Easy Methods to Cut Costs on Easthampton Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the wide range of auto insurance company choices in Easthampton? You're not the only one! You have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a lot of work to find better rates.

It's important to get comparison quotes every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates on your last policy you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance online but we're going to give you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

How to Compare Auto Insurance in Easthampton, Massachusetts

Most major insurance companies allow you to get insurance quotes on the web. Getting online quotes doesn't take much effort as you simply enter the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information based on many factors.

Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit a lot of sites and enter the same data into a form is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it's very important to compare as many rates as possible in order to find better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to lower your rates requires only one form to return rates from several companies at one time. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes online shopping much more efficient. After sending your information, it is rated and you can choose your choice of the returned quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with the insurance coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This way, you will be getting a fair comparison based on similar coverages.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

It's important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get big savings.

Listed below are some of the items that factor into your rates.

More than one policy can earn a discount - Most insurers give discounts to people who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even with this discount, you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
Do you know your deductibles? - Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield shattered by a rock, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
High numbers of claims are not good - Insurance companies in Massachusetts award cheaper rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like real estate brokers, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates because of high stress and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations such as actors, historians and homemakers pay the least.
Choose a safe vehicle and save - Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Performance influences rates - The performance level of the car you drive makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Small economy passenger models usually have the lowest rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance companies don't list every available discount in a way that's easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

Theft Prevention System - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Multi-car Discount - Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to take driver's ed class in school.
No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less compared to frequent claim filers.
Military Discounts - Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you're out of luck.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Easthampton, click here to view.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Massachusetts drivers can read consumer alerts, report car insurance fraud, and download brochures.

Affordable insurance is out there

When you buy insurance online, it's not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Easthampton insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

People switch companies for a number of reasons such as policy cancellation, lack of trust in their agent, policy non-renewal and extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is not as hard as you think.