Lower Rates from Chicago Auto Insurance Agents
When shopping for auto insurance, there are a lot of options and selecting the best Chicago insurance agency for your needs can be more difficult than just making a phone call. Consumers require a professional agent and also want to find decent rates too.
Many insurance agencies vie for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance agent to find the absolute lowest cost out there.
Your personal situation dictates your coverage
When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- How much liability coverage do I need in Illinois?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in Illinois?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an insurance agent.
Quote online, buy local
Insurance agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.
Selecting an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- How are they compensated?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in your state?
Captive and independent Chicago auto insurance agents
When finding a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Chicago can either be captive or independent.
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents receive extensive training in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.
Shown below are Chicago captive insurance agencies willing to provide comparison quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 6315 N Milwaukee Ave – Chicago, IL 60646 – (773) 775-3700
American Family Insurance – 4403 W 63rd St – Chicago, IL 60629 – (773) 585-3400
Farmers Insurance Group – 7148 W Addison St – Chicago, IL 60634 – (773) 836-7633
Alton Williams State Farm Ins – 3406 W Irving Park Rd – Chicago, IL 60618 – (773) 463-4343
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.
Below is a short list of independent agents in Chicago that are able to give price quotes.
City Squire Agency LTD – 639 W Diversey Pkwy # 220 – Chicago, IL 60614 – (773) 737-2000
A-AAA Best Insurance Store – 2448 N Cicero Ave – Chicago, IL 60639 – (773) 237-1117
Derrick Malone Insurance Inc – 3430 S King Dr – Chicago, IL 60616 – (312) 567-0276
Charles Ramos Agency – 2540 W Chicago Ave – Chicago, IL 60622 – (312) 782-8177
Bertucci Agency Inc – 330 S Wells St # 904 – Chicago, IL 60606 – (312) 427-4228
For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Chicago, click here to link.
After getting acceptable answers to any questions you have and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.
For more reading
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.
Quote more, save more
Consumers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, high prices, being labeled a high risk driver or denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is actually quite simple.
Lower priced auto insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents in Chicago, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best prices to choose from. Independent agents work with many smaller companies that don’t always offer the ability to get a quote online.