Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Galva Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as the majority of other car owners in Illinois.

Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and it can be hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

How to Compare Galva Auto Insurance Rates

Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be exhausting if you don't know the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend your day talking to local insurance agents in Galva, or you could save time and use the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.

All the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and each participating company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The one downside to comparing rates this way is you don't know exactly which companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to receive pricing from, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in Illinois. Click to view list.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using exactly the same coverage information on every quote you get. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it's impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Galva. Slightly different coverages may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company's prices will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.

auto insurance in Galva

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand the factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as lawyers, social workers and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and lengthy work days. Other jobs such as farmers, historians and performers pay the least.
  • Men pay higher rates - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men cause accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - Auto insurance companies in Illinois generally give cheaper rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you frequently file small claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder auto theft.
  • A clean driving record saves money - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers with flagrant tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
  • Older drivers save more - Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teenage drivers are known to be more careless in a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Many insurance companies will award you with lower prices to people who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to 10 percent or more. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but a few need to be requested specifically before you get the savings.

  • Military Discounts - Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
  • Senior Discount - Older drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
  • No Claims - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with frequent claim filers.
  • Payment Method - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce your premiums.

For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Galva, click here.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance located here. Illinois drivers can find disaster information, read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.

Final considerations

Cheaper auto insurance can be bought on the web in addition to many Galva insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.