Top 7 Ways to Save Money on Auto Insurance in Brockton

Expensive auto insurance can empty your bank account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a price comparison is a great way to lower your monthly bill.

With so many choices of insurance companies, it can be hard to find the cheapest insurer.

Save money by taking advantage of these seven discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount.

Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Driver’s Ed – Have your child complete a driver education course in high school.
Discount for Life Insurance – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

The are a couple different ways to compare quotes from local in Brockton, Massachusettsauto insurance companies. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The easiest and least time consuming way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for separate forms for every auto insurance company. Filling out one form will get you price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
A more time consuming way to analyze rates is to take the time to go to each company website and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Progressive, 21st Century and Allstate. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Brockton, click here.
The least recommended method of comparing rate quotes is to spend time driving to different Brockton agent offices. Shopping for auto insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can comparison shop your insurance online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

However you get your quotes, ensure you’re using identical quote information for each comparison quote. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate in Brockton. Slightly different coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that quoting more will improve the odds of getting better pricing.

How to know if you need help

When buying coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions could help you determine if you may require specific advice.

Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
How much liability coverage do I need in Massachusetts?
At what point should I drop full coverage?
Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Specific coverages

Knowing the specifics of auto insurance can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Medical expense insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills such as hospital visits, EMT expenses, pain medications and ambulance fees. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Collision coverage – This covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for things such as sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability auto insurance – This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers claims like funeral expenses, pain and suffering, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, structural damage and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Massachusetts requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/5,000 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like a broken windshield, theft, vandalism, hitting a bird and falling objects. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 20/40/5), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

A little work can save a LOT of money

Low-cost auto insurance can be found from both online companies and with local Brockton insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.