Find Cheaper Massachusetts Car Insurance Rates for High-Risk Drivers

Our staff writers always rib each other than when writing about car insurance, the word “cheap” should never be used anywhere to describe car insurance rates. Be that as it may, cheap car insurance for high risk drivers is almost non-existent. Don’t let that discourage you, because we are going to tell you how you can still get car insurance that won’t break the bank.

Finding dependable, cost effective car insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which companies quote the cheapest insurance rates for high risk drivers will involve more quotes for comparison. Coverage rates will be significantly greater than the average price in Massachusetts, with the higher price attributed to the extra risk associated with selling coverage for high risk drivers, but competitive coverage may be available if you shop around.

Every auto insurer has their own unique process for setting prices, so let’s begin by examining the insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Massachusetts. It’s important to know that Massachusetts insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay. This price fluctuation is why consumers need to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the best car insurance quotes for high risk drivers. Insurance prices are made up of many different factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical option a year ago may now be costing you a lot of money.

State Farm has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Massachusetts at around $711 annually. National Grange Mutual, GEICO, Commerce Group, and OneBeacon also qualify as some of the cheapest Massachusetts auto insurance companies.

As shown in the rates above, if you currently have a policy with Commerce Group and switched to National Grange Mutual, you might realize an annual savings of around $61. Drivers with OneBeacon may save as much as $62 a year, and Progressive customers might lower prices by $166 a year.

To get a fast rate comparison, click here to start your custom quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.

Remember that these rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in Massachusetts and do not take into consideration a rate surcharge for high risk drivers. So the company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be shown in the rate chart shown above. That points out the importance of why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own specific driver information and vehicle. If you are shopping for high risk auto insurance in Massachusetts, you’ll likely want to spend a bit of time comparing rates from a variety of insurers.

For high risk drivers, one of the big things used to establish the annual cost of car insurance is where you call home. More populated areas like Revere, Lynn, and Lawrence tend to pay slightly more, whereas more rural areas generally pay lower insurance rates.

The following table illustrates the priciest cities in Massachusetts for high risk drivers to purchase car insurance in.

Rate information is comparative as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can alter coverage prices significantly.

We all have different tastes in cars, and the vehicle requiring coverage is a large consideration when comparing the most affordable auto insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with higher performance, a lack of advanced safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.

The next lists outlines auto insurance prices for a selection of the cheapest vehicles to buy coverage for.

Data variables include married female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in specific Massachusetts garaging location which can lower or raise rates noticeably.

Above prices assume married female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. For this type of high risk auto insurance in MA, discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in a policyholder’s Massachusetts location, which can raise or lower coverage prices considerably.

Data rating is based on married female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific Massachusetts garaging location which can increase or decrease price quotes greatly.

How much more does full coverage cost?

Finding cheap car insurance for high risk drivers in Massachusetts should be important to the majority of vehicle owners, and a good way to find cheap insurance is to not buy full coverage. The information below shows the difference between yearly insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The data assumes a clean driving record, no claims, $250 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Averaged out for all age groups, full coverage on your policy costs $1,941 per year more than just buying liability only. At some point, every insured wonders when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no written rule for phasing out physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $11,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you would only receive $10,000 after you pay the deductible. If premiums are more than $1,000 annually for physical damage coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

Types of Discounts on Massachusetts Auto Insurance Rates

Car insurance companies that sell cheap car insurance for high risk drivers in Massachusetts may provide price discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 40% or more if you meet certain criteria. Popular insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.

• Progressive may offer discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
• Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including homeowner, mature driver, pay in full, electronic funds transfer, and multi-car.
• Farm Bureau may include discounts for driver training, multi-policy, youthful driver, good student, multi-vehicle, and safe driver.
• State Farm has savings for Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, good student, accident-free, multiple policy, and driver’s education.
• GEICO includes discounts for daytime running lights, driver training, anti-theft, multi-policy, and emergency military deployment.
• SAFECO may have discounts that include multi-car, accident prevention training, drive less, safe driver, homeowner, anti-theft, and anti-lock brakes.
• Liberty Mutual offers discounts for preferred payment discount, exclusive group savings, good student, multi-car, and hybrid vehicle.

The information below illustrates the comparison of premium costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The prices are based on a female driver, three violations and one at-fault accident, Massachusetts state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, passive restraint, multiple vehicle, continuous coverage, vehicle safety, and paperless filing discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, the average amount saved each year on insurance for high risk drivers is 28% or $845.

Why It’s Important to Shop Around

Massachusetts insurance rates are impacted by many things that will increase or decrease the price you have to pay for coverage. Getting older, buying a home instead of renting, or getting a ticket for careless driving can cause premium changes resulting in some companies being much cheaper than others. Not only may your risk profile change, but companies change premium rates as often as every three months to help ensure profitability. An unexpected high level of claims may cause more expensive prices, while less frequent claims may cause lower-cost Massachusetts car insurance rates.

To illustrate this point, the chart below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Massachusetts for a 35-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and excellent credit. If we estimate rates based on his current situation, State Farm offers the lowest car insurance rates in Massachusetts at $719 each year. This is $516 less than the average premium paid by Massachusetts drivers of $1,235. National Grange Mutual, GEICO, OneBeacon, and Commerce Group are also on the list of the cheapest Massachusetts auto insurance companies.

Now we will pretend the driver from the first example a couple of claims, a little lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on his driving record. Due to the fact that every auto insurer has their own process to set policy rates, comparing quotes most likely will result in a different set of cheap Massachusetts auto insurance companies as shown below.

Arbella now has the cheapest insurance rate in Massachusetts with USAA, Norfolk and Dedham, Amica, and National Grange Mutual now rounding out the top five. This demonstrates why Massachusetts drivers need to compare many different companies to find the most economical car insurance quotes for high risk drivers.

Insurance rates are calculated by many different factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical option the last time you shopped around may now be quite expensive.

How to Find Low-Cost Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers

The list below summarizes a few thrifty solutions that can help Massachusetts drivers locate lower-cost auto insurance.

• Violations and traffic tickets increase rates
• Increase your physical damage deductibles
• Drop full coverage on older vehicles
• Avoid preventable accidents
• Higher credit ratings may save you money
• Buy vehicles with good safety ratings
• Shop around for cheaper rates regularly

The last idea is notably critical, as was discussed in the article above. Prices in Massachusetts change a lot, so don’t be tentative to buy a policy from a new company if a cheaper price is available.

Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but is isn’t recommended if that loyalty results in overpaying a small fortune year after year. It takes less than five minutes to shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for high risk drivers.

Who has the cheapest insurance quotes for high risk drivers?

There are quite a few ways to get affordable insurance quotes in Massachusetts, but the most preferred ways are using an exclusive insurance agent like State Farm or Liberty Mutual, an independent agent, or from a direct company like Progressive or Geico.

All three ways are similar, but insurance shoppers should know the differences in how they price policies.

Independent insurance agencies are appointed by several companies and can get rate quotes from every one. Agents of this type have the freedom to provide you with more rates, which may give you the best chance of saving money. If premiums increase, your agent can switch companies without having to get a different agent.

Exclusive agencies are only able to quote your policy with one insurance company such as an Auto-Owners or Allstate agent. These agents normally cannot provide prices from multiple companies, so it’s a take it or leave it situation.

If you want to buy insurance direct, you bypass local agents and instead shop from a direct company like Esurance. Buying direct may be a decent choice people who have limited assets and have a decent understanding of the exclusions of a policy.

So which one of the three ways works best to find cheap car insurance for high risk drivers in Massachusetts? Most drivers assume that buying direct saves money because there are no middleman commissions, but unfortunately, that is not always true. It could also be said buying insurance from an independent agent guarantees the cheapest rates since they can quote with many companies, but that assumption is also not accurate. In many cases, exclusive agents have really good rates that other companies cannot beat.

Because there are so many factors that make up insurance rates, the only real way to get the lowest rate is to get quotes and compare. Smart shoppers will get quotes from all three in order to be able to find the lowest price. For a list of insurance companies with low rates, click here to view.