According to (Illinois PIRG) Illinois consumers are spending more for gas now than ever before, and it’s time for lawmakers to step up and work toward real solutions,” said State Representative Colvin. “It’s time we heard from all the stakeholders in this struggle against high gas prices. Public hearings of the Consumer Protection Committee will bring real policy solutions to light. Read More

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Farm-Grown Fuel now available in Illinois - Where to get Biodiesel in Illinois

Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. Even with EPA’s more stringent heavy-duty highway and nonroad engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which contribute to serious public health problems. These emissions are linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks, millions of lost work days, and numerous other health impacts every year

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Sometimes we receive calls from our Customers regarding of minor fender bender in City of Chicago and this is one of the real stories.

Question About 07 Toyota Corolla Fender Bender

This morning I had a slight fender bender in Chicago, nothing really serious. What happened was that some guy rear-ended me with 2005 Chevrolet Aveo. I was on stop light near the Lake in Chicago and all of the sudden my 07 Toyota Corolla was slightly pushed, in right away I looked to my rear view mirror and saw the guy coming out of his Red smaller car.

So I got out as well, walking toward the back of my car and automatically looked into the bumper area. Oh well, nobody was hurt I said to the guy and we can settle this quickly by exchanging the Insurance information and there was no need to call the Police, since it was only a crack on paint, just above the license place.

He agreed, but said that it would be the best to pay for the repairs by cash! It sounded kind of weird to me, so I told him to wait day or two, because I need to go to Body Shop any place in Chicago to get an estimate and than I will call him first, before reporting the accident to my Insurance Company.

Answer regarding of 2007 Toyota Corolla Fender Bender

As number one, if you were in a car accident, in this situation a fender bender in Chicago, you should always go to the nearest Police Station and make a Police Report, only in case if there are no big damages, which means very minor fender bender, the biggest damage was the dent, or cracks and normally if nobody was hurt and both vehicles are in full driving condition.

In no way, accept to settle any accidents, including the fender bender for cash. In some cases there is little bit more to it than only a crack in bumper, there could be some other hidden damages that you may not know of, that is why it is always good idea to seek a professional body shop’s help. And in case that driver who rear ended you decides not to pay, you will have #1, his Insurance Information, #2 Police Report.

Good Luck

When you buy an auto insurance policy, you are buying a package of individual coverages. Each coverage protects you against different types of losses. Once you understand the various coverages, you can decide which ones to include in your personal insurance package. You can also determine the limits of coverage you will need. The following are some common coverages found in an auto policy. NOTE - Your policy may not contain all of these coverages.
Bodily Injury (BI) Liability Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for damages due to injury or death of others in a vehicle accident for which you or the operator of your vehicle are legally responsible. It also pays your legal defense costs. In most states this coverage is mandatory.
Property Damage (PD) Liability Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for another individual’s vehicle or property that has been damaged in an accident for which you or the operator of your vehicle is legally responsible. In most states this coverage is also mandatory.
Medical Payments Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for reasonable and necessary doctor, hospital and funeral expenses for you and your passengers injured or killed in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Payments are usually limited to one to three years after the accident. This coverage is optional in most states without no-fault insurance systems.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM) Coverage pays up to the coverage limits for pain and suffering which is not covered by medical, disability and PIP. Underinsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injury to you or your family resulting from the negligence of someone whose liability insurance limits are insufficient. The definition of an underinsured motorist varies from state to state.
Collision Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for damage to your vehicle or a vehicle you are operating caused by a collision or rollover. This coverage is usually required if you have a vehicle loan.
Comprehensive Physical Damage Coverage pays, up to the coverage limits, for damage to your vehicle or any vehicle in your custody resulting from theft, fire, vandalism, flooding, hail or other perils (but not damage by collision or overturning). It is usually required if you have a vehicle loan.
Rental Reimbursement pays up to a specified amount for rental vehicle charges while your vehicle is being repaired for damage covered under your policy. If you prefer not to incur the cost of renting a vehicle yourself and cannot be without a vehicle while yours is being repaired, you might consider this coverage.
Towing and Labor covers some costs incurred for services rendered at the place of breakdown or for towing to a repair shop. It covers the delivery of gas, oil or a battery, but not the cost of these items. If you lock the keys in the vehicle or need a tire changed, this may also be covered. These services are often included in auto club memberships, which can result in unnecessary duplicate coverage.

Home Insurance

For many of us our home is our most valuable possession. The time to think about the unthinkable disaster is before it happens to you. If your home were damaged or destroyed, insurance can help you repair or rebuild your home and replace damaged possessions.
The main purpose of insurance is to protect you against losses you cannot afford. Few people have the financial resources to rebuild their homes. In addition to protecting your home and possessions, homeowners insurance also provides liability coverage to protect you from financial ruin if someone is injured on your property and sues for damages.
A homeowners insurance policy consists of coverage for your dwelling and your personal property. It also includes liability insurance which pays for injuries to other people or damages to their property accidentally caused by you, your family or your pets. You also can buy several types of additional insurance for property that is not listed in your homeowners policy or for perils not covered — such as flood — for which you need a separate policy. You do this by either buying a separate policy or by adding an endorsement or rider to your policy.

Tips for Keeping Your Rates Low
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your homeowner’s premiums.
Raise Your Deductible - A deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance starts to pay for your loss. Since the purpose of insurance is to pay for the losses you cannot afford, raise your deductible to a limit that you could handle in case of a loss.
New Home - If your home is less than 10 years old, you may be eligible for a new home discount.
Make Your Home Safer - You may be eligible for a discount if you have a burglar and fire alarms systems and/or sprinkler systems. Monitored systems will earn a bigger discount than unmonitored systems.
Construction Material - When you buy a home, look for fire-resistant construction, such as brick, masonry or rock. You may pay a lower premium for hail-resistant roofs, such as those made of concrete tile, while wood roofs may bring a surcharge. Check the location of the nearest fire department, and avoid buying in floodprone areas. Non-Smoker Discounts

Motorcycle Insurance

Motorcycle Insurance typically offers a combination of collision, liability, theft, and related coverage designed specifically to meet the needs of motorcycle owners. If you own a motorcycle—whether you ride it or not!—you need this coverage to protect you from theft, collision, and other common exposures. Some of the items that may affect premiums;
Your driving record Where you keep your cycle (in the open or in garage) Your credit record How many years you have been driving a motorcycle Your age Previous Cycle Coverage
Anti-theft devices
ATV Insurance

Most states don’t require ATV insurance and you may have limited coverage if you have a homeowners policy. If you have an ATV we urge you to contact us and let us review your specific policy to determine whether you need a separate ATV Policy.

Many insurance companies offer discounts to help lower your premium such as:

A discount for completing and approved ATV safety course.
A discount for owning and insuring multiple ATVs.
A discount for being a member of associations such as the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) or the Honda Rider’s Club of America (HRCA).

Condominium Insurance
Condominiums and townhouses have special insurance needs. They don’t need as much insurance as a house, but owners have more to insure than a renter. The insurance needs for a condo owner include personal property and liability overage. Special policies for condominium owners, known as form HO-6, will provide the liability and personal property protection a condominium owner needs.
As a condominium owner, one needs to insure not only their personal possessions in the condo, but also any built in units such as cabinets, fixtures, appliances and shelves. In addition to covering the personal property, a condo owner also needs liability coverage. The liability portion of the policy would cover injures or damage to people or property that the condo owner would be liable for.
Below is a checklist of the top four questions to consider when choosing a condominium insurance policy:
1. What are your ownership and insurance responsibilities in the condo association’s Master Deed (the insurance requirements the association expects from you)?
Almost all associations have a master policy insurance that covers you for the actual structure and common elements such as a swimming pool or tennis court owned by all unit owners. The association documents and the master policy spell out very specifically where common areas end and where your unit starts. In some cases, for example, your unit may start inside the wallboard. In others, the wallboard may be considered part of your unit.
2. Does the policy you are considering include broad water damage coverage for problems such as sewer and drain back-ups?
3. Does your condo association provide comprehensive or blanket coverage to protect you against other condo owners who may not have adequate coverage?
4. Do you have expensive personal items such as jewelry or furs that you may need additional personal property coverage for?
Boat & Yacht Insurance
According to information from the U.S. Coast Guard, property damage to boats has been increasing. Many states now require boats to be insured. If you have your boat on a loan or use a marina, you will probably also be required to insure your boat. If you are not required to insure your boat, it is important you still consider purchasing boat insurance.
Boat insurance works similar to the insurance for your car, and can protect in the same way. But, since boats have different features than your car, you will want to make sure you have all the coverages you need and any savings that may lower your premium.

Insurance coverages you will want for your boat:
Liability
Physical Damage
Theft
Medical Payments
Motor Coverage
Trailer Coverage
Boat Covers
Docking Fenders
Communications Devices
Discounts you may be entitled to:
New Boat
Automatic Fire Extinguisher
Burglar Alarm
Ship-To-Shore Radio
Approved Boating Education Course

Remember, since every boat is unique please make sure you check with us to see if you need any additional coverages or would be eligible for additional discounts.

Motor Home and RV Insurance
A common practice for RV owners is to insure their RV under their current auto policy. But too often the owner does not take the time to read what and how much is covered under their auto policy. In many instances, RV’s covered under auto policies are not adequately covered.

One misconception RV owners have is that the personal property in their RV will be covered under their homeowners policy. This is true, but, coverage on personal property is limited when the property is kept somewhere other than the “residence premises.” Often the limit in a standard policy is very low and the usual policy deduction would apply.
To insure proper and adequate coverage, a RV owner should add a separate RV coverage to their current auto policy or secure a policy specifically for RV’s
If the RV owner’s insurance carrier does not have this type of coverage available, there are insurance companies that specialize in RV coverage. Usually the cost is minimal, especially compared to the alternative of finding out the RV and it’s possessions are not covered after a loss occurs.

Tips When You Hit The Road
Before your trip, make sure you get a complete travel check-up for your RV including inspection of all belts and hoses, headlights, tires, and turn signals. Also don’t forget to make sure the towing hitch, fire extinguisher and smoke alarms are in working order.
Other good before trip tips are to make sure your cooking vent hood is clean to help avoid fires and to make sure you leave your trip plans and phone numbers with a relative or friend.
Finally, it is important to go over with everyone on the trip basic emergency procedures.
Remind everyone that it is safer to be in the RV during lightning. If there is a tornado warning you will want to find a tornado shelter or the next best thing which would be parking under a bridge or similar structure. Also, don’t ever drive through any deep water as the depth can be deceiving.

Manufactured Home Insurance (Trailer Home)

Manufactured home insurance provides coverage for your mobile home, garage or shed, and your personal belongings. It may also provide financial protection in case you unintentionally injure someone or damage their property.
Having the right insurance helps you protect one of your most valuable assets – your home.
Fire. Theft. Windstorms. These are risks you face every day as a mobile home owner. You are also at risk in case someone gets hurt while at your home, or you accidentally damage someone else’s property.
Mobile home insurance offers peace of mind in knowing that your finances won’t suffer if unexpected events like these happen.
Do you have a mortgage on your mobile home? The financial institution that holds your mortgage may require you to have mobile home insurance.
Similar to conventional home insurance, mobile home insurance protects you in four basic ways:
Enables you to repair/replace or get actual cash value for your mobile home usually depending on age.
Allows you to replace your personal belongings if they are destroyed, stolen or damaged
Covers injuries that happen to other people or their property while in your home.
Covers your additional living expenses if you’re forced to leave your home because of a claim.

Before purchasing mobile home insurance, consider the following questions:
What would it cost to replace your mobile home?
What would it cost to replace the contents of your mobile home?
Do you have an inventory and photographs of your personal possessions?
What kind of protection do you have against liability claims?
Do you have items that should be insured with special coverage such as jewelry, cameras, collectibles etc.
Does your mobile home have a fire extinguisher, deadbolt locks or other money-saving safety features?
Umbrella & Excess Liability Coverage
Homeowners, auto, and watercraft policies have a limit on liability insurance. If an unfortunate accident should happen that is your fault, do you have enough liability insurance from your current policies to cover your costs for negligence? Since no one can predict how much a judge may award the injured person, umbrella insurance is not just for the wealthy anymore, but a needed protection for every policyholder.

Umbrella insurance is designed to give one added liability protection above and beyond the limits on homeowners, auto, and watercraft personal insurance policies. With an umbrella policy, depending on the insurance company, one can add an additional 1-5 million in liability protection.

This protection is designed to “kick-in” when the liability on other current policies has been exhausted.
Liability insurance is the portion of a homeowners or auto policy that pays for expenses such as the injured persons medical bills, rehabilitative therapy, and lost wages due to the negligence of the at fault person. The liability portion of an insurance policy also covers a legal defense representative if the negligence would happen to land the at fault person in the court room. After adding up all of the medical expenses for the injured and the legal fees of the negligent person, the standard liability in one’s homeowners or auto policy is often not enough. Almost every state has financial responsibility laws that will hold drivers accountable for bodily injury and property damage resulting from car accidents and the at fault driver could be sued for the damage. Personal assets from the at fault driver could be seized resulting from a lawsuit. Similar laws are also in force for home and watercraft owners.

There is good news. A personal liability umbrella insurance policy can give one added liability protection without a large added cost. Additional liability insurance is often inexpensive, especially compared to the added coverage one gains. Furthermore, liability insurance covers one’s non-business activities anywhere in the world. Having the added protection of a liability umbrella policy is coverage no one should go without

1. Operator’s Certificate - This policy covers the motorist in the operation of any non-owned vehicle. If the motorist does not own a vehicle, the financial responsibility requirement can be met through the Operator’s Certificate.
2. Owner’s Certificate - This policy covers vehicles owned by the driver. The type of vehicle must be listed on the SR-22 insurance or may be issued for “All owned vehicles”.
3. Operators-Owners Certificate - This certificate covers all vehicles owned or non-owned by the driver.

SR-22 Insurance Minimum Liability Limits

The SR-22 insurance policy must meet the minimum liability requirement for Illinois. The minimum amount of coverage must be issued for at least $20,000 for one person killed or injured, $40,000 for two or more persons killed or injured and $15,000 for property damage.

How the SR-22 Insurance Process Works

SR-22 insurance may be obtained by contacting an insurance company that is authorized to write SR-22 insurance policies for Illinois (CAPITOL INSURANCE AGENCY). When payment is made to an insurance agency, the agent will submit a request for an SR-22 insurance certificate to the central office. The SR-22 insurance certificate will then be sent directly to the Secretary of State in Springfield. This process used to take up to 30 days. Capitol Insurance Agency, Inc. works with several insurance companies that can instantly issue an SR-22 policy!  The SR-22 certificate is eFiled with the Secretary of State and the insured’s license is typically cleared within 48 business hours!  Upon acceptance, the individual will receive a copy of the SR-22 insurance from the insurance company and a letter from the Secretary of State.

Once the SR-22 insurance is accepted, it must be maintained for a period of 36 months (12 months for Mandatory Insurance Supervision cases). If the SR-22 insurance expires or is cancelled, the insurance company is required by law to notify the Safety and Financial Responsibility Section by a SR-26 Insurance Cancellation Certificate. Upon receipt, S&FR will then load a Type Action 05 suspension on the driving record. This suspension cannot be removed until the insurance filing has been reinstated.