Big Shoulders Carry a Lot of Weight: Chicago Insurance
Bedford Park, Oak Lawn, Chicago Heights, Riverdale– each neighborhood has a style that sets it apart in more ways than location. But they all have two things in common: the Curse of the Billy Goat, and the need for adequate insurance. Windy City life can be a lot like the Cubs, in fact–no matter how good it is, something bad can suddenly happen. To support yourself and your family against careless drivers, violent storms, thieves, and other dangers in the City of Big Shoulders, you’ll need some Big Shoulders of your own. That’s where affordable Chicago insurance quotes become indispensable.
The Home-Court Bulls
Long-time Bulls fans remember how tough it was to win in Chicago during Jordan’s days. You can make your home just as tough with the right Illinois home insurance policy. Windy City residents now pay about $645 for an annual premium. Small steps can save money. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers might knock that cost as low as $549. Burglar alarms and deadbolt locks often shave 10% off an annual premium. Also, consider raising your deductible. If you think you can afford to pay $1,000 instead of $500, you may save as much as 25% on Chicago insurance quotes. Along the same lines, try to avoid filing for small losses if you can afford to pay for them. Claims history affects Chicago insurance quotes, so paying for losses in the short-term can save you a lot of money on your home policy over time.
Legalize Yourself
Accidents can happen to anyone, but that’s just one reason to purchase an Illinois auto insurance policy for your car. Chicago insurance is partly controlled by state law. Illinois requires every driver to have at least a 20/40/15 liability policy: $20,000 for bodily injury for one person, $40,000 for bodily injury for more than one person, and $15,000 per accident for property damage.
You’ll also have to buy coverage to protect yourself against uninsured motorists: $20,000 of bodily injury per person and $40,000 of bodily injury, total, per accident. If you’re convicted of failure to show proof of car insurance, your license plates will be suspended, and you’ll receive a minimum $500 fine for driving uninsured as well as a minimum $1,000 fine for driving a vehicle while the license plates are suspended for a previous insurance violation. Compare Chicago insurance quotes, and it’s clear that you can pay far less by purchasing a policy.
Combine Policies
When it comes to Illinois insurance quotes, there are numerous ways to save money. A good credit score, continuous insurance history, and dependable profession lead insurers to place you in a low-risk bracket, which lowers your premium. But those are just baselines. When you compare Chicago insurance quotes, consider combining your home and auto policies. This often saves hundreds of dollars every year. You may also want to add health or life insurance to this umbrella policy. Even within an existing car insurance policy, you can save by putting multiple drivers on one policy. A 30-year-old Chicago man who drives a 2005 Honda Accord 20 miles roundtrip to work every day will pay about $1,008 for the state minimum coverage. By adding his wife’s 2007 Ford Expedition to his policy, they’ll pay about $1,430–nearly $300 less per person. To see how you can get these kinds of savings, go out and compare as many Chicago insurance quotes as possible. A free service like NetQuote.com makes the comparison process quick and painless. It’s as easy as finding a great slice of pizza in your neighborhood.
