Cheap Insurance for a Ford Focus in Boston

Trying to find low-cost insurance for a new or used Ford Focus in Massachusetts can normally be an all-consuming task, but you can learn our car insurance buying tips to find lower rates. There are more efficient ways to shop for car insurance and you need to know the absolute fastest way to compare rates for your Ford and locate the lowest possible price from both online companies and Boston agents.

You should make it a habit to compare rates quite often due to the fact that insurance prices change regularly. Even if you got the lowest quotes on Ford Focus insurance in Boston six months ago there may be better deals available now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn one of the easiest ways to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

Informed Consumers Can Reduce Their Insurance Rates

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that help calculate your premiums. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you cheaper rates. Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, but some are less apparent such as your marital status or your commute time.

Big cities have higher rates – Choosing to live in a rural area has definite advantages when talking about insurance. People in densely populated areas tend to have more road rage incidents and much longer commute distances. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.

Cut insurance rates and deter theft – Owning a car with an alarm system can earn a premium discount. Advanced theft deterrents like vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all help prevent auto theft.

High credit scores save money – An insured’s credit rating will be a significant factor in determining what you pay for insurance. If your credit history could use some work, you could be paying less to insure your Ford Focus if you clean up your credit. People that have high credit ratings tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with poor credit scores.

Save money with higher deductibles – Your deductibles state the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, and damage from wind. The more money you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the bigger discount you will receive.

Employer reflects on rates – Jobs like doctors, architects, and financial analysts generally pay the highest average rates due to high stress levels and lots of time spent away from family. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.

Liability limits should be high – The liability section of your policy provides coverage if ever you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.

Continuous insurance coverage lowers insurance rates – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a sure-fire way to increase your renewal premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time. You may then have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Massachusetts motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

Insurance loss data for Ford Focus vehicles – Insurance companies factor in historical loss data in order to profitably underwrite each model. Models that the statistics show to have higher loss trends will have higher rates. The table below shows the collected loss data for Ford Focus vehicles.

For each type of coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Values below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while values over 100 indicate more frequent claims or an increased likelihood of larger losses.

Data for Ford Focus insurance

The data table shown next showcases a range of policy rates for Ford Focus models. Understanding how insurance prices are formulated is important for drivers to make smart choices when buying a policy.

Data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can impact premiums substantially.

Policy deductible comparison

A question often asked by Boston drivers is which deductibles should you choose. The tables below approximate the difference in cost when you choose different insurance deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second rate chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in Boston location which can affect price quotes noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible would cost the average driver about $35 more each month or $420 annually than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 26 months between claims, you would save money by going with a higher deductible.

Gender differences in insurance premiums

The illustration below illustrates the difference between Ford Focus insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.

Should you buy full coverage?

The example below compares Ford Focus insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premium estimates are based on no claims or driving citations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to drop full coverage

There is no clear-cut formula of when to stop paying for full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s say your Ford Focus settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $2,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing you more than $200 annually for full coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.

There are some conditions where removing full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not opt for liability only.

Get cheaper Ford Focus insurance rates in Boston

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Boston auto insurance online.

• Discount for Good Grades – Maintaining excellent grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last until age 25.
• Discounts for Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with some insurance companies.
• Mature Driver Discount – Seniors may receive reduced rates.
• Sign Online – Some larger companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for completing your application over the internet.
• Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can get you a discount because newer models have to meet stringent safety requirements.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

The information below shows the comparison of Ford Focus auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Massachusetts state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-car, marriage, and homeowner discounts applied.

A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts are included below.

• State Farm offers discounts including defensive driving training, driver’s education, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good student, multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, and good driver.
• Farmers Insurance has savings for distant student, alternative fuel, multi-car, switch companies, and youthful driver.
• Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and homeowner.
• GEICO discounts include driver training, daytime running lights, defensive driver, military active duty, air bags, and seat belt use.
• Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for multiple vehicles, safe vehicle, paperless, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, company car, and anti-theft.
• The Hartford offers premium reductions for defensive driver, anti-theft, air bag, driver training, and good student.
• Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-policy, youthful driver, safe driver, multi-vehicle, renewal discount, and driver training.
• USAA may have discounts that include vehicle storage, good student, new vehicle, multi-policy, military installation, family discount, and annual mileage.

When getting free Boston auto insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to all the companies which discounts can lower your rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in every state. To choose insurers with discount insurance rates in Massachusetts, follow this link.

Cheaper auto insurance is a realistic goal

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to lower your Ford Focus insurance rates in Boston. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with a smaller regional carrier.

Lower-priced Ford Focus insurance in Boston can be sourced online in addition to many Boston insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some companies may not provide price quotes online and these small insurance companies work with local independent agencies.

Drivers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, being labeled a high risk driver, high prices and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies is less work than it seems.

Steps to finding discount Ford Focus insurance in Boston

If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get more affordable auto insurance rates is to compare prices at least once a year from providers that insure vehicles in Boston. You can shop around by following these guidelines.

First, try to comprehend the coverage provided by your policy and the factors you can control to drop your rates. Many factors that cause high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and poor credit history can be improved by paying attention to minor details.

Second, get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can quote rates from many different companies.

Third, compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a better price, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.

Fourth, notify your agent or company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to the newly selected company. Once the application is submitted, store the certificate verifying coverage with the vehicle registration.

One bit of advice is to make sure you enter the same deductibles and limits on every quote and to quote with as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this guarantees a level playing field and a complete price analysis.

For more information, feel free to visit these articles:

• New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Ride Shares in Boston? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Hyundai Sonata in Boston? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Nurses in Boston? (FAQ)
• Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
• What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
• Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
• What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)