National Mutual vs. Pekin: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Pekin offers significantly cheaper prices than National Mutual
• National Mutual offers more discounts than Pekin Insurance
• Pekin tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

National Mutual vs. Pekin: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to National Mutual or Pekin as potential options, but which one has more affordable premiums for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Pekin is quite a bit cheaper than National Mutual, with prices averaging $74 per month compared to $201 with National Mutual.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Pekin will be the less expensive option for every single driver. Auto insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how old you are, where you live, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if National Mutual or Pekin is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

National Mutual or Pekin: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

National Mutual and Pekin only compete against each other in Indiana, where Pekin offers the cheaper average premiums. For Indiana residents, Pekin offers car insurance for $74 monthly on average. National Mutual's average rates come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $224 per month.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just where you call home. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Pekin save more than $300 a month compared to those who use National Mutual.

That being said, both companies will drop premiums by the time drivers turn 25. Pekin offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. National Mutual's average rates reduce over 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the most affordable prices you can find.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between National Mutual and Pekin? Pekin gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $58 a month compared to National Mutual's $134.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly cheaper auto insurance rates than single drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one car on their policy -- something a lot of insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Pekin is the clear winner for single policyholders, with prices around $152 per month more affordable than National Mutual, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Pekin is also obvious, where drivers save nearly $95 a month.

National Mutual vs. Pekin: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into collisions and get tickets, they have a higher chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance companies will tend to offer men more expensive premiums.

With National Mutual, men typically pay more than $20 per month more than women, and about $1 with Pekin.

When it comes to the cheapest rates for each gender, Pekin comes out as the lowest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $137 a month and women save around $117 with Pekin compared to the average National Mutual policyholder.

National Mutual or Pekin: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

It's no secret that car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a variety of different coverages that account for many different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Pekin usually offers significantly cheaper prices of $46 compared to National Mutual's $94. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Pekin again has the edge, with policies about $200 per month less expensive than National Mutual, on average.

Is National Mutual or Pekin Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

National Mutual policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $11 a month if they get a ticket, while Pekin generally raises rates around $13 per month, on average.

However, Pekin is normally the more affordable option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent speeding ticket, offering premiums that are $77 and $75 less expensive, respectively, compared to National Mutual Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with National Mutual increasing by over $75. Pekin has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay just under $20 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Pekin offers the lowest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $73 compared to National Mutual Insurance's $207.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- generally a lot more than an accident or ticket. On average, National Mutual will increase your rates about 60% after a DUI, while Pekin's average premiums increase by just under 50%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Pekin tends to be the much more affordable option with average rates of $104 monthly compared to $325 from National Mutual.

How does Credit Score Impact National Mutual and Pekin Rates?

Did you know that many insurance carriers take into account your credit score when calculating prices? This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it might come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Pekin and National Mutual, which company has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Pekin. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save over 60% compared to National Mutual, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $101 or 63% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Pekin typically offers lower prices than National Mutual when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $145 a month less with Pekin compared to National Mutual, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around $183 per month.

Is National Mutual or Pekin Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a considerable impact on your monthly insurance cost? Usually, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for auto insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much National Mutual charges. However, there's a significant difference in monthly rates for Pekin, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $13 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Pekin is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

National Mutual vs. Pekin: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas because there are a lot fewer vehicles on the road in those areas, which reduces the chances of an accident.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Pekin usually comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Pekin Insurance's average premiums are around 60% less than National Mutual Insurance. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about 66% less with Pekin compared to National Mutual. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save around 63% with Pekin compared to National Mutual.

National Mutual vs. Pekin Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the section below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts National Mutual and Pekin offer their customers so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

National Mutual knocks Pekin out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering nine more discounts than Pekin.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but National Mutual also offers claim free discounts, continuous insurance discounts, driver training discounts, and more that Pekin does not.

On the flip side, Pekin has a couple unique discounts of its own -- group discounts and hybrid vehicle discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is National Mutual or Pekin Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors car insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. But, at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the best company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Pekin might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

National Mutual might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare National Mutual and Pekin. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just National Mutual and Pekin. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

National Mutual vs. Pekin FAQs

Is National Mutual or Pekin cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Pekin is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $74 per month compared to $201 for National Mutual. But Pekin won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a bunch of different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, National Mutual or Pekin?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for every driver -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

Why do National Mutual and Pekin offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at many different factors when determining the premiums they charge policyholders. Variables like your driving record, gender, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both National Mutual and Pekin calculate prices differently, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if National Mutual or Pekin is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be National Mutual or Pekin at all!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.