If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get cheaper auto insurance rates is to regularly compare prices from different companies who sell auto insurance in Boston. You can compare rates by following these steps.
- Spend some time learning about coverages and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and a low credit score can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices from many different companies.
- Compare the new rates to your existing policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Provide notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to your new company or agent. Be sure to place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to remember is that you’ll want to compare the same level of coverage on each price quote and and to look at as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.
Regrettably, a large majority of consumers have purchased from the same company for at least four years, and nearly the majority have never compared rates from other carriers. Massachusetts consumers could cut their rates by about $590 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they feel it’s too difficult to compare rates and save money.
If you are insured now, you will most likely be able to save money using the techniques covered below. Pricing the lowest cost coverage in Boston is not as hard as you think. Although Massachusetts vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how insurance companies market on the web because it varies considerably.
When quoting auto insurance, remember that having more price comparisons increases the chance that you will find a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so you also need to get price estimates from them as well.
The companies shown below offer comparison quotes in Boston, MA. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Save money with these rate reducing discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available that can help lower your rates. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few need to be asked about before you get the savings.
- Student Discounts – Excelling in school may save you up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
- Multiple Cars – Drivers who insure multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Memberships – Affiliation with qualifying employment or professional organizations could earn you a nice discount on insurance.
- Claim-Free Discount – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with some insurance companies.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Participating in a course that instructs on driving safety could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a vehicle that is new may earn a small discount because new vehicles are generally safer.
Don’t be surprised that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
If you would like to view insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Massachusetts, click here to view.
Compare rate quotes but work with a local Boston insurance agency
A lot of people just prefer to have an agent’s advice and we recommend doing that The best thing about comparing insurance online is that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around because quoted prices will be sent directly to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you need to get a price quote from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
Picking a company is decision based upon more than just the bottom line cost. The following questions are important to ask.
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Boston?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Boston?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- How are they compensated?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a local insurance agency, you should know the different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agents can be described as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive insurance agents can usually just insure with one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. They are trained well on their company’s products and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Consumers sometimes use the same agent primarily because of high brand loyalty rather than low price.
Listed below are Boston exclusive agents who may provide you with price quotes.
- AAA Boston
125 High St – Boston, MA 02110 – (617) 443-9300 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Abner Joseph
571 Dudley St Ste A – Boston, MA 02125 – (617) 442-9490 – View Map
Independent Agents
Agents of this type often have many company appointments and that enables them to quote your coverage with many different companies and get the cheapest rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
When comparison shopping, you definitely need to get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection. A lot of them also have access to smaller mutual companies which may provide better rates.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in Boston that are able to give price quotes.
- Goji Insurance
31 St James Ave – Boston, MA 02116 – (888) 991-1091 – View Map - Allston Insurance
281 Western Ave – Boston, MA 02134 – (617) 229-6413 – View Map - Saratoga Insurance
452 Bennington St – Boston, MA 02128 – (617) 567-1100 – View Map
If you receive positive responses as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that meets the requirements to insure your vehicles. It’s important to know that you are able to terminate coverage whenever you wish so don’t feel that you’re stuck with a policy with no way out.
Different people need different insurance coverages
When it comes to coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique.
For instance, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Do I have newly-acquired coverage?
- Can I insure my car for more than it’s worth?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Do I need an umbrella policy?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Am I better off with higher deductibles on my GMC Envoy?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.
GMC Envoy Insurance Cost Factors
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.
Avoid traffic tickets – Good drivers get better prices as compared to careless drivers. Just one citation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. People who have license-revoking tickets like DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Cheaper rates with safer cars – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. Safer cars reduce occupant injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and cheaper rates on your policy.
Add-on coverages that may not be needed – There are a lot of extra add-on coverages that can waste your money but may not be useful. Insurance for things like roadside assistance, death and dismemberment, and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Lower rates with GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Selecting a car model with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you some money. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help stop your vehicle from being stolen.
Three main reasons to buy auto insurance
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a GMC Envoy in Boston, insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require a minimum amount of liability in order to drive the car. In Massachusetts these limits are 20/40/5 which means you must have $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Envoy with a loan, most banks will make it a condition of the loan that you buy full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender will be forced to insure your GMC at a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Auto insurance preserves both your vehicle and your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your car outweigh the cost, particularly for liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Boston is currently overpaying as much as $825 a year so you should quote and compare rates each time the policy renews to save money.
Affordable car insurance rates are possible
You just read quite a bit of information on how to compare GMC Envoy insurance auto insurance rates in Boston. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Boston car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best auto insurance rates are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
When you buy Boston car insurance online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Insureds who switch companies do it for many reasons like policy cancellation, high prices, lack of trust in their agent and even poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read by following these links:
- How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota RAV4 in Boston? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- Medical Payments Coverage (Liberty Mutual)