Tightwads Guide for Saving on Panama City Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates yearly because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Where Can I Get Cheap Panama City Auto Insurance?

There are several ways to compare auto insurance quotes, but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You could spend your day driving to insurance companies in Panama City, or you can stay home and use online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

All the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and each company then gives them pricing determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for.

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

The only drawback to pricing coverage this way is you can't choose which companies to receive prices from. If you wish to select individual companies to compare prices, we put together a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Florida. Click here to view list.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use exactly the same coverage limits with every price quote. If your comparisons have differing limits you will not be able to find the best deal in Panama City.

Panama City Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It's important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Shown below are some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Older drivers save more - More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be more careless when driving and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Drive less and save money - The higher the mileage driven in a year's time the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Verify your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Safer occupants lowers premiums - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as doctors, executives and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and long work hours. Other occupations like pilots, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
Discounts for married couples - Being married helps lower the price on your auto insurance policy. It means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

How much can you save with discounts?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you're just leaving money on the table.

College Student - Any of your kids who live away from home and don't have a car can receive lower rates.
Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to frequent claim filers.
Sign Online - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
Senior Citizens - Older drivers may receive better auto insurance rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.

For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Panama City, click this link.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every insured's situation is different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs might need an agent's assistance.

Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Panama City?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, free and may give you better protection.

Additional information is available on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Click here for link. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.

A tidy conclusion

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

Cheap auto insurance is attainable both online and also from your neighborhood Panama City agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

We covered some good ideas how to lower your auto insurance rates. It's most important to understand that the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .