Can I Live in Ma and Have Ct Car Insurance
Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance?
Finding affordable car insurance can be a frustrating, mysterious process. Why do some insurers charge hundreds more for the exact same coverage? Why do your insurance rates go up each year with no explanation? Are there any companies that offer fair rates?
We're so glad you asked. Let Compare.com be your guide to finding cheap car insurance from solid companies.
Cheapest Car Insurance Rates by Driving Record
How much you'll pay for car insurance depends a lot on your driving record. It makes sense if you think about it, because insurance is all about risk.
If you've gotten two speeding tickets in the past year, and you also rear-ended someone at a stoplight, car insurance companies will assume — rightly or wrongly —that you're a high-risk driver and you'll be expensive to insure.
On the other hand, if your motor vehicle report is totally clean, then insurers will offer you cheaper car insurance, because they think you're less likely to cause an accident.
What if you had an unlucky year, but in general you're a good driver? The good news is that insurance companies only consider events within a certain lookback period — usually three years, but it varies by state and insurance company. Tickets, convictions, and accidents from before that period won't affect your insurance rates.
If you're looking for cheap car insurance when you have a bad driving record, we have two pieces of advice: One, don't lie! When insurance companies ask you about recent moving violations and accidents, you might be tempted to fudge the details. But they'll get your motor vehicle record (MVR) summary directly from the state, so the truth will come out. And two, compare quotes from several car insurers. As you see below, insurance rates for someone with a speeding ticket, an accident or a DUI can vary a lot by company.
Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket
Which company offers the cheapest car insurance for people with a speeding ticket? We reviewed quote data from hundreds of thousands of drivers to find the answer — and it might surprise you.
The insurers with the best rates aren't the huge insurance companies that run TV ads nonstop. The top three are Commonwealth Casualty, which serves drivers in Arizona and Texas; Dairyland, which specializes in higher-risk drivers and motorcycle insurance; and Gainsco, known for minimum-limits auto insurance. Another strong contender is Clearcover, a newer company that uses artificial intelligence and app-based service to offer cheap insurance rates.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Casualty | $764 | $63.63 |
| Dairyland | $1,179 | $98.23 |
| Gainsco | $1,244 | $103.70 |
| Clearcover | $1,272 | $106.00 |
| Direct Auto | $1,300 | $108.30 |
| Infinity | $1,565 | $130.42 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,593 | $132.72 |
| SafeAuto | $1,658 | $138.14 |
| The General | $1,771 | $147.56 |
| Mercury | $1,815 | $151.28 |
Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With an Accident
One at-fault accident can really jack up your car insurance bill. After an accident, don't just accept your insurance company's new rates! Shop around to see what other companies may offer.
According to our analysis of driver quotes, these are the companies that offer the cheapest insurance after an accident. The top three are Commonwealth Casualty; Kemper Auto, which specializes in insurance for people who have had difficulty getting or keeping insurance coverage in the past; and Gainsco.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Casualty | $837 | $69.72 |
| Kemper | $1,300 | $108.36 |
| Gainsco | $1,443 | $120.27 |
| Safeco | $1,512 | $126.01 |
| Dairyland | $1,514 | $126.16 |
| Clearcover | $1,578 | $131.48 |
| DirectGeneral | $1,642 | $136.80 |
| Infinity | $1,647 | $137.28 |
| Mercury | $1,680 | $140.00 |
| Elephant | $1,712 | $142.65 |
Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With a DUI or DWI
How much does your car insurance go up after a DUI or DWI? For some people, rates might rise by 80% or more (ouch!) Your insurer might even drop you.
If you need cheap DUI car insurance, you should shop around. There are insurers who offer cheap insurance even after a DUI, although rates vary so much that it's hard to rank them in a list. Your insurance auto insurance quote will depend on your age and your driving history (other than the DUI), as well as where you live.
Here are a few companies that offer cheap DUI/DWI insurance:
-
Progressive accepts DUI drivers and raises rates by just 13%, on average, after a DUI.
-
State Farm is known as a good option for drivers with a DUI.
-
The General says yes to high-risk drivers when others say no, making it easy to get affordable SR-22 insurance.
-
American Family Insurance has lower rates for DUI insurance.
Think you're paying too much for car insurance after a ticket, accident, or DUI charge? Just enter your ZIP code below and compare rates from some of the best insurance companies for free!
Cheapest Car Insurance by Coverage Level
Cheapest of the Cheap: State Minimum Car Insurance
If you're looking for the cheapest auto insurance, what you need is state minimum coverage: a plan that meets your state's minimum requirements, gives you basic protection, and allows you to drive legally.
State minimum coverage does not include comprehensive or collision coverage. This means that you won't have any protection if your vehicle gets damaged by an at-fault collision, a single-car accident, bad weather or other circumstances when another driver's not at fault.
The minimum insurance laws vary a lot, depending on where you live. Most states require bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Some require uninsured & underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments or personal injury protection (PIP)/no-fault insurance.
If you're not sure what's required in your state, don't stress. Just compare quotes on Compare.com! When you select state minimum as your desired coverage level, we'll only show you insurance policies that meet those requirements.
We examined real-life driver quotes from across the country to determine which auto insurance companies are offering the cheapest state minimum insurance rates. You might be surprised to see that the smaller, regional companies come out on top. These include Commonwealth Casualty (serving Arizona and Texas); Aspire General Insurance, which insures California drivers; and Sun Coast General Insurance, a California-based company that serves drivers in several states in the south and west.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Casualty | $650 | $54.16 |
| Aspire General | $718 | $59.85 |
| Sun Coast | $828 | $68.97 |
| FirstChicago | $896 | $74.66 |
| Clearcover | $1,004 | $83.65 |
| Kemper | $1,011 | $84.27 |
| Gainsco | $1,038 | $86.47 |
| Dairyland | $1,078 | $89.83 |
| Mercury | $1,094 | $91.19 |
| DirectGeneral | $1,149 | $95.79 |
Cheapest Full Coverage Insurance
State minimum insurance doesn't work for everyone. You might need more coverage if you:
-
Have a car loan or are leasing your vehicle, and your lender requires collision and comprehensive
-
Want to make sure your vehicle repairs are covered after a collision or other mishap
-
Need to protect yourself from financial losses in case of an expensive at-fault accident
Full coverage auto insurance generally includes three key parts: liability insurance, and collision and comprehensive coverage options. Depending on your state of residence, it may also include uninsured & underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments, or personal injury protection (PIP)/no-fault insurance.
The cost of full coverage insurance changes depending on the limits you choose. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average claim for bodily injury is $18,417 and the average claim for property damage is $4,525. Given that, a 25/50/25 policy sounds like it's more than enough! But remember, those numbers are just averages. If you cause an accident that injures four people, their combined injuries could easily cost more than $50,000. Your insurance wouldn't be able to cover it, and that means the injured drivers could come after your assets.
25/50/25 Coverage Levels
What is 25/50/25 coverage? This means you have up to $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person injured in an accident, up to $50,000 in bodily injury per accident, and up to $25,000 in property damage liability. Property damage liability covers only the damage you cause to other people's property, such as their vehicles. It doesn't cover your own vehicle (that's what collision/comprehensive is for).
We looked at thousands of real drivers' online quotes to find the 10 insurers with the cheapest 25/50/25 coverage. The top three are regional insurer Commonwealth Casualty, app-based auto insurer Clearcover, and Gainsco, which specializes in minimum-limits policies.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Casualty | $946 | $78.84 |
| Clearcover | $1,100 | $91.67 |
| Gainsco | $1,246 | $103.84 |
| Safeco | $1,306 | $108.84 |
| Kemper | $1,309 | $109.07 |
| FirstChicago | $1,336 | $111.36 |
| DirectGeneral | $1,369 | $114.07 |
| Mercury | $1,473 | $122.78 |
| Dairyland | $1,479 | $123.29 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,537 | $128.11 |
50/100/50 Coverage Levels
What is 50/100/50 coverage? This means you have up to $50,000 in bodily injury liability per person injured in an accident, up to $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and up to $50,000 in property damage liability.
Many drivers want to know: Is 50/100/50 coverage enough? That depends on how much you have to lose. If you have significant savings that you need to protect, then financial experts recommend having more insurance. But if you live pretty modestly and you don't have a ton of assets, then 50/100/50 insurance is probably pretty good. Just make sure you shop around to get the best rate!
To find out which insurers offer the cheapest 50/100/50 coverage, we reviewed real quotes for thousands of drivers. In this quote comparison, Kemper Auto Insurance was the clear winner, quoting around $103 per month for a policy. Kemper sells insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and specializes in working with drivers who have had trouble getting or keeping car insurance in the past. The next cheapest 50/100/50 insurance quotes came from Clearcover and Safeco Insurance, which is part of Liberty Mutual.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Kemper | $1,239 | $103.27 |
| Clearcover | $1,483 | $123.59 |
| Safeco | $1,673 | $139.42 |
| Nationwide | $1,696 | $141.37 |
| 21st Century | $1,747 | $145.55 |
| SafeAuto | $1,774 | $147.87 |
| Travelers | $1,784 | $148.70 |
| AnswerFinancial | $1,788 | $148.98 |
| DirectGeneral | $1,816 | $151.31 |
| Mercury | $1,947 | $162.26 |
100/300/100 Coverage Levels
What is 100/300/100 coverage? This means up to $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person injured in an accident, up to $300,000 in bodily injury per accident, and up to $100,000 in property damage liability.
So… is 100/300/100 insurance good? The short answer: Yes. Experts say most people who have assets (such as a house or retirement savings) should protect themselves with car insurance that has high liability limits.
It might seem like too much, but keep in mind that someone injured in an accident when you're at fault could easily sue you for six figures. Carrying full coverage auto insurance with high limits can give you financial protection and peace of mind.
In our analysis of real-world car insurance quotes, we found the 10 companies offering the cheapest 100/300/100 insurance policies. Look closely and you'll see something interesting: for most carriers, the average monthly premium for a 100/300/100 policy is just a few dollars higher than a 50/100/50 policy. If you can afford it, definitely consider upgrading to the max coverage.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Kemper | $1,297 | $108.08 |
| Clearcover | $1,493 | $124.43 |
| SafeAuto | $1,578 | $131.50 |
| Nationwide | $1,639 | $136.59 |
| Travelers | $1,659 | $138.26 |
| Safeco | $1,687 | $140.59 |
| 21st Century | $1,740 | $144.96 |
| Mercury | $1,810 | $150.82 |
| Elephant | $1,810 | $150.85 |
| Amica | $2,086 | $173.81 |
Cheapest Car Insurance by State
You probably already know that insurance rates vary a lot depending on where you live. In some states, the cheapest car insurance may cost you less than $60 per month. In other states (as you can see below) your cheapest insurance quote might be closer to $150.
Why do car insurance rates vary so much by state? Several factors are in play.
A big one is state insurance laws. For instance, North Carolina heavily regulates its auto insurance industry, setting a cap on rates, and so car insurance is pretty cheap there.
Another factor is population density; heavily urban states, such as Rhode Island and New Jersey, generally have higher insurance rates than wide-open states like Idaho or Kansas.
So, which company offers the cheapest insurance in your state? We studied thousands of quotes to find the answer -- just check out the table below:
| State | Carrier | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| AL | Gainsco | $58.50 |
| AZ | Mercury | $59.00 |
| AR | DirectGeneral | $79.23 |
| CA | Aspire | $62.97 |
| CO | Sun Coast | $74.43 |
| CT | Safeco | $119.48 |
| DE | Liberty Mutual | $173.04 |
| FL | Dairyland | $94.76 |
| GA | Gainsco | $114.81 |
| HI | 21st Century | $85.70 |
| ID | Liberty Mutual | $59.00 |
| IL | Mercury | $61.97 |
| IN | Dairyland | $50.82 |
| IA | Liberty Mutual | $59.16 |
| KS | Dairyland | $57.76 |
| KY | SafeAuto | $122.60 |
| LA | Clearcover | $141.71 |
| ME | The General | $95.56 |
| MA | SafeAuto | $144.28 |
| MN | Safeco | $89.23 |
| MS | DirectGeneral | $91.53 |
| MO | Shelter Mutual | $90.33 |
| NE | Clearcover | $87.12 |
| NV | Sun Coast | $76.72 |
| NH | Safeco | $72.69 |
| NJ | PlymouthRockNJ | $133.61 |
| NM | Gainsco | $64.56 |
| NC | Liberty Mutual | $69.88 |
| OH | Safeco | $57.99 |
| OK | Gainsco | $69.11 |
| OR | Mile Auto | $61.00 |
| PA | AnswerFinancial | $76.28 |
| RI | Liberty Mutual | $297.52 |
| SC | Liberty Mutual | $118.72 |
| TN | Safeco | $62.87 |
| TX | Commonwealth Casualty | $55.01 |
| UT | Sun Coast | $59.76 |
| VA | Mercury | $56.66 |
| WA | MetroMile | $75.16 |
| D.C. | Liberty Mutual | $158.26 |
| WV | Liberty Mutual | $81.44 |
| WI | Clearcover | $67.14 |
Cheapest Car Insurance for Students
Finding cheap car insurance for college or high school students can be really tough. Car insurance companies consider young drivers to be very high-risk, so they charge a lot to insure them.
According to the CDC, "the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens aged 16–19 than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers in this age group are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash."
If you're desperately searching for affordable car insurance for a student, don't give up! There are some decent options out there.
Remember that many insurers offer discounts for being a good student — usually this means keeping a B average, although exact requirements vary. If you're a good driver, too, you might be able to save money on your car insurance by signing up for a usage-based policy. That's when you agree to let the insurance company track your driving habits with an app or a device, and then set your rates accordingly (more on that below).
Here are the top 10 cheapest insurance companies for students, according to Compare.com's data.
| Carrier | Avg. Yearly Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Casualty | $889 | $74.05 |
| Clearcover | $1,222 | $101.87 |
| Gainsco | $1,335 | $111.24 |
| DirectGeneral | $1,404 | $116.97 |
| Infinity | $1,408 | $117.31 |
| Dairyland | $1,440 | $119.99 |
| Mercury | $1,489 | $124.06 |
| Safeco | $1,502 | $125.20 |
| SafeAuto | $1,665 | $138.76 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,884 | $156.98 |
What You Need to Get Started
Finding cheaper car insurance is a whole lot easier than you think! You don't need to make any phone calls to agents. You don't need to fill out forms on different insurers' sites. All you need is one site: Compare.com.
Comparing quotes is completely free and doesn't require submitting any private information. It does help to know:
-
Your current insurance limits
-
When your current policy expires
-
How many miles you drive each year
-
The approximate dates and details of any accidents or moving violations in the past three years
A Few Ways to Get Cheaper Car Insurance
While there are some factors you can't control when it comes to your insurance premium, there are a few ways you can help yourself find cheap car insurance coverage.
Raise Your Deductible
Choosing a higher deductible is a sure-fire way to get cheaper car insurance. But is it worth it? That depends on your financial situation… and whether you're a risk taker.
A car insurance deductible is the money you personally pay toward an accident or a claim before your insurance policy pays the rest. Typically, you have a deductible for your comprehensive, collision, uninsured motorist property damage, and personal injury protection coverages.
The higher your deductible, the less your insurer has to pay after an accident. So your auto insurance rates get cheaper if you choose a $500 or a $1,000 deductible, compared to a $250 deductible.
That can be tempting… but what if you get into a fender-bender that causes $1,200 worth of damage, and you have a $1,000 deductible? Will you be able to pay?
Take a good hard look at your finances and driving record and see if a higher deductible is something you can swing. After all, it could save you a lot of money in the long run if you don't file many claims.
Adjust Your Coverage Limits (But Within Reason)
The cheapest auto insurance will almost always be state minimum insurance. It makes sense: the less coverage you have, the less you should pay, right?
Just bear in mind that car insurance exists to protect you from financial losses in the event of an accident. State minimum insurance doesn't include collision and comprehensive coverage for your own vehicle. And if your insurance has a maximum liability payout of $40,000, and you cause a three-car pileup resulting in $90,000 of damage and medical bills, then you're on the hook for the remainder.
Nevertheless, there's a lot of wiggle room between the absolute cheapest car insurance and expensive, full-coverage insurance. Compare quotes to see how much you can save.
Look For Discounts
Most insurers offer a menu of car insurance discounts that can snag you significant savings on your policy.
Some of the best discounts:
-
A multi-car discount for insuring more than one vehicle can save you 25% or more on your premium, compared to insuring the cars separately.
-
A multi-policy discount can save you up to 25% if you bundle your car insurance with your home or renters insurance or other policies, such as life insurance.
-
Discounts for paying your policy in full or setting up automatic payments can get you savings of up to 10%.
-
Discounts for certain vehicle features are small, but they add up! You can save on car insurance if your vehicle has anti-theft systems, air bags, anti-lock brakes and other safety features.
-
Some insurers give discounts to good students, accident-free drivers, military veterans and members of certain organizations or groups.
-
Discounts are great — but you should know that they don't always save you as much as you expect. Read the fine print, and you may see that your discount for having air bags (for example) only applies to your premium for medical payments coverage.
Work on Your Credit Score
Did you know that your credit can affect your car insurance rates? In most states (but not all), insurers can consider your credit history when they're setting your premiums.
They use something called a credit-based insurance score, which is similar to — but not identical to — your normal credit score. The credit-based insurance score is based on your track record of making payments on time, the amount of debt you currently have, the length of your credit history, and other factors.
Credit can have a surprisingly large impact on your insurance rates, and unfortunately, there's no quick fix. Just work on improving your credit by making timely payments and paying down debt.
If your credit suffered because of something that wasn't your fault, such as fraud or a medical emergency, it may be worth contacting your car insurer and explaining the circumstances, to see if they can give you a break.
Learn more: Why You Should Shop for Car Insurance After Paying Off Debt
Practice Safe Driving
All the discounts and high deductibles in the world can't get you a cheap car insurance policy if you have a bad driving record.
How much does your car insurance go up after a ticket? Usually, around 20 to 30%, depending on whether the ticket is for a minor traffic violation or something more serious, like reckless driving.
How much does your car insurance go up after an accident? More than 40%, on average, according to Forbes Advisor. And that's if you had a clean driving record to start with.
This means that one of the most effective ways to get cheap car insurance is to do your best to drive safely, avoid accidents and obey the speed limit. If you already have a few oopsies on your record, just be patient. They'll fall off after 3 to 5 years, and then your insurance rates will go down.
Sign-up For Telematics or Usage-Based Insurance
Opting for a pay-per-mile policy is one of the best ways to get cheap auto insurance — if you drive less than the average person. With pay-per-mile insurance, you pay a monthly base rate as low as $29, then a per-mile rate on top of that. An app or electronic device tracks your miles driven.
From an insurance company's perspective, it makes sense: the less you drive, the smaller your chance of getting into an accident! Pay-per-mile company Metromile says its customers save 47% on average, compared to a traditional auto insurance policy.
Telematics insurance, aka usage-based insurance, is a little different. These policies track not only how much you drive, but how safely you drive. You consent to let your insurance company track your driving — short-term or permanently — and then you get a discount based on your habits. Many drivers find that the maximum advertised discount is really hard to get, however. With usage-based insurance, you'll get dinged for braking hard, driving late at night, accelerating too quickly and speeding. A realistic discount may be around 10-15%.
Compare Quotes from Multiple Companies
When people ask, "What's the best way to find cheap car insurance?", there's a simple answer: Compare personalized quotes.
All you have to do is enter some basic information about yourself, including your address, vehicle make and model, current insurance info, etc. Then, choose which level of coverage you want: minimum, basic, plus or premium. Looking at real-life quotes side by side will show you the range of possible premiums and tell you which companies are offering the best deal.
Cheap Car Insurance FAQs
Who has the cheapest auto insurance?
There is no single company that offers the cheapest car insurance for every person. Each car insurance company has its own ways of judging risk and setting rates, so one company's quote could be hundreds of dollars less — or more — than another's. So simply asking "Who has the cheapest car insurance?" won't get you anywhere. You need to run the numbers for yourself and compare them.
Where can I find the cheapest car insurance?
Often, the answer is: Not where you expect! As you can see in the charts above, the companies offering the cheapest car insurance aren't always the big, brand-name insurers that advertise big savings and low rates. Smaller insurance companies, specialty insurers, and regional companies all may offer better rates. The best way to find out is to compare quotes.
How much car insurance do I really need?
Great question! There are a lot of factors that come into play, but here's a quick cheat-sheet to tell you how much car insurance you need.
-
Are you on a really tight budget and driving an old car? If yes, then you might choose state minimum insurance, which is the cheapest option that lets you drive legally.
-
Do you drive a newer car, or do you have a car loan? If yes, then you should have collision and comprehensive coverage.
-
Do you have assets to protect, such as a house or savings account? If yes, then you need full coverage auto insurance with higher limits; at least 50/100/50, or 100/300/100, if possible.
Should car insurance increase every year?
It's normal for your auto insurance premiums to increase each year. But that doesn't mean you have to accept it! Insurers may raise rates because you had an at-fault accident, because you filed a claim, because their costs went up, or just because they want to. If you feel like your insurance rates keep rising and it's not your fault, then compare quotes from multiple companies to find a better deal.
At what age does car insurance go down?
Drivers generally see a decrease in car insurance rates once they turn 19, and a more substantial drop when they turn 25. After that, insurance rates keep going down with age until you turn 60 or 65.
Can I get one-day car insurance?
Unless you're renting a car, you probably can't get car insurance just for one day. Insurers typically sell policies lasting a minimum of 6 months. If you really need one-day insurance, you may be able to purchase a 6-month policy and then cancel it.
Learn More About Cheap Auto Insurance & Save More
Can I Live in Ma and Have Ct Car Insurance
Source: https://www.compare.com/cheap-car-insurance