Save Money on Ford Flex Insurance in Boston

How long have you put off shopping around for lower-priced auto insurance rates in Boston, MA? Boston consumers have options when looking for the lowest priced Ford Flex insurance. They can either waste time calling around to get rate comparisons or leverage the internet to get rate quotes. There is a right way and a wrong way to find auto insurance online so you’re going to learn the proper way to price shop coverage for a Ford and get the best price possible.

How Insurers Calculate Ford Flex Insurance Premiums

Lots of things are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, although some other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of the factors that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower insurance prices.

• Big cities have higher premiums – Choosing to live in less populated areas of the country can save you money when buying insurance. City drivers have to deal with more traffic problems and longer commute times. Less people living in that area corresponds to lower accident rates and a lower car theft rate.
• Multiple policies with one company – Many insurance companies provide lower prices to clients that have more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s still a good idea to compare Ford Flex rates in Boston to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to save money even if you have your coverage with different companies

• Type of vehicle determines base prices – The type of car you need to insure makes a substantial difference in your auto insurance rates. Low performance passenger models usually have the lowest rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.

  The following chart uses these variables: married male driver age 50, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It shows Ford Flex insurance premiums compared to other makes and models that have a range of performance rating factors.

• Gender and auto insurance premiums – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Females and males cause fender benders in similar percentages, but guys cause more damage. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive insurance rates.

  The example below illustrates the difference between Ford Flex insurance prices for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on no claims or violations, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.

• If you don’t need it don’t buy it – There are quite a few extra add-on coverages you can purchase if you don’t pay attention. Coverages for personal injury protection, accident forgiveness, and extra life insurance coverage are some examples. They may sound like good ideas when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
• Liability coverage risk factors – Liability insurance will protect you in the event that you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.

• Ford Flex insurance claim data – Companies use past loss statistics for each vehicle to help calculate a profitable premium price. Models that statistically have higher loss trends will cost more for specific coverages. The next table illustrates the collected loss data for Ford Flex vehicles.

  For each policy coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is equal to 100. Values that are 100 or less suggest a better than average loss history, while values over 100 indicate more frequent losses or statistically larger claims.

  
  

  Ford Flex Insurance Claim Statistics

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Ford Flex 4dr 2WD	89	84	107	91	100	87
  Ford Flex 4dr 4WD	105	84	119	77	79	75

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Data for Ford Flex insurance

The premium information displayed below outlines different rate quotes for Ford Flex models. Learning how policy premiums are figured can help you make decisions when shopping your coverage around.

Data rating is based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in specific location information which can affect coverage rates considerably.

Deductible comparison

When buying auto insurance, a common question is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The tables below can help you visualize how much more you’ll pay of buying low and high insurance deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $100 deductible for physical damage and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in specific location information which can impact insurance rates greatly.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible will cost you approximately $26 more each month or $312 a year across all Ford Flex models than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have at least 15 months between claim filings, you would most likely save money if you choose the higher deductible.

The chart below shows how choosing a deductible and can influence Ford Flex yearly insurance costs for different age categories. The prices are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.

Drive responsibly or pay higher rates

The chart below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions impact Ford Flex insurance prices for each different age category. The premiums assume a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.

How much more does full coverage cost in Boston?

The information below illustrates the difference between Ford Flex car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data assumes no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to buy liability coverage only

There isn’t a written rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Ford Flex claim settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $4,000 after paying your deductible. If premiums are more than $400 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.

There are some scenarios where dropping full coverage is not a good plan. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.

Cheap Boston auto insurance quotes with discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but some need to be requested specifically before they will apply. If you do not double check each discount available, you could be saving more on your auto insurance.

• No Accidents – Insureds with no claims or accidents pay much less as opposed to policyholders that have many claims.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying a new car instead of a used Flex can cost up to 25% less since newer models have better safety ratings.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll in driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
• Distant College Student Discount – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from Boston and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
• Discounts for Government Workers – Federal government employees may reduce rates when you quote Boston car insurance but check with your company.
• E-sign Discounts – Many companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy on the internet.
• Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can save you money because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one isn’t a discount, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike so long as you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.

Remember that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

The illustration below shows the difference between Ford Flex yearly insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no violations or claims, Massachusetts state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, multi-car, multi-policy, homeowner, and marriage discounts applied.

Companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.

• GEICO offers premium reductions for multi-policy, good student, federal employee, daytime running lights, seat belt use, membership and employees, and military active duty.
• USAA discounts include safe driver, new vehicle, driver training, defensive driver, good student, and multi-vehicle.
• Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, good student, and multi-vehicle.
• American Family has savings for Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, defensive driver, good driver, and bundled insurance.
• Esurance may have discounts that include good student, emergency road assistance, good driver, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, and defensive driver.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for teen driver, bundle discounts, pay in full, business and professional, and mature driver.
• State Farm may include discounts for good student, multiple policy, safe vehicle, driver’s education, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and passive restraint.

Before buying, ask every prospective company which discounts you qualify for. Discounts may not apply to policies in every state. If you would like to view insurance companies with the best Ford Flex insurance discounts in Boston, follow this link.

Quote more and you will save more

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.

Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high rates after DUI convictions, policy cancellation and being labeled a high risk driver. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be easier than you think.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce Ford Flex insurance premium rates online in Boston. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the lowest premium rates come from an unexpected company.

How to find affordable Ford Flex insurance in Boston

If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get more affordable Ford Flex insurance is to compare prices annually from companies who sell auto insurance in Boston. You can shop around by following these steps.

• First, gain an understanding of how your policy works and the factors you can control to prevent high rates. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as speeding and a negative credit score can be controlled by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
• Second, compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for a wide range of companies.
• Third, compare the new rates to your existing coverage and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.

A valuable tip to remember is to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to look at as many carriers as you can. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and and a good selection of different prices.

Even more information can be found at these sites:

• Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
• Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
• Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Institute)
• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
• New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)