If you've never shopped for Chicago auto insurance quotes online, you can be bewildered thanks to the huge assortment of insurance providers vying for business in Chicago.
It's hard to fathom, but most drivers renewed their policy with the same company for more than four years, and almost half have never compared quotes from other companies. Illinois consumers could save an average of roughly $586 each year, but they think it's difficult to compare other rate quotes.
It's important to take a look at other company's rates before your next renewal because insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the best deal on Ford GT insurance in Chicago a few years ago a different company probably has better premium rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you're about to find out how to quote online to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
Get discounts on Chicago car insurance
Car insurance companies do not advertise the entire discount list very well, so the following list contains both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If you do not check that you are getting every discount available, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Active Service Discounts - Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags may get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
- Discount for Home Ownership - Owning a home in Chicago can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles - Having more than one vehicle on a single policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Payment Discounts - If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Accident-Free Discounts - Insureds with no claims or accidents can save substantially when compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Driver Training Discounts - Taking time to complete a driver safety course could earn you a small percentage discount and also improve your driving technique.
- Student Driver Training - Have your child take driver's ed class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, that's just not realistic. Any amount of discount will definitely lower your overall bill.
Companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- Esurance offers discounts for good driver, DriveSense, anti-lock brakes, renters, online shopper, defensive driver, and safety device.
- The Hartford has discounts for anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, driver training, good student, air bag, defensive driver, and bundle.
- AAA may offer discounts for AAA membership discount, multi-car, multi-policy, good student, anti-theft, and pay-in-full.
- GEICO may include discounts for air bags, emergency military deployment, defensive driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and anti-theft.
- State Farm discounts include accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, and multiple policy.
Check with each insurance company to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in your state. To see a list of car insurance companies that offer discounts in Chicago, follow this link.
The quickest way to compare car insurance rates for Ford GT insurance in Chicago is to realize auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to compare their rates. To get started, all you need to do is spend a couple of minutes providing details including your occupation, distance driven, whether you are married, and your general credit rating. Your information is submitted instantly to insurance companies and they return quotes almost instantly.
If you wish to get multiple quotes for your Ford GT now, click here and see if a lower rate is available in Chicago.
The companies shown below provide free rate quotes in Chicago, IL. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
What Determines Ford GT Insurance Premiums?
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the things that aid in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. If you understand what determines premiums, this enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of things are part of the equation when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious such as your driving record, although others are less obvious such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
Traffic violations cost more than a fine - Even a single moving violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Good drivers get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have received severe violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to legally drive a vehicle.
Pay less with a high crash test rating - Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you. If the Ford GT earned at least an "acceptable" rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
Performance impacts prices - The performance level of the car, truck or SUV you are insuring makes a big difference in your premium level. Since the Ford GT is considered a sports car, insurance will be much more as compared to the average rate in Chicago. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Always keep your policy in place - Driving your car without having proper coverage is not a good idea and companies may charge more for letting your insurance coverage expire. Not only will you pay more, the inability to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Illinois motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
Premiums drop with age - Teen drivers in Illinois are statistically shown to be less responsible when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Adding a teenage driver to your auto insurance policy can cause a big jump in price. Older insureds have been proven to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
Where you reside factors in - Residing in areas with lower population has it's advantages when trying to find low car insurance rates. Drivers in populated areas regularly have traffic congestion and more severe claims. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accident claims as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
High credit scores equal low premiums - Having a bad credit rating is a big factor in your rate calculation. People with very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. So if your credit could use some work, you may save money insuring your Ford GT by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Your gender affects costs - Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Females and males have accidents at about the same rate, but guys cause more damage. Men also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Neighborhood agents and car insurance
Some people prefer to have an agent's advice and doing so can bring peace of mind The best thing about getting online price quotes is that you can find cheaper auto insurance rates and still choose a local agent.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance data gets sent to participating agents in Chicago who will give you quotes for your coverage. You never need to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. You can find lower rates and work with a local agent. If you need to get a comparison quote from a specific company, you would need to navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
Picking the best insurer shouldn't rely on just the bottom line cost. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- What discounts might you be missing?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Are there any discounts for paying up front?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Illinois?
- How long have they been in business?
The different types of car insurance agents
If you are wanting to find a reliable agent, there are two different types of agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Chicago are either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only quote rates from one company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot compare other company's rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agencies receive a lot of sales training on their products and sales techniques which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. A lot of people buy insurance from these agents primarily because of loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.
The following are exclusive insurance agents in Chicago willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Sylvia Torres Underhill - State Farm Insurance Agent
2422 S Oakley Ave - Chicago, IL 60608 - (773) 376-1166 - View Map - Angela Roudez - State Farm Insurance Agent
1505 S State St - Chicago, IL 60605 - (312) 663-1820 - View Map - Allstate Insurance: Maribel Marron
3060 W Armitage Ave - Chicago, IL 60647 - (773) 572-9495 - View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These type of agents are not limited to a single company and that gives them the ability to insure through many companies and find you the best rates. If they quote lower rates, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don't have to find a new agent. If you need lower rates, you will definitely want to include price quotes from a couple of independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison. Most also write with companies you've never heard of which can be an advantage.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Chicago who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Lincoln Auto Insurance
855 W Washington Blvd - Chicago, IL 60607 - (312) 666-8800 - View Map - Talro Insurance Agency
4900 W Belmont Ave - Chicago, IL 60641 - (773) 205-8255 - View Map - Serpe Insurance Agency
2538 N Lincoln Ave - Chicago, IL 60614 - (773) 871-0808 - View Map
If you get satisfactory answers to these questions and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that can be trusted to properly insure your vehicles. Just be aware that once you purchase a policy you can cancel your coverage whenever you choose to so don't feel that you are obligated to any specific company with no way to switch.
Three main reasons to buy auto insurance
Even though it's not necessarily cheap to insure a Ford in Chicago, paying for auto insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
- The majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability in order to drive the car legally. 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 lien on your Ford GT, almost all lenders will require you to buy insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Ford at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for most medical and hospital costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers legal expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying auto insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $800 each year so it's important to compare rates at every renewal to save money.
A little work can save a LOT of money
People switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, high rates after DUI convictions, denial of a claim or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn't matter why you want to switch finding a great new company can be less work than you think.
When searching for inexpensive Chicago auto insurance quotes, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, drivers have reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.
Budget-conscious Ford GT insurance is possible both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get free Chicago auto insurance quotes from both of them so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies may not offer rates over the internet and these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent agents.
Even more information can be read by following these links:
- Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Ford F-150 in Chicago? (FAQ)
- How Much is Chicago Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Chicago Car Insurance Rates for Inexperienced Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much are Chicago Auto Insurance Quotes for Retired Military? (FAQ)
- Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
- What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)