Easy Ways to Save Money on Shelburne Falls Auto Insurance

Buying the cheapest Shelburne Falls auto insurance on the internet is somewhat difficult for people who are new to buying insurance online. With so many choices of online companies, how can consumers even start to compare them all to find the best pricing?

It's important to price shop coverage yearly because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn the proper way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Listed below are some of the factors that factor into rates.

  • Big city or small town - Residing in a small town can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers regularly have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
  • Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit score is a big factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have poor credit.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Car features impact rates - Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Just one speeding ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with clean records get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.

Massachusetts auto insurance quotes

Compare Auto Insurance Today

There are several ways to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are more efficient than others. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance companies in Shelburne Falls, or you could use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and at least one company then returns a price quote based on that data. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only downside to using this type of system is you cannot specify which providers you want to price. If you wish to select individual companies to compare rates, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Massachusetts. Click here for list of insurance companies in Massachusetts.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make sure you use exactly the same coverages and limits on every quote. If you have different deductibles you can't possibly make a fair comparison in Shelburne Falls.

How much can you save with discounts?

Auto insurance companies don't always advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
  • Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • Passive Restraints - Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school.
  • Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Military Discounts - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Shelburne Falls, follow this link.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Massachusetts consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing about savings if you switch your policy.

How can each company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't meet the requirements will have to pay higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

How much car insurance do I need?

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's.

For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent's advice.

  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Even more information is available at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Massachusetts consumers can view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and find disaster information.

Massachusetts auto insurance quotes

Best coverage at the best price

When you buy insurance online, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price.

In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a small mutual company.

Cheap auto insurance is available online in addition to many Shelburne Falls insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.