Boston Insurance Agents – Five Minutes to Find the Best

If you’re looking to buy car insurance, there are a lot of options and picking a good Massachusetts insurance agent is not as easy as just using the same car insurance agent as your neighbor. Consumers require a great agent that can assess your needs, but also the lowest rates in Boston.

Consumers have many auto insurance agents to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to get the best deal.

It’s not one size fits all

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions could help you determine whether or not you might need professional guidance.

• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
• Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
• What are the financial responsibility laws in Massachusetts?
• What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
• Does my vehicle need full coverage?
• How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent.

Comparing rates from local agents

Agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.

Once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will compete for your business. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!

Choosing a car insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Which company do they place the most coverage with?
• Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• Are they full-time agents?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?

Two types of auto insurance agents

If you’re trying to find an insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Boston can either be independent or captive. Both types can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning how they are different since it may influence the type of agent you choose

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Below are Boston captive insurance agents willing to provide comparison quotes.

Liberty Mutual Insurance – 31 Saint James Ave # 890 – Boston, MA 02116 – (617) 451-2009

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.

When shopping rates, you should always include several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

The following are Boston independent insurance agencies that are able to give price quote information.

Insurance Institute-Property – 73 Tremont St – Boston, MA 02108 – (617) 722-0200
State Fund Insurance – 100 Summer St # 1601 – Boston, MA 02110 – (617) 956-9999
Samuel Wong Agency – 68 Harrison Ave – Boston, MA 02111 – (617) 423-3112
James Mc Carthy Agency – 286 Congress St – Boston, MA 02210 – (617) 542-1111

For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Boston, please go to this site.

Once you have positive responses to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that will service your policy.

Don’t forget about online companies

Professional insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you can also find affordable Massachusetts auto insurance from online companies direct. A few companies that sell primarily through agents also permit you to buy direct online, and online price comparisons are easy if you’re trying to lower your rates.

If you’re uncomfortable with not having professional advice when buying online, this really isn’t an issue. Companies that allow you to purchase coverage all have toll-free customer service for getting the best coverage.

Is it cheaper to buy online? It’s difficult to provide an answer since there are so many factors that determine your policy premium. Many people think that buying car insurance online saves money by not requiring a commission. But in most cases, marketing expenses are significant and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.

Online resources for education

Even more information is available at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, find a variety of consumer forms, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about specific coverages.

Quote often and quote early

The cheapest car insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Boston, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent or even policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is less work than it seems.