Factors affecting your auto insurance rates
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Factors affecting your auto insurance rates
The price you pay for your insurance may vary by hundreds of dollars depending upon what you are insuring and with whom.
Here are six common factors that determine your insurance rate:
The ValuePenguin study suggests that the town where you live makes a big difference in your insurance rate. While actuaries are responsible for financial consequences, we don’t know all the elements that go into mitigating risk from one town to another. For instance, some have asked, “What if my vehicle is parked in a garage?” Unfortunately, in most instances where you park is irrelevant.
Unlike states that determine experience based on driver age, Massachusetts considers experience based upon the actual number of years licensed. It doesn’t matter if you were first licensed in another country, if you can prove licensure most carriers will accept it. Otherwise, you pay a higher premium if you have less than three years of driving experience and/or more than three years but less than six years.
Incurring points on your driving record costs you dearly, no doubt about it. Everyone starts with a score of 00. From there, you can go up or down to 99 or 98. Anything that’s not a 99, 98, or 00 incurs a surcharge which has a tremendous impact on rate and acceptability to carriers. ”At fault” accidents are also heavily penalized. Even not at fault, frequent glass claims, and hit-and-run incidents are heavily weighted against the insured when it comes to premiums.
Insurance coverage is like buying a car, the more options you add the more costly it becomes.
You can’t expect to pay the same for a Maserati as you do for a Ford. If it’s a luxury vehicle, you will pay more, even if it’s an older model.
Rates differ from carrier to carrier. Sometimes it’s a slight difference and sometimes it can be a significant one. Carriers adjust their rates at the minimum every year, therefore, it’s likely you’ll see a rate increase yearly or semi-annually.
From shopping your policies around with our carriers to finding you the most affordable coverage to suit your needs, Econosurance has you covered. Below are some ways that have proven to save our clients money while meticulously protecting their assets.
A deductible is the dollar amount out of pocket that you are responsible for paying toward a covered loss. The higher your deductible, the more money you are likely to save on your insurance premium. For example, with a $1,000 deductible, you may reduce your insurance rate by $500 or more.
Many insurers who sell homeowners insurance also offer a bundling discount. If you buy two or more insurance policies from the same carrier, you may be eligible to receive a discount. To ensure you’re getting the best price, agents at Econosurance make certain any combined price from one insurer is lower than buying the coverages separately from different companies.
Having insurance on everything you own is undoubtedly expensive—but it is also your protection against potential disaster and financial losses. Insurance rates vary from company to company, so let us do the shopping for you and get you the best deal available. Learn more.
Last winter, Charlie Wilson was driving his black sedan when he skidded off the road and hit a post. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt and the damage to his car was mostly cosmetic, so he thought that his auto insurance Franklin MA, which included collision coverage, would have no problem paying for the repairs. Wilson lives in Franklin, Massachusetts, a city in Norfolk County that boasts a number of protected forests, parks, and watersheds. Most car insurance companies have partnerships with local repair shops, read more.
When Steve Rosevear turned 16, he asked his parents if he could apply for his learner’s permit and be added to their existing auto insurance. Steve’s parents faced a conundrum: would it be more economical to add their son to their existing car insurance, or get him his own policy? While adding teenage drivers to an existing policy can result in higher insurance rates, in many cases this route remains cheaper than getting them a separate policy. After all, most insurers give discounts to families who insure multiple cars and/or carry car and home insurance with the same company. Read more...
Many drivers don’t understand the exact extent of their coverage. While Rob had liability and collision coverage, it did not include accidents with animals, which is typically covered by comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive auto insurance is commonly confused with collision. While both pay for car repairs or replacement in the event of a total loss, they cover different events. Collision insurance pays for the damages in an accident with another vehicle or object (e.g., mailbox, fence, or tree), whereas comprehensive covers anything other than collisions such as damages caused by weather and other acts of nature, fire, theft, vandalism, and accidents involving animals. Read more...
Lauren Brown’s aging parents moved in with her family last year. Now her multigenerational household includes two members of an elder age group as well as two teenagers who are covered under one auto insurance Braintree MA policy. They live in a charming, two-story suburban home in Braintree, Massachusetts, a city in the Greater Boston area known for its natural attractions and parks, trendy restaurants, and museums.
Multiple drivers living in one household are typically covered under a single car insurance policy, although there are situations in which drivers have a poor record (e.g., DUI and/or frequent accidents or moving violations) which can exclude them from coverage. Read more
Isaac Silva often brings along his two dogs on his camping adventures over the last three years. He recently moved to Barnstable, Massachusetts, the largest community in both land area and population on Cape Cod, known for its hundreds of miles of hiking trails. While he has comprehensive auto insurance Barnstable MA, he wanted to make sure it would cover injuries to his pets in the event of an auto accident.
Silva’s predicament is not unique. According to a recent survey, more than half of US dog owners take their pets on a car trip at least once a month. Read more
While the property crime rate (car theft and burglary) in Massachusetts has always been considerably lower than the national rate, Leslie Williams still felt she needed comprehensive auto insurance coverage in Holyoke MA.
Comprehensive coverage typically covers the damages from theft, fire, vandalism, falling debris, natural disasters, and animal-caused damages. In a nutshell, this optional type of coverage pays for your car’s repairs or replacement in the event of damages that are not incurred as the result of an auto accident. Because not all policies are the same, it’s important to make sure that you always read the fine print and compare insurance rates and clauses from different insurers. Read more
A few years ago Maya Sullivan was facing mounting piles of debt from her student loan, credit cards, and a lifestyle she couldn’t afford. After seeking credit counseling, she realized that she was paying more than necessary for things she actually needed, including a full coverage auto insurance in Attleboro, MA on her low-value, older car. Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It was formerly known as the “Jewelry Capital of the World” for its many jewelry makers.
Before delving into the factors that will determine whether you need full auto insurance or just the basics, it is important to first know the key difference between the two.
While “full coverage” is a loosely defined term, most industry experts agree that it typically combines three scopes of protection: state-required liability coverage, collision coverage, and comprehensive coverage. Read more
Gabriel Cole’s friend borrowed his car and got into an accident that caused both bodily injuries and property damage to the other driver; his car also had large cracks and dents to the front bumper. The accident happened in a college town in Easthampton, Massachusetts, a city situated on the southeastern edge of the Pioneer Valley.
In general, your auto insurance policy covers all the drivers in a household. The same thing is true for non-household members such as friends, roommates, etc., who borrow your vehicle once in a while. (Note: If a non-household relative or friend borrows your car regularly, you should list him or her on your policy. Failure to do so can lead to claim denial should an accident occur.). Read more.
When Steve Rosevear turned 16, he asked his parents if he could apply for his learner’s permit and be added to their existing auto insurance. His family lives in Amesbury, Massachusetts, a small city in Essex County that lies across the Merrimack River and is one of the two northernmost towns in the state. Steve’s parents faced a conundrum: would it be more economical to add their son to their existing car insurance, or get him his own policy?
While adding teenage drivers to an existing policy can result in higher insurance rates, in many cases this route remains cheaper than getting them a separate policy. After all, most insurers give discounts to families who insure multiple cars and/or carry car and home insurance with the same company. Read more
The Insurance Information Institute is a great source of trade information. In a recent Press Release entitled “Six Questions to Ask When Shopping for Homeowner’s Insurance”, they outline 6 basic questions everyone should ask before buying or renewing a homeowners insurance policy. We have noted them for you below:
How much would it cost to rebuild my home in its current location in the event of a total loss? Your homeowner's insurance policy should cover the cost of building a new home from scratch. Your insurance agent or insurance company representative will have knowledge of your neighborhood, and familiarity with the construction materials used when your home was originally built and can accurately calculate this cost. Read more about shopping for insurance.
What is Covered under a “Standard” Homeowners Insurance?
As defined by the Insurance Information Institute on their website, four essential types of coverage are included in a standard Homeowners Policy. They include:
The structure of your house
This part of your homeowner's insurance policy pays to repair or rebuild your home if it is damaged or destroyed by fire, hurricane, hail, lightning, or other disaster listed in your policy. It will not pay for damage caused by a flood, earthquake, or routine wear and tear. When purchasing coverage for the structure of your home, it is important to buy enough to rebuild your home. Learn more about homeowners insurance in Massachusetts.
One of the most expensive and inconvenient truths about bitterly cold winters is resulting in water damage due to the heat being turned off in apartments. I have come up with a few things a landlord can do to effectively encourage tenants to turn on the heat and keep it on, and perhaps also bolster the landlord-tenant relationship in the process.
If you’re a homeowner like I am, you understand how difficult it is to ensure that tenants keep their apartments heated during the winter months. The fact is, tenants are most likely trying to save money but may be unaware of the consequences of turning off the heat during cold snaps. Unfortunately, that awareness usually hits when they turn on the heat, the pipes burst, and water floods their apartments. Read more about water damage due to no heat.
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