Tightwads Tips for Saving on Auburn Auto Insurance

Tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Massachusetts.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate one of the easiest ways to find great coverage at a great price.

The purpose of this article is to instruct you on how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. But Massachusetts vehicle owners do need to know the way companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Auburn

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive give coverage price quotes directly from their websites. Getting online quotes doesn't take a lot of time as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain your credit score and driving record and quotes a price. Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but having to visit each company's website and repetitively enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to perform this step in order to get better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes quoting online a lot less work. After sending your information, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy any one of the returned quotes.

If the quotes result in lower rates, it's easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate the limits and deductibles just like they are on your policy. This way, you will receive comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

  • Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse actually saves money when buying auto insurance. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • You might want pay the small claims yourself - Car insurance companies in Massachusetts provide lower rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Optional equipment can affect rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Sex matters - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Jobs such as lawyers, architects and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates attributed to stressful work requirements and long work hours. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Don't sacrifice liability coverage - The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • A clean driving record saves money - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have severe citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be inquired about before being credited.

  • Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Auburn may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Drivers Education - Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in high school.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • Senior Discount - Older drivers can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • No Claims - Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Club Memberships - Affiliation with a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
  • Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
  • Military Discounts - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies permit an accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more depending on where you live.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

For a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Massachusetts, follow this link.

Much more information about auto insurance in Massachusetts can be found on the website for the Massachusetts Division of Insurance through this link. Massachusetts drivers can get help finding coverage, download brochures, view a list of available companies, and learn about insurance regulations.

compare Auburn auto insurance rates

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Budget-conscious auto insurance is possible on the web in addition to many Auburn insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it's very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.