When pricing auto insurance in Oak Lawn, Illinois, there are a lot of options and finding the best Illinois car insurance agent is harder than just calling the closest agent. Chances are you not only want a decent agent, but you also need affordable coverage.
With companies like American Family, Allstate, State Farm and Farmers having local Oak Lawn offices, it’s hard to tell which will provide you with the best service and rates. Fortunately, consumers can get insurance quotes online to get a list of insurance agencies to choose from.
Compare Oak Lawn agent rates online
Good agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for small agencies is important particularly in Oak Lawn.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your information is submitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. There is no need to drive around as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! It’s the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Is a captive or independent car insurance agent right for you?
When finding local Oak Lawn agents, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Oak Lawn agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, you should always include several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.
The following is a list of independent insurance agents in Oak Lawn who can help you get pricing information.
- Bicent Insurance – 4724 W 103rd St – Oak Lawn, IL 60453 – (708) 422-7900
- Country Insurance and Financial – 5003 W 95th St – Oak Lawn, IL 60453 – (708) 425-9700
- Ambassador Agency LTD – 9609 Mansfield Ave – Oak Lawn, IL 60453 – (708) 423-8480
Agency Captives
These agents can only write with one company and some examples include American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some people will only buy from captive agents mostly because of high brand loyalty and strong financial ratings.
The following is a short list of captive agencies in Oak Lawn who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 9014 S Cicero Ave – Oak Lawn, IL 60453 – (708) 636-5100
- Allstate Insurance – 9548 Southwest Hwy – Oak Lawn, IL 60453 – (708) 423-5204
- American Family Insurance – 8008 W 84th St – Oak Lawn, IL 60458 – (708) 233-9077
For a complete listing of auto insurance agents in Oak Lawn, go to this page.
Deciding on an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
After receiving satisfactory answers to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.
Aren’t online-only companies cheaper?
Insurance agencies serve a purpose, but you also have the option of buying direct online. A few companies who have local Oak Lawn agents also permit you to get quotes and purchase online, and consumers should do that if you prefer to buy online.
If you’re apprehensive about whether or not you’ll have guidance, don’t let it bother you. Online insurance companies that allow you to purchase coverage all have toll-free customer service for answering any questions you have. They also have a frequently asked questions page to help with the buying process.
The only method to determine if the cheapest policy comes from an agent or online is to set aside time to compare rates from both. It’s possible to get different rates when getting a price from both an agent and online from the same company. But you can’t find out whether the best rates are online or from an agent unless free rate quotes are compared utilizing both methods.
Do people save by buying online? Many people swear by it, but it’s difficult to answer due to the large number of individual components that determine the price you pay. It’s a logical assumption that shopping direct reduces premiums because there is no agent. For the majority of companies, however, getting their brand in front of customers is expensive so there may not be significant savings.
Buy online or local, you save
While you’re price shopping online, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.
People leave their current company for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, extreme rates for teen drivers, being labeled a high risk driver and poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, switching auto insurance companies is less work than it seems.
Much more information about auto insurance in Illinois can be read on the Illinois Department of Insurance website located here. Illinois consumers can view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, and find disaster information.
