Auto Insurance Rates for a Ford Flex in Chicago

Are you a victim of overpriced Ford Flex insurance in Chicago? Believe me, many consumers are feeling buyer's remorse and feel like there's no way out.

A recent car insurance study revealed that the vast majority of car insurance customers have stayed with the same insurance company for well over three years, and nearly the majority have never taken the time to shop around. Drivers in Illinois can cut their rates by almost 40% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they think it's difficult to compare rates and save money. Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate increase brand awareness with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the promise of big savings and find the best price available.

If you have insurance now or want to find a cheaper company, use these money-saving tips to lower your rates while maintaining coverages. Locating the best rates in Chicago can be made easier if you know where to look. Shoppers only have to learn the most efficient way to compare rates online.

How to get free Ford Flex insurance quotes online

The car insurance companies shown below provide comparison quotes in Chicago, IL. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to find the most affordable car insurance rates.

Prices based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in specific location which can raise or lower coverage rates considerably.

Analysis of deductible levels

The information below illustrates how your deductible choice and can impact Ford Flex insurance costs for each different age group. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no other discounts are factored in.

Impact of age and gender on auto insurance rates

The diagram below illustrates the difference between Ford Flex insurance prices for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no claims or driving violations, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Insurance discounts help lower rates for Ford Flex insurance in Chicago

Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but there could be available discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied in order for you to get them. If you are not receiving all the discounts possible, you may be paying too high a price.

• Accident Waiver - Not really a discount, but a few companies such as Progressive and Allstate permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike so long as you are claim-free prior to the accident.
• Good Student Discount - This discount may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
• No Claims - Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay less in comparison to drivers with a long claim history.
• Discounts for Federal Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job may reduce rates when you quote Chicago car insurance with some insurance companies.
• Telematics Data Discounts - Insureds who allow data collection to analyze vehicle usage remotely such as State Farm's In-Drive could possibly reduce rates as long as they are good drivers.
• Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts - Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes have fewer accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Memberships - Affiliation with certain professional organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your bill.

Please keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies aren't that generous.

For a list of insurance companies who offer online Ford Flex insurance quotes in Chicago, click here to view.

What Impacts Ford Flex Insurance Prices?

Lots of factors are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but other criteria are more obscure such as whether you are married or how safe your car is. When buying car insurance it's important to understand the rating factors that are used to determine your premiums. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Lower rates by increasing physical damage deductibles - Physical damage coverage, aka comp and collision, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, hitting a deer, or theft. Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. The larger the amount the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.

Liability protection claims can be big - A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will afford coverage if ever you are determined to be liable for an accident. Your policy's liability insurance provides legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

Poor credit decisions can cost you - Your credit score can be a huge factor in determining premium rates. If your credit leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your Ford Flex by taking the time to improve your credit score. Insureds with very high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure than those with bad credit.

Insurance prices and vehicle performance - The make and model of the car or truck you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest rates are for low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors. Due to the fact that the Ford Flex is classified as a crossover, rates will be slightly more than the average rate where you live in Chicago.

Get a ticket, pay higher rates - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to those with violations. Even one speeding ticket or other violation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get dangerous violations like DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state's department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.

Extra coverages may not be needed - There are a lot of extra coverages that you can buy but may not be useful. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, towing, and extra life insurance coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem good when buying your policy, but if you've never needed them in the past consider taking them off your policy.

Insurance loss statistics a Ford Flex - Insurance companies factor in historical loss data to calculate a rate that will offset any claims. Models that have higher losses will have a higher premium rate.

The next table shows the insurance loss data for Ford Flex vehicles. For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is represented as 100. Numbers under 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while numbers shown that are more than 100 point to more claims or statistically larger losses.

Get rate quotes but work with a local Chicago insurance agent

Some consumers would rather talk to a local agent and that is OK! Licensed agents are trained risk managers and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.

By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to agents in your area that provide free Chicago car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go instantly to you. If you need to get a price quote for a specific company, you can always go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.

Selecting an insurance company is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Is coverage determined by price?
• What companies can they write with?
• Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• Is insurance their full-time profession?

If you're trying to find a reliable insurance agency, there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Agents are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either one can sell affordable auto insurance policies, but it is important to understand the difference in how they write coverage because it may have an impact on your agent selection.

Exclusive Agents

Exclusive agencies can only place business with one company like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agencies are highly trained on their company's products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Below is a list of exclusive agencies in Chicago who may provide you with price quote information.

More insurance agents

Independent Auto Insurance Agents

Agents of this type are not restricted to one company so they can write business with multiple insurance companies and find you the best rates. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you stay with the same agent. When comparing auto insurance prices, it's recommended you contact multiple independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.

Shown below is a list of independent agencies in Chicago that can give you comparison quotes.

More insurance agents

The ad said I'd save $426 a year!

Consumers in Illinois can't get away from ads that claim the lowest premium rates from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads make an identical promise of big savings just by switching your insurance coverage to their company.

How does every insurance company make almost identical claims? Here is the trick they use.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the driver that will add to their bottom line. One example of this type of insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has few claims, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any person who meets those qualifications will get very good Chicago rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

People who are not a match for these standards will get more expensive rates and this can result in the customer not purchasing. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "all people who quote" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, you really should compare price quotes frequently. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest Ford Flex insurance in Chicago.

Be persistent and save

While you're price shopping online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage and learned later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best possible price.

Cost effective Ford Flex insurance is possible both online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies sell through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your Ford Flex insurance rates in Chicago. It's most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting low cost Chicago car insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the best price on insurance is with a small local company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower car insurance rates than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.

To learn more, feel free to browse the articles below:

• State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
• Who Has Cheap Chicago Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for 19 Year Olds in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Chicago Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 60? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Company Car in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Equinox in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for 4x4 Vehicles in Chicago? (FAQ)
• Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
• What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)
• Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)