Shopping for the lowest cost Somerville car insurance over the internet can be somewhat difficult for beginners to buying insurance on the web. Because there are so many companies in the marketplace, how can anyone have a chance to compare every one to find the lowest price?
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Somerville is not rocket science. If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can learn to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Massachusetts vehicle owners only need to know the best way to find the lowest price over the internet.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Somerville, MA
Cutting your Somerville car insurance rates is surprisingly easy. Just take the time to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but double check that you are using the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for every company. If you use mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Somerville.
Take discounts and save
Car insurance companies don’t always advertise every discount very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- E-sign – A few companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
- Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way.
To choose companies with the best car insurance discounts in Massachusetts, click this link.
How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates
It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.
- Lower deductibles cost more – Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your car insurance pays a claim. The more you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Multi-policy discounts can save money – Some insurance companies provide better rates to policyholders who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you file claims often, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in Massachusetts provide cheaper rates to people who are claim-free. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Letting your insurance expire is a quick way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.
- Extra coverages can waste money – There are a lot of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
- Clean credit earns discounts – A driver’s credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit history is low, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
- Liability insurance protects assets – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- Traffic citations inflate rates – Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one ticket may increase your cost twenty percent or more. If you have severe violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Even more information is available at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, read state legal mandates and laws, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Compare but don’t skimp
Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, policy cancellation, being labeled a high risk driver or even high prices. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.
Low-cost car insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Somerville insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not provide online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
When you buy insurance online, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.