Quote Westport Auto Insurance Prices With These Tricks

Price shopping your Westport auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. People have so many choices that it can quickly become a lot of work to find the best price in Westport.

It's important to compare prices once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the proper way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using this strategy. This information will instruct you on how car insurance quotes work and some tricks to saving. But Massachusetts drivers do need to know the way insurance companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

  • Drive less and save money - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
  • Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Choose a safe vehicle and save - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
  • Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive - Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more money you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as doctors, architects and accountants have higher rates than average in part from stressful work requirements and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, athletes and retirees get better rates.
  • Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers with poor credit. If your credit history is low, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit.

Massachusetts auto insurance quotes

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Westport

All major auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive give price estimates on their websites. This process is quite simple as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information.

Quoting online streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and fill out multiple forms can be a bit repetitive. But it's very important to perform this step in order to get better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to find cheaper rates uses one form that obtains quotes from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online quotes much more efficient. After your information is entered, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the resulting price quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. This process only takes a few minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you input coverages and limits identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

  • Discount for New Cars - Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Student Driver Training - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
  • Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
  • Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
  • Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance.
  • Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Westport may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags can get savings of more than 20%.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Westport, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you change your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

More detailed Massachusetts auto insurance information is available at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance website. Massachusetts consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and find disaster information.

compare Westport auto insurance rates

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

While you're price shopping online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn't purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.

Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests or even questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching auto insurance companies is easier than you think.

Discount auto insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents in Westport, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.