Compare Stoughton Car Insurance Prices With These Tips

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of car insurance options in Stoughton? You have a lot of company. Consumers have so many choices that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to find the perfect company for you.

It's important to get comparison quotes at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you're about to learn the proper way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

This article will tell you the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Massachusetts drivers only need an understanding of the most efficient way to compare rates online.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance is not cheap, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit possible, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Defensive Driver - Completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
  • Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • Federal Government Employee - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
  • Resident Student - Children who are attending college and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • E-sign - Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing online.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts in Massachusetts, follow this link.

Stoughton car insurance quote

How to Compare Stoughton Car Insurance Costs

Finding cheaper car insurance prices is not a difficult process. Consumers just need to take a couple of minutes comparing rate quotes from different insurance companies. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  • The best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do separate forms for every car insurance company. Completing one form will return quotes from several companies. This is by far the quickest method.
  • A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For instance, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Stoughton, click here.

Whichever way you use, compare apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each price quote. If you are comparing different deductibles it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Stoughton.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

  • Bundling policies can get discounts - Most companies give discounts to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.
  • Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are many extra coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and membership fees are examples of these. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers who get serious violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but men cause more damage. Men also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Massachusetts are statistically proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
  • Marriage pays dividends - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying car insurance. Marriage usually means you are more mature and responsible and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Where you live is a factor - Choosing to live in a rural area has it's advantages when talking about car insurance. City drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers in Massachusetts can't get away from ads that promise big savings from companies such as Allstate and Progressive. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy.

But how can every company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.

That is why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

A tidy conclusion

As you prepare to switch companies, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an insured dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Cost effective car insurance is available both online in addition to many Stoughton insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

We just presented many ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a small local company.

car insurance in Stoughton

Additional car insurance information is located on the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, discover disciplinary actions, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com's Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this Stoughton agent directory.