Boston Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Finding affordable Boston auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. You have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become more work than you anticipated to find the best price in Boston.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Claim-free discounts can add up - Companies in New York generally give cheaper rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Never go without insurance - Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like lawyers, social workers and dentists have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and long work days. Other occupations such as farmers, historians and the unemployed get better rates.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • Pleasure use saves money - The more you drive every year the higher your rate. Almost all companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your auto insurance policy is rated on the correct driver usage.
  • Having a spouse can save you money - Having a spouse actually saves money on auto insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • With age comes lower rates - Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Teen drivers tend to be more careless in a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Careful drivers pay lower rates - A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even one moving violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

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Are you getting all your discounts?

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but a few need to be asked about before you get the savings.

  • Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
  • Seat Belt Usage - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Boston, click here.

How can State Farm, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings if you move your coverage to them. How can each company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted a higher premium and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Learn more today

Additional information can be found on the New York Department of Financial Services website located here. New York consumers can download brochures, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.

Shop smart and save

Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, being labeled a high risk driver, high rates after DUI convictions or even questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Boston, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.