Searching for cheaper auto insurance rates in Joliet, IL? Trying to find cheaper insurance for your car in Illinois can turn out to be difficult, but you can follow the following methods to find lower rates. There is a right way and a wrong way to buy auto insurance and you need to know the best way to quote coverages on a and find the lowest price.
Finding more affordable insurance quotes is actually quite simple. All that’s required is to take time to compare rate quotes to find the company with cheap Joliet auto insurance quotes.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer free rate quotes in Joliet, IL. If multiple companies are listed, it’s highly recommended you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Policy Premium | 6-month Policy Premium | Monthly Premium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $1,004 | $502 | $84 | ||||
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab TRX4 Off Road 4WD | $906 | $453 | $76 | ||||
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $678 | $339 | $57 | ||||
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $586 | $293 | $49 | ||||
| Ford F-150 FX2 2WD | $902 | $451 | $75 | ||||
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $836 | $418 | $70 | ||||
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $758 | $379 | $63 | ||||
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $750 | $375 | $63 | ||||
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $670 | $335 | $56 | ||||
| Honda Civic DX 2-Dr Coupe | $710 | $355 | $59 | ||||
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,146 | $573 | $96 | ||||
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD 4-Dr | $880 | $440 | $73 | ||||
| Kia Optima EX | $786 | $393 | $66 | ||||
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,038 | $519 | $87 | ||||
| Toyota Camry SE | $960 | $480 | $80 | ||||
| Toyota Corolla LE | $1,094 | $547 | $91 | ||||
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data represents married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in zip code location which can decrease or increase rates considerably.
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
The example below shows the comparison of Kia Optima yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, married female driver, and no discounts are applied.
Kia Optima rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.
When to drop full coverage
There is no specific rule of when to phase out full coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Kia Optima book value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premiums are more than $300 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Raise deductibles and save
The information below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can change Hyundai Elantra insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Hyundai Elantra rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
The information below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault claims impact Chevrolet Malibu yearly insurance costs for each age group. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
Chevrolet Malibu rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.
Discounts to earn lower Joliet car insurance rates
Car insurance companies don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so below is a list both well-publicized as well as the least known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Joliet auto insurance online.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of paying each month you can avoid the installment charge.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a defensive driver class could cut 5% off your bill and also improve your driving technique.
- Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who live away from home at college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Seniors may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Joliet Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home in Joliet may trigger a policy discount on car insurance because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Early Switch Discount – A few car insurance companies offer discounts for signing up before your current coverage expires. You may see this discount when you get Joliet auto insurance quotes online.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Active or former government employment may qualify for a discount when you quote Joliet auto insurance with a few car insurance companies.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
To choose companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Joliet, click here.
How car insurance companies determine insurance rates
Lots of things are used when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, although others are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or your commute time. Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the things that help determine your policy premiums. If you understand what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower premium levels.
The factors shown below are a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine rates.
Your employer and insurance rates – Occupations like judges, police officers, and accountants generally pay higher rates than the rest of us in part from high stress and long work hours. On the flip side, professions such as farmers, engineers and retirees generally pay rates lower than average.
Save money with responsible credit – Having a bad credit score factor in determining what you pay for insurance. If your credit history is low, you could save money insuring your vehicle if you improve your credit rating. People with very high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit scores.
Lower prices with theft deterrents – Buying a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft deterrent systems such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help prevent car theft and help bring rates down.
Bad drivers pay high rates – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Only having one speeding ticket can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Attentive drivers have lower premiums compared to bad drivers. People who have multiple violations like DUI or willful reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Your age impacts your costs – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, cause fewer claims and accidents, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.Teen drivers are statistically shown to be careless and easily distracted when driving with friends so insurance rates are higher.
Vehicles with better crash test results are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and fewer serious injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and cheaper rates on your policy. If your car, truck, or SUV is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it is probably cheaper to insure.
Exclusive or independent car insurance agents
Some consumers just want to go talk to an agent. Most agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain cheaper rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this short form, the quote information is emailed to participating agents in Joliet that provide free Joliet auto insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to leave your computer since rate quotes are delivered directly to your email. If you want to get a price quote from one company in particular, just visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
Selecting an insurer is decision based upon more than just a cheap price. These questions are important to ask:
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Illinois?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
When looking for a local Joliet insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Joliet agents are classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both can sell car insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the differences because it can impact your selection of an agent.
Exclusive Agents
These type of agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates and some examples include State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so you might not find the best rates. They are trained well on the products they sell and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Drivers often buy from exclusive agents mostly because of the prominence of the brand and strong financial ratings.
Below are Joliet exclusive insurance agents that are able to give price quotes.
- American Family Insurance – Michael Arias
900 W Jefferson St – Joliet, IL 60435 – (815) 740-1552 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Joseph Garbin
3559 W Jefferson St – Joliet, IL 60431 – (815) 741-1600 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Calder Agency
2378 Plainfield Rd – Crest Hill, IL 60403 – (815) 729-2100 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can write business with lots of companies and find you cheaper rates. If prices rise, your agent can switch companies which requires no work on your part. When comparison shopping, you will want to check rates from several independent agencies for the best price selection. A lot of them also have access to companies that do not advertise much that may provide cheaper car insurance rates.
The following are Joliet independent insurance agents willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Magnum Insurance Agency Inc.
562 Collins AV. – Joliet, IL 60432 – (815) 727-7262 – View Map - Paisano Auto Insurance
501 N Chicago St – Joliet, IL 60432 – (815) 630-4983 – View Map - United Auto Insurance
Joliet, IL 60435 – Joliet, IL 60435 – (815) 725-5100 – View Map
If you feel you receive good responses to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that can insure your vehicles. Just remember it’s your coverage and you can cancel a policy whenever you wish so never assume that you are permanently stuck with the car insurance policy indefinitely.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When quoting and comparing insurance from an agent or online, there really isn’t a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation could use an agent’s help.
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Is my camper covered for physical damage?
- How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Is there a penalty for late payment?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- How much liability insurance is required?
- How do I buy GAP insurance?
- Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Do you really save 40% when you switch?
Consumers in Illinois constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price insurance by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big if you just switch to their company.
How is it plausible that every one can offer drivers better rates? This is how they do it.
Many companies provide the lowest rates for the type of insured they prefer to insure. For instance, this type of driver might have to be a mature driver, has no claims, and drives a safe vehicle. A customer who fits those characteristics will probably get cheap rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Potential customers who may not quite match the “perfect” profile will get a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That is how insurance companies can make those claims. Because of these techniques, you really should get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to guess which insurance company will have the best car insurance rates for your profile.
Find cheaper car insurance rates by comparing often
Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance rates in Joliet. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get auto insurance rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small local company.
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal is to buy enough coverage at the best possible price.
People switch companies for a number of reasons such as high prices, not issuing a premium refund, being labeled a high risk driver or even delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Additional car insurance information is available at the links below
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota Highlander in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Chicago Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 60? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Chicago Auto Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Chicago Auto Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit? (FAQ)
- Get the Right Protection (InsureUonline.org)
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)