insurance Agent
1345 W Taylor St - Chicago, IL 60607 - (312) 455-0675 - View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not employed by one company so they can write business with an assortment of companies and get you the best rates possible. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move your policy to a different company and you stay with the same agent. When comparison shopping, you will want to compare quotes from at least one independent agent for the best price selection. Many independent agencies also insure through different regional companies which can save you money.
Below are independent agencies in Chicago willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Illinois Vehicle Auto Insurance (Xpert)
1858 W 18th St - Chicago, IL 60608 - (312) 226-1033 - View Map - Riehn Insurance
4541 N Lincoln Ave - Chicago, IL 60625 - (773) 561-4200 - View Map - Urban Insurance Agency
800 W Huron St #301 - Chicago, IL 60642 - (312) 664-8088 - View Map
Everyone needs different auto insurance coverages
When it comes to insurance from an agent or online, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Your needs are unique to you.
These are some specific questions might help in determining whether you would benefit from an agent's advice.
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- What if I total my Kia K900 and owe more than it's worth?
- What is no-fault insurance?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
- Can good grades get a discount?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- What is the difference between personal and commercial auto insurance policies?
- Is a driver training discount available?
- If I use my vehicle for business use is it covered?
If you're not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.
Affordable auto insurance premiums are out there
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to lower your Kia K900 insurance premium rates in Chicago. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.
People switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, poor customer service, policy non-renewal or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is not as hard as you think.
When shopping online for auto insurance, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
More learning opportunities
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Hybrid Vehicles in Chicago? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Infrequent Drivers in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Chicago Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Chicago Auto Insurance for a GMC Acadia? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers with a DUI in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers with Bad Credit in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Five Mistakes to Avoid (Insurance Information Institute)
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)