Top Ways to Save on Pana Auto Insurance

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to price shop coverage yearly since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're about to find out how to use online quotes to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically when you complete an application, but a few need to be asked about before they will apply.

  • Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance.
  • Own a Home - Owning a house in Pana can help you save on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents can save substantially as compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.
  • Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
  • Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce your premiums.

Illinois auto insurance quotes

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

  • Where you live can impact rates - Residing in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Fewer people means reduced accidents. City drivers tend to have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Longer commute distances translates into higher accident risk.
  • Where do you drive? - Driving more miles in a year's time the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle's coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Double check that your auto insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.
  • Higher deductibles cost less - Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and burglary. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Don't cancel a policy without a new one in place - Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse will be a quick way to increase your auto insurance rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine.
  • Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as lawyers, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates due to high stress levels and long work days. Other jobs such as pilots, historians and performers pay the least.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not you would benefit from an agent's advice.

  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • What are the financial responsibility laws in Illinois?
  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
  • Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?

If you're not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings after switching your policy. How can each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't measure up to the requirements will have to pay higher rates and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, drivers should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Learn more about auto insurance in Illinois

Additional information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance found here. Illinois drivers can view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, report car insurance fraud, and find a variety of consumer forms.

Illinois auto insurance quotes

Shop smart and save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price.

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Pana insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.