Have you finally had enough of sacrificing to make your insurance payment? You have the same problem as the majority of other consumers in Illinois.
Regrettably, the majority of drivers have bought insurance from the same company for at least four years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never compared rates from other carriers. Consumers in Illinois could save as much as $600 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they assume it’s a waste of time to compare rates.
Insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive persitently shower you with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you are insured now, you should be able to reduce the price you pay using the techniques presented in this article. Locating the best rates in Chicago is actually not that difficult if you follow our advice. Although Illinois vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how big insurance companies calculate your policy premium because rates are impacted by many factors.
How to get low cost Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance in Chicago
When price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes helps you find better pricing. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide Chicago Avalon Hybrid insurance quotes over the internet, so it’s important to also get quotes from them, too.
The car insurance companies shown below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Chicago, IL. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get the lowest price.
Why you need insurance for your Toyota Avalon Hybrid
Even though Chicago Avalon Hybrid insurance rates can get expensive, insuring your vehicle serves several important purposes.
- Most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability insurance 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 took out a loan on your Toyota Avalon Hybrid, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate that you buy insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you default on your policy, the bank will be required to insure your Toyota at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your Toyota. Insurance will also pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers legal expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially with large liability claims. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays as much as $850 per year so shop around at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Chicago insurance discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list the entire discount list in a way that’s easy to find, so the following list contains some of the best known as well as the least known credits that you can use to lower your rates. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are not getting the best rate possible.
- Professional Memberships – Participating in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could earn you a nice discount on your bill.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance carriers reward you with a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get better insurance rates.
- Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who live away from home to go to college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Drive Less and Save – Driving less could earn better insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but companies like Progressive and Allstate will turn a blind eye to one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a specific time period.
It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Popular insurance companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- 21st Century offers discounts for anti-lock brakes, air bags, homeowners, teen driver, student driver, defensive driver, and early bird.
- State Farm may include discounts for good student, safe vehicle, accident-free, good driver, multiple autos, driver’s education, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- AAA has discounts for good student, education and occupation, pay-in-full, good driver, multi-car, and AAA membership discount.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for teen driver discount, exclusive group savings, new move discount, new graduate, and preferred payment discount.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online quote discount, good student, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
When getting free Chicago car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to each company or agent which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts might not be offered in Chicago.
When do I need to get advice from an agent?
Some consumers just want to go talk to an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. A nice benefit of comparing insurance online is you can get cheaper rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local agents is still important in Chicago.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your information is submitted to agents in your area that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. You can find lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you want to quote rates for a specific company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and give them your coverage information.
The difference between Chicago car insurance agents
If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a local insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can choose from. Agencies in Chicago can be classified as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are normally appointed by many insurers and that enables them to quote your coverage with an assortment of companies depending on which coverage is best. If premiums increase, your policy is moved internally and you stay with the same agent. When comparing insurance rates, you will want to contact multiple independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
The following are independent agencies in Chicago that can give you free price quotes.
Active Insurance Agency – Auto Insurance
1034 N Ashland Ave – Chicago, IL 60622 – (773) 286-3473 – View Map
Riehn Insurance
4541 N Lincoln Ave – Chicago, IL 60625 – (773) 561-4200 – View Map
Eagle Insurance Agency
3517 N Spaulding Ave – Chicago, IL 60618 – (773) 463-7576 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents receive extensive training on their company’s products and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.
Listed below are Chicago exclusive agencies that are able to give rate quotes.
Jim Mays Jr – State Farm Insurance Agent
4465 N Milwaukee Ave – Chicago, IL 60630 – (773) 282-1500 – View Map
Jim Tom – State Farm Insurance Agent
4317 N Lincoln Ave – Chicago, IL 60618 – (773) 477-3300 – View Map
Gus Andrade – State Farm Insurance Agent
4355 W 26th St – Chicago, IL 60623 – (773) 521-0216 – View Map
Selecting an car insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap quote. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
Coverages available on your auto insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Avalon Hybrid caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for claims like driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, backing into a parked car, crashing into a building and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your Avalon Hybrid in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Toyota Avalon Hybrid.
Since many Illinois drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Illinois limits are 20/40/15), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like ambulance fees, prosthetic devices, surgery, rehabilitation expenses and pain medications. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage – This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as theft, rock chips in glass and hitting a bird. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Auto liability – Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 20/40/15 that translate to a limit of $20,000 per injured person, a total of $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $15,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as pain and suffering, funeral expenses, legal defense fees and emergency aid. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford. Illinois requires drivers to carry at least 20/40/15 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
In the end, you can save money
We’ve covered a lot of tips how to compare Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance prices in Chicago. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the best price on insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
Some companies may not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies only sell through independent agents. Cheaper Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance in Chicago can be bought on the web as well as from independent agents in Chicago, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection.
Much more information about insurance in Illinois is available at the links below
- Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 50 in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for Felons in Chicago? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest After a Speeding Ticket in Chicago? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
- What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)
- Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)