How to Find the Most Affordable Car Insurance in Massachusetts

The average cost of yearly auto insurance in Massachusetts is $1,463, $85 less than the national average. But just because the costs are around average doesn’t mean they need to stay that way. There are things you can do that will save you money on your car insurance premium. And we’ll discuss those things a little later on. First, we will take a closer look at car insurance in Massachusetts.

Minimum State Liability Requirements

If you ever cause a car accident, liability insurance will pay for the other person’s injuries and property damage, up to your liability limit. Every state has a minimum set of liability standards for the drivers in their state. In Massachusetts, the minimum liability requirements are $20,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person, $40,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident and $5,000 property damage liability coverage. If you meet these minimum standards, you’ll pay an average of $609 yearly for your car insurance.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This coverage protects you from bodily injury and property damage caused by the driver of an uninsured vehicle. In Massachusetts, the uninsured motorist requirements are $20,000 bodily injury per person and $40,000 bodily injury per accident.

Massachusetts Is a No-fault State

When it comes to car accidents, Massachusetts is a no-fault state. This means that your own insurance company pays up to $8,000 of your medical bills, regardless of who was at fault. Put another way, in Massachusetts you have personal injury protection of $8,000.

A Comprehensive Policy Costs a Little More

In Massachusetts, a comprehensive policy with collision coverage and comprehensive coverage and $1,000 deductibles costs $984. Collision auto insurance is coverage that helps to repair or replace your car if it has been damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object such as a tree or a fence. Comprehensive auto insurance covers events not covered by collision coverage. These events include vandalism, fire and theft and damages from weather such as a windstorm, a hailstorm, a tornado and a hurricane. If you have a loan on your car, your lender may require that you carry collision and comprehensive coverages. A deductible is the amount you need to pay before your insurance company begins to pay for damages to your car or losses. Both collision coverage and comprehensive coverage require deductibles. Choosing a high deductible is one way to lower your auto insurance premium.

Why Is Car Insurance So Expensive in Massachusetts

The high population and population growth in already congested cities lead to more accidents and more claims. There are hit-and-run accidents and instances of insurance fraud as well and these are other reasons insurance costs are so high.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities

The city with the cheapest auto insurance in Massachusetts is Waltham with a yearly premium of $1,492. The city with the most expensive auto insurance is Brockton with a yearly premium of $2,437.

No Credit Check

In Massachusetts, insurance companies may not use consumer credit data when setting insurance rates. So a person with no or poor credit need not worry about paying a high auto insurance rate because of their credit record. Other states that restrict the use of credit data in insurance pricing are Hawaii and California.

Looking For Car Insurance in Massachusetts?

How to Save Money on Car Insurance

Looking for ways to bring down the cost of that auto insurance premium? There are things you can do, tips and strategies to follow that will lower your auto premium. Here is a roundup of many. Use as many as you can to save money on your car insurance.

Drive safely. Being a safe driver can save you money on your car insurance. In Massachusetts, drivers without a recent at-fault accident save 41 percent on car insurance premiums. But if you break any rules, you’ll pay for it. In Massachusetts, a speeding ticket could raise your car insurance rates by 20 percent. And a DUI could raise your auto insurance premium by as much as 49 percent. Been a good driver? Be sure to ask your insurance company for a good driver discount. You’ve earned a break on your car insurance.

Get multi-car discounts. Insure more than one car with the same auto insurance company and you will save money on your premiums.

Pay less often. Rather than paying monthly auto insurance bills, pay the entire annual amount or six-months amount. Your premium is lower when you pay once or twice a year.

Try bundling. Bundle your auto insurance policy with another insurance policy such as homeowners insurance. Doing so will save you money.

Drop insurance on older cars. The maximum payout for comprehensive coverage and collision coverage is limited by the value of the car. So if your older car has a low market value, it may not make financial sense to carry comprehensive and collision coverages any longer.

Look for memberships. Members of some professional organizations and affiliates get discounts on car insurance. So check your memberships with your insurance company and see if you are eligible for some discounts.

Check car features. Having certain safety and anti-theft features on your car will lower your car insurance. So check the features on your car and see if you are due for a discount.

Keep your insurance coverage. You’ll pay higher insurance rates if you don’t maintain continuous coverage of your auto insurance. So stick with your coverage and save money.

Choose a high deductible. Opting for a high deductible is one way to lower your auto insurance premium, especially on newer cars. Just be sure to put the deductible amount in a small emergency fund. That way the money will be there if you need to make an insurance claim.

Be a married driver. There is a correlation between being married and exhibiting safe driving behavior. Because of this, married drivers pay less on auto insurance than singles.

Keep mileage low. If you are a heavy commuter and you rack up the miles you will pay more on your auto insurance. But if you keep your mileage low you will pay less on your car insurance. So drive less and pay less on your car insurance.

Check your age. Drivers who are younger than 25 and older than 65 have more serious accidents and pay more for car insurance. The drivers of the ages in-between pay less for car insurance.

Be a female driver. Women make fewer accident claims than men and are rewarded with lower auto insurance rates. Men make more accident claims and pay more.

Choose a low-crime neighborhood. If you live in a neighborhood with high accident claims and auto theft, you will pay more for your car insurance. If you live in a neighborhood with few accident claims and low crime, you will save money on your car insurance. So choose a safe neighborhood and save money on your car insurance premium.

Be a homeowner. Statistics show that people who own homes drive more safely. So let your auto insurance company know that you own your home and enjoy the savings on your auto insurance premium.

Shop around. The best way to save money on an auto insurance premium is to shop around. So be sure to check out insurance rates from several different insurance companies. SmartFinancial makes this easy to do. Just type in the type of insurance you are looking for and a zip code to get started. Next, answer a few, quick questions and you’ll be comparing auto insurance rates in Massachusetts in no time.

SmartFinancial works with more than 200 insurance companies so you are bound to find the insurance coverage and price that you want. So shop smart for your insurance coverage and drive safely along the roadways of Massachusetts.