Proven Techniques for Comparing Cheaper Boston Massachusetts Auto Insurance

Saving money on Boston auto insurance can be difficult for beginners to comparing rates online. You have so many companies to choose from that it can be a real challenge to find the best price in Boston.

It’s important to get comparison quotes every six months due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance online, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn a bunch of ideas how to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

• How many coverages with the same company – Many insurers give discounts to people who carry more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
• Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse will be a sure-fire way to bump up your auto insurance costs. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance will get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
• Better crash test results mean better rates – Safer cars get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
• Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. They both have accidents at a similar rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Save money with special equipment – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
• More claims means more premium – Companies in Massachusetts award lower rates to people who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for the large, substantial claims.
• Traffic violations increase rates – Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Even a single moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who get flagrant violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
• Low deductibles can be expensive – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Compare Quotes for Boston Auto Insurance

When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways to compare quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. One of the simplest ways consumers can analyze rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do a different quote to each individual auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form compares rates from many national carriers. It’s definitely the quickest method.
2. A different way to find lower rates is to take the time to go to each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from Auto-Owners, State Farm and Farmers. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Boston, click here.

Whichever way you use, ensure you’re using identical information for each comparison quote. If you are comparing different deductibles it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Boston. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. It’s important to know that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding better pricing.

Take discounts and save

Car insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for in order for you to get them.

• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
• Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
• Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Claim Free – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared with bad drivers.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

For a list of insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Boston, follow this link.

Which policy gives me the best coverage?

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions might point out whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
• Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
• Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
• Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
• Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Massachusetts?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Much more information about auto insurance in Massachusetts can be found on the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website through this link. Massachusetts drivers can find out industry alerts, read industry bulletins, and learn about specific coverages.

Quote more, save more

As you restructure your insurance plan, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, policy cancellation, policy non-renewal and even delays in responding to claim requests. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company is not as hard as you think.

Cheaper auto insurance is attainable from both online companies and with local Boston insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.