Cheap Auto Insurance | Western Mass Auto Insurance

If you are looking for cheap car insurance you have to remember that cheap car insurance to you might be expensive car insurance to someone else. Everyone’s situation is different which is why it is important to go with an experienced agent who can help you get your best price.

How Car Insurance Works

Buying cheap car insurance can be easy, especially if you’re working with Western Mass Auto Insurance. We make the entire process quick and simple.

The Massachusetts auto policy has 12 different parts. The first 4 are required by law and parts 5-12 are optional. Everyone has the same policy it just is – which parts do you choose to get?

When you buy car insurance you will make a down payment any where from 8% to 20% depending on which plan you choose. You will then pay monthly payments. There are many payment options to choose from. Pick which best suits your financial situation. You will typically get a car insurance bill in the mail. You can check out this information on how to understand your car insurance bill.

All of the parts are designed to protect you against different types of claims. For example you might need to make a claim for a collision with another vehicle, object or person’s property. This would be Part 7 or Part 4 depending who is at fault.

You might also make a claim if your car is burglarized, vandalized, stolen or damaged by a natural disaster. This would be covered under Part 9 Comprehensive. Also check out these tips to prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

When you make a claim, you’re requesting the insurance company to pay for the damages done to your vehicle, other people’s bodily injuries, and/or other vehicles or property as the result of the incident. Coverage is also available to help cover claims of medical expenses for you, your passengers or other drivers or pedestrians involved in the accident. These are the most common types of car insurance.

Once you have your cheap car insurance in place you can always change different things about your policy, like your coverage’s, type of car, where you live, other drivers etc. For these changes contact your experienced agent for their advice and guidance to make these changes. It is very easy to change your car insurance coverage.

Also in Massachusetts you are required by law to have an active driver’s license to register a car and get car insurance. But Massachusetts is also unique in that it is actually possible to register a car and get car insurance if you do not have a drivers license. This is not requested very often but you can read more about this situation here.

Do I Need Car Insurance?

In Massachusetts car insurance is required by law. You must get car insurance if you want to own and register a vehicle. So the answer is “yes you need car insurance”.

You’ll also want to buy the right amount of car insurance coverage for your situation. A knowledgeable and experienced agent like Western Mass Auto Insurance can assist you with this decision.

Automobile accidents can be incredibly expensive – especially if you are found at fault. They often include high costs to pay for the damages to your vehicle, other vehicles and/or damaged property, as well as medical bills that you or others may have. If you don’t have automobile insurance, or you don’t have adequate levels of it, you may have to pay some of these costs out-of-pocket. This is why you need to choose the right amount of coverage for your situation.

There are other, more immediate penalties and fines you could face if you don’t have car insurance.

You could get a ticket if you are stopped and the police determine that you are driving without insurance.
Your license could be suspended.
Your vehicle may be towed.

Benefits of Having Car Insurance

The benefits to drivers of having great car insurance go beyond just fulfilling a state requirement. Car insurance can help protect your financial well-being by minimizing the risks of having to pay the potentially devastating costs of a significant auto accident claim. Learn more about car insurance by checking out our many car insurance articles.

Less than 5% of vehicles in the state of Massachusetts have no insurance. It is just to your benefit to be sure you obey the law and get yourself car insurance.

In the event that you’re involved in an accident, or hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver, car insurance can help pay the costs of the repairs and medical bills.

Without it, you might have to pay a substantial sum of money out of your own pocket. Car insurance also helps cover the passengers in your car and other drivers on the road if you are responsible for an accident. It can also cover medical expenses that your regular health insurance may not cover.

Without car insurance, if you’re involved in an accident it would be a huge hassle. You would have to find a repair shop, get a rental car, negotiate the repair costs and communicate with the other drivers involved in the accident and their insurance companies to negotiate payment of the other person’s claim.

If you have further questions about car insurance you can always go to our list of car insurance frequently asked questions to learn more.

One of the last things you want to do after a car accident is deal with all of these problems. A good car insurance company can help handle these issues for you and will support you at every step through a smooth and stress free claim process. Plus here are 5 factors to consider when you buy your car insurance.

Auto Insurance Fraud

People always ask me “why is car insurance so expensive”? The simple answer other than the obvious rating factors is the, unfortunately, there is a tremendous amount of insurance fraud. This can include:

Insuring a car fro someone else and not listing that person as a driver
Insuring the vehicle in a place other than where it is kept over night
Once an accident occurs having other people claim they were in the vehicle
Lawyers always going after insurance companies for large payouts when the incident did not warrant it
Claiming bodily injury when there was none
Not listing all drivers

There are many ways that consumers in Massachusetts commit fraud on their auto insurance by trying to get super cheap car insurance. As agents we do the best we can to weed this out. However, it can be very difficult to determine when someone is not telling you the truth about their situation. Most of this fraud is found out after there is a claim or after an accident occurs with someone driving who should not have been.

All of this means that good drivers are unfortunately paying more than they should. Good drivers subsidize the bad drivers and those who are committing fraud. This is how it is in every state in the country not just Massachusetts.

How Your Car Insurance Price is Determined

Several factors are used to determine the cost of your car insurance, including:

Your Driving Record – This is important in determining the price you will pay for your car insurance. A safe driving record indicates that you are less likely to cause or be involved in an accident. If you have moving violations or accidents on your record, you will pay more for your auto insurance.
How Long You Have Been Driving – In Massachusetts pricing on car insurance depends on how long you have been driving. If you are a new driver it is one price. If you have been driving over 1 year it is lower. If you are driving between 3 and 6 years it is lower. And if you are driving over 6 years it is even lower. Take advantage of these discounts by making you sure you never have an incident on your driving record such as an accident or moving violation.
Who Else will be Driving Your Vehicle – This information is important to tell the insurance company. Your agent can help you with listing all the drivers in your household or anyone else who will drive your car. You don’t want to let someone drive your car if they are not listed on your auto insurance policy – this could lead to a denied claim.
Where You Live – Car insurance is priced by “territories”. There’s a greater chance your vehicle will be broken into, stolen or vandalized if you live in an area that has a high crime rate, so you can expect to pay more in premiums than someone in a low crime area. You may also have to pay more for car insurance if you live in a heavily populated area. The chances of you being involved in an accident with another driver, pedestrian or person’s property are higher in areas with more people and cars. Makes sense.
Your Insurance Coverage History – Insurance companies like to see continuous auto insurance coverage. It shows you are a responsible car owner. Long or frequent lapses in your coverage history can result in higher premiums as companies give discounts for continuous coverage.
The Vehicle You Drive – The type of vehicle only affects your price if you are getting physical damage coverage on the vehicle. Just basic liability is the same price no matter what car you drive. Expensive vehicles and newer vehicles require expensive repairs and may cost more to insure. Think of all the computer components in newer cars of today.
Coverage Requested – Basic liability coverage is the least expensive but it does not cover damage to your vehicle. Full coverage is more expensive as it will cover different types of damage to your vehicle in addition to your liability coverage. Discuss the different options with your agent.

Learn more about the benefits of having the best car insurance by contacting Western Mass Auto Insurance for your free quote. In addition to the ways car insurance is priced, on many occasions a person’s price will go up when their policy renews. This is a good aspect of car insurance to understand. Check out the reasons why your price may go up.

Discounts on Massachusetts Auto Insurance

Here is where a good agent will assist you. At Western Mass Auto Insurance we always give you our best price for your situation. We will never have a lower price for you than the one we first give to you. This is because we search pricing from the top companies in the state then apply all the possible discounts you would be eligible for. Here are some examples:

AAA Member Discounts
By insuring your auto, home and umbrella through us, we offer a homeowner insurance discount and a discount on auto insurance
By insuring both your auto and home through us, we offer a homeowners insurance discount and a discount on auto insurance
Shop Smart credit – if you have active insurance and you shop in advance for your pricing.
Paid-in-Full discount
Good Student discount
Student away from home discount
Annual Mileage discount
Multi-Car discount
Green discount – if you get billed through your email rather than receive a bill in the mail.
Clean in Three discount – if you have had no incidents on your driving record for 3 years.

Also think about these great offerings:

Disappearing Deductible -With our Disappearing Deductible program, your safe driving can help you save money off your deductible!
Accident Forgiveness -Many companies offer accident forgiveness for a wide range of drivers and experience levels! Typically, when you or someone on your policy gets into an accident, your auto insurance premium goes up. With Accident Forgiveness, getting into an at-fault accident will not cause your premium to increase.

The Massachusetts Auto Policy

The Massachusetts auto insurance policy has 12 parts. Parts 1-4 are required by law and parts 5-12 are optional.

Here is a brief review of Parts 1-9. Part 10 is if you need a rental car if you have a claim. Part 11 is towing and labor. Part 12 is called Underinsured Auto – to benefit from this part you will need higher Bodily Injury limits than the state minimum of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident.

Auto Insurance Minimum Liability Limits
Mass Auto Policy Part 1 – Bodily Injury to Others
Mass Auto Policy Part 2 – PIP
Mass Auto Policy Part 3 – Injury Caused by Uninsured Auto
Mass Auto Policy Part 4 – Property Damage
Mass Auto Policy Part 5 – Optional Bodily Injury to Others
Mass Auto Policy Part 6 – Medical Payments
Mass Auto Policy Part 7 – Collision
Mass Auto Policy Part 9 – Comprehensive – What Does it Cover?

Please be sure to discuss these coverage,s with your experienced agent or simply contact Western Mass Auto Insurance for more details.

How Do Car Insurance Deductibles Work?

Have you ever heard that term before? “Deductibles”? It is an insurance term that represents the amount of money the policy owner is responsible for if they have a claim concerning their vehicle. You pay the deductible the insurance company pays the rest up to the limits of the policy. Check here for a more detailed explanation of how deductibles work.

Let’s say you accidentally back into a pole and damage your rear bumper. The bumper needs to be replaced. The new bumper will cost $1500. Your deductible for this type of incident is $500. Therefore, you will receive $1000 from your car insurance company to cover the costs of this accident – the $1500 less your deductible. Often, drivers can save money on their premiums when they increase their deductible amount. This is one of the many ways that drivers can lower their car insurance costs.

Check out other car insurance terms here.

Car Insurance Claims

This is the unfortunate part of car insurance. We all get car insurance to protect us if we have an accident so it is important for you to know haw this aspect of car insurance works. Car insurance claims can be frustrating and time consuming. Be sure to get with an experienced agent who can guide you and help you during the claims process. Remember the insurance company will want to talk directly with you, the insured, concerning your claim – not your agent. After all you were the one involved and you know the most about the situation. But your agent can give you the proper advice to get your claim handled in a quick and efficient manner.

How Does Car Insurance Work if You Total Your Car?

Your vehicle is considered a total loss if the cost to repair the damage exceeds the market value of your vehicle. Therefore the insurance company will pay out the value of your vehicle less your deductible. If you paid cash for the car you can then go out and get another car with the payoff check. But if you have a loan on the vehicle it can be a bit more complicated.

In these cases the market value of your totaled car – or the amount your insurance company will pay you for the damages – may not cover the amount you still owe on your auto loan. That’s when Gap Insurance comes in handy. Learn more about Gap Insurance and how insurance for totaled vehicles works by contacting us at Western Mass Auto Insurance. We can get you cheap gap insurance if your vehicle is under 5 years old.

How Does Rental Car Insurance Work?

What if you go on vacation and want to get a rental car how does this work? If you have car insurance then you may not need the coverage that is offered by rental car companies. In most cases, your vehicle liability, collision and comprehensive coverages will carry over to your rental car. A major difference between rental car coverage and your standard policies is your deductible.

For example, rental car companies offer accident and car theft damage coverage. If you pay for this coverage through the rental car company, then you will not be accountable for damage that happens to the rented vehicle. The coverage is somewhat expensive but it is designed exclusively for your rental car.

Your own collision and comprehensive coverage will also cover these types of damages. However, if you make a claim through your car insurance company, you’ll probably have to pay your deductible.

Rental car companies can also offer you specific coverage for damage you do to others, injuries you sustain while driving, and property stolen from your car. Your auto insurance policies should be able to protect you from these costs, as well. Your Bodily Injury and Property Damage coverages can help cover the costs of damage and injuries you cause to other drivers or their property.

Your Homeowner’s or Renter’s Insurance policy may cover property stolen from the rental car. Again, if you go through your own insurance, these policies typically require a deductible. Your car insurance likely covers you for these events – discuss this with your experienced agent and you may not need to buy additional coverage through the rental car company.

How to Cancel Your Car Insurance in Massachusetts

This is very simple. In Massachusetts there are only 3 ways to cancel your car insurance.

Cancel your license plates. Be sure to tell your agent you have done this so they can either remove the vehicle from you policy or cancel the policy all together.
Get insurance some where else. If you have shopped your active insurance policy around and found a better price and/or a different agent then that new agent or company has to notify your previous agent that you have started a new policy with them. This form is called a 2A form. It will show the vehicle and the date you have transferred your insurance.
If you stop paying on your car insurance and it cancels for non payment. You do not want this option as it will make your next quote higher. Avoid this at all costs. Keep in touch with your agent and have them help you the best they can. If your policy cancels for non payment be sure to contact Western Mass Auto Insurance as we can help you get back on the road.

If you policy does cancel for non payment you have 33 days for your license plates to remain active. Please keep this in mind. The RMV will send you a letter stating this. So you want to get insurance again before the 33 days is up.

Car Insurance Resources

When it is time for you to buy your car, get your insurance and get your license plates there is alot of information that you will need to know. At Western Mass Auto Insurance we have put together a list of car insurance resources for drivers that will help you through this process. Please contact our office if you have any questions about this.

Time to Get Your Free Quote

Before you start the quoting process, though, there are several questions you should be prepared to answer. Also you can check out or post concerning the information needed to get an auto insurance quote.

Where do you live?
What type of car do you drive?
What kind of coverage are you looking to get?
Do you want basic liability, liability plus Comprehensive or Full Coverage car insurance?
What’s your driver’s license number?
Who else will be driving your car?
Do you currently have active car insurance?

Once your agent gets this information they will be able to get you your best price. Remember at Western Mass Auto Insurance we always give you our best price – we never have a better price that we are holding back. We will always try to get you cheap car insurance.

Before you walk out after purchasing your auto insurance be sure you clearly understand what coverage’s you have and what coverage’s you do not have. This is very important. Always review your insurance coverage – know what you have before you need the insurance – you don’t want to get an unpleasant surprise.

How Much Auto Insurance Should You Buy?

The answer to this question depends on many things.

How much insurance can you afford?
How old is your vehicle?
Where do you live?
Do you have a loan on your vehicle?
Did you pay cash for your car?
Are you a good driver?
Do you get nervous when you drive?

All of these factors can come into play when you think about how much car insurance you should buy. Talk to your experienced agent to get their advice or simply call Western Mass Auto Insurance for some straight forward advice.

Affordable Car Insurance You Can Trust

Everyone is welcome here at Western Mass Auto Insurance! We are proud to have thousands of satisfied auto insurance customers and welcome the opportunity to quote your situation.

We specialize in Auto Insurance and work with top insurance companies to get you the best coverage at the lowest price – all based on your specific situation. We’ve been helping customers save money on auto insurance in the Springfield, Mass area for 20+ years and we can do the same for you!

Why Western Mass Auto Insurance?

In addition to affordable car insurance and low down payments, there are other benefits to insuring your car and/or your home through Western Mass Auto Insurance.

We are an agency you can trust to give you an honest assessment of your situation.
When you request an auto insurance quote from Western Mass Auto Insurance an experienced insurance representative will compare auto insurance rates from top insurance companies to help you find the policy that fits your needs and budget options — plus we have Full Registry Services – in house – for our customers.
Affordable auto insurance policies for high-risk drivers with points.
Two convenient office locations where you can pay your bill or discuss your policy
English and Spanish-speaking agents available to answer your questions in person or by phone

We Get All the Discounts Available to You

There are many ways we work to save you money and get you cheap car insurance. One of them involves ensuring you get all the discounts you deserve. Our companies have many discounts available and we will be sure that you get them! We can get you the best car insurance in Massachusetts.

We Can Insure Any Situation

If you’ve had tickets, accidents or a DUI we can help. We offer affordable car insurance for every type of driver – whether young or old, good driving record or bad driving record – we can even help drivers who have been turned down by other insurance companies or have had a lapse in insurance coverage.

Get Your Free Car Insurance Quote Today

Western Mass Auto Insurance makes it easy to get affordable car insurance. Car insurance quotes are available online or over the phone at (413) 543-3800 for Indian Orchard or (413) 781-3800 for Forest Park area. You can also stop by one of our Two Conveniently Located Offices where an insurance representative can assist you.

Cheap Car Insurance