The best way we recommend to get budget Saturn Astra insurance in Boston is to compare quotes once a year from providers that insure vehicles in Massachusetts. You can compare prices by completing these steps.
- Learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the modifications you can make to drop your rates. Many things that result in higher rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and a not-so-good credit history can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can quote prices from many different companies.
- Compare the new rates to your existing policy to determine if you can save on Astra insurance in Boston. If you find a better price and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Tell your current company to cancel your current coverage. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the new company. As soon as coverage is bound, put the proof of insurance paperwork with your registration paperwork.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get quotes from as many companies as feasibly possible. This provides a level playing field and the best price selection.
Everyone knows that insurance companies want to keep you from shopping around. Insureds who perform rate comparisons are likely to switch companies because they have good chances of finding more affordable rates. A recent car insurance study discovered that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved as much as $72 a month compared to policyholders who never compared rates.
If finding the most affordable car insurance is why you’re here, then having some knowledge of how to quote and compare insurance premiums can help simplify the process.
Keep in mind that comparing more quotes helps increase your odds of locating the best rates.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free quotes in Boston, MA. If you want to find the cheapest auto insurance in MA, it’s highly recommended you visit two to three different companies in order to find the most affordable rates.
Three good reasons to insure your Saturn Astra
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Boston, insurance serves several important purposes.
First, just about all states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to buy specific minimum amounts of liability protection in order to be legal. 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.
Second, if you bought your car with a loan, almost every bank will stipulate that you buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may insure your Saturn at a more expensive rate and force you to reimburse them the higher premium.
Third, insurance protects not only your Saturn but also your financial assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your Saturn gets damaged, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. An average driver in America overpays as much as $810 a year so you should quote rates at every policy renewal to save money.
Verify you’re earning every discount
Some providers don’t always list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory air bags may qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Accident Waiver – Not really a discount, but some insurance companies may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage as long as you don’t have any claims before the accident.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices help deter theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- ABS Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control can reduce accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Mature Driver Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you are able to get reduced rates.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully take a driver’s education course if it’s offered in school.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Policyholders that allow data collection to study vehicle usage remotely like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might get better premium rates if their driving habits are good.
- Distant College Student Discount – College-age children who are attending college and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
Just know that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
A few popular companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- AAA offers discounts including AAA membership discount, multi-policy, multi-car, anti-theft, education and occupation, good student, and pay-in-full.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, homeowner, continuous coverage, online signing, and online quote discount.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driving training, student away at school, safe vehicle, multiple policy, and good student.
- Esurance may have discounts that include anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, online quote, anti-theft, safety device, DriveSense, and emergency road assistance.
- Nationwide includes discounts for family plan, defensive driving, accident-free, business or organization, anti-theft, easy pay, and multi-policy.
When quoting, ask each company which discounts can lower your rates. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your state.
Local Boston insurance agents and car insurance
A lot of people still prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the benefits of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get lower rates and also buy local. Putting coverage with local insurance agents is especially important in Boston.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will give competitive quotes for your business. There is no reason to search for any insurance agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you need to get a rate quote for a specific company, just search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
If you want to use local Boston agents, it’s important to understand the different types of agencies to choose from. Car insurance agents can be classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Car Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that elect to be independent are not employed by one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through many companies depending on which coverage is best. If your premiums go up, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, we recommend you include several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. A lot of them also have access to companies you’ve never heard of that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Shown below are Boston independent agencies who may provide competitive price quotes.
- Kaplansky Insurance
114 Harvard St – Brookline, MA 02446 – (617) 738-5400 – View Map - Ironside Insurance Group, LLC
112 Water St #401 – Boston, MA 02109 – (617) 227-2400 – View Map - Boyd Insurance Agency
296 Bennington St – Boston, MA 02128 – (617) 567-5710 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can only write with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Exclusive agents cannot provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are well trained on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers often purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of the prominence of the brand rather than having low rates.
Shown below are exclusive insurance agents in Boston that are able to give rate 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
Choosing the best insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap quote. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Massachusetts?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
In Summary
The cheapest Saturn Astra insurance in Boston can be sourced from both online companies and with local Boston insurance agents, so you need to shop Boston car insurance with both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who may not have online price quotes and most of the time these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent agencies.
People change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests, poor customer service or unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right car insurance provider is actually quite simple.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Helpful information
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Boston Car Insurance for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Boston Car Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit? (FAQ)
- How Much is Boston Auto Insurance for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Boston Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for First-time Drivers in Boston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Boston Car Insurance Quotes for High Mileage Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 70 in Boston? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Veterans in Boston? (FAQ)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)