Things You Must Know Before Purchasing Framingham Car Insurance Online

Feel like you’re a prisoner to overpriced car insurance? Believe me when I say there are many people just like you.

Many insurance companies vie for your insurance dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute best price available.

It’s a good habit to check car insurance prices periodically because insurance rates trend upward over time. If you had the lowest price a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Finding affordable coverage in Framingham is easy if you know what you’re doing. But Massachusetts vehicle owners must know the methods companies use to price online insurance and use this information to your advantage.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

• Teen drivers pay high rates – Older drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers have a tendency to get distracted easily behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
• Never let your coverage lapse – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Massachusetts department of motor vehicles.
• Cautious drivers pay less – Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Just one citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
• High credit ratings translate to low rates – Credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores. So if your credit score is low, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – Most car insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.

• Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
• Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
• Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
• Senior Citizens – Older drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Framingham, click here to view.

Do drivers who switch really save?

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings after switching to their company. How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Drivers who do not match the requirements will be charged a higher premium and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can make those claims.

That is why it’s extremely important to get quotes from several different companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

For more Massachusetts car insurance information

Additional information is located on the website for the Massachusetts Division of Insurance through this link. Massachusetts consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, and download brochures.

Shop smart and save

Cheaper car insurance can be purchased on the web and with local Framingham insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.