Free Guide to Paying Less for Melrose Car Insurance Online

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, there are a lot of people in Melrose just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy. Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can learn to find better prices and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Melrose is easy if you know what you're doing. Massachusetts vehicle owners just need to know the most efficient way to compare company rates over the internet.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always publicize all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Clubs and Organizations - Belonging to a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Melrose may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
  • Federal Government Employee - Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
  • Discount for Good Grades - Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
  • No Charge for an Accident - A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven't had any claims for a certain period of time.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Use Seat Belts - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
  • No Accidents - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared with drivers who are more careless.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.

The following are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability coverage provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your car insurance will be.
  • How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Just one ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers with flagrant tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Women pay lower rates - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Men and women have accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Poor credit can mean higher rates - A driver's credit history is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
  • Never let your coverage lapse - Letting your insurance expire will be a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a steep fine or even jail time.

Is there truth in advertising?

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big after switching to their company.

How can each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't measure up to the requirements must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's the way companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More detailed Massachusetts car insurance information is available at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, report car insurance fraud, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.

In the end, you save

Discount car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Melrose agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .