Tightwads Tips for Saving on Roxbury Crossing Car Insurance

Are you tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers.

There are many to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine prices.

  • You might want pay the small claims yourself - If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Companies in Massachusetts give lower rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Car insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Careers like judges, executives and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of high stress and long work hours. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates.
  • Bump up deductibles to save - Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, or theft. The more you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in Massachusetts have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
  • Better credit means lower rates - Having a bad credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower ratings. If your credit score is low, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
  • Males pay more for insurance - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean women are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar numbers, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.

compare Roxbury Crossing car insurance rates

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few must be specifically requested in order for you to get them.

  • Drivers Education - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class if offered at their school.
  • Accident Free - Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Distant Student - Any of your kids who are attending college and don't have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.

It's important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you're out of luck. But any discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

To choose insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Massachusetts, click this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO consistently run ads on television and other media. They all make the same claim that you can save if you change to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. Any driver who matches those parameters will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards will be quoted more money which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's why insurance companies can make those claims.

This emphasizes why you should compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

More information is located on the website for the Massachusetts Division of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to download brochures, read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Shop smart and save

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Roxbury Crossing insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, it's very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later they didn't purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.