The Most Expensive Car Insurance Rates in Central MA

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Friday, May 02, 2014

Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

A new ranking for how expensive -- or cheap -- auto insurance is in the Commonwealth has been released by consumer website ValuePenguin for the state's nearly 5 million drivers -- and for Central Massachusetts, Northborough came in lowest for   premium average at $1,043 - and Worcester tops at $1,764.

See Most Expensive Central MA Towns for Auto Insurance

Overall, Brockton took the highest spot at $2,125, and Nantucket the lowest at $1,015, according to ValuePenguin, who "analyzed rates for 7 different driver profiles from 35 insurers an 179 cities" to come up with their Massachusetts' rankings.

"I would say that in term of shopping for auto insurance, these are the 'good old days," said Mike Barry, Vice President for Media Relations with the Insurance Information Institute. "It's hard to recall a time when there's been more information out there to comparison shop."

"Insurancequotes.com, autoinsurance.com -- there a number of sites where shoppers can compare," said Barry. "The other thing to look at is the state's insurance department. If there's a brand you don't recognize, you might want to make sure that they're licensed."

Parsing the Numbers

According their website, ValuePenguin "focuses on providing high quality resources to help consumers understand the topics they're interested in. Whether its building visual tools to explain data or publishing in-depth research our goal is to provide objective analysis to help guide you to the best decision."

Other categories looked at include credit cards, health insurance, and mortgage rates - and ValuePenguin says the guiding principle behind its research is the "search for value."

"Instead of concentrating on whether something is good/bad or cheap/expensive, we think the right way to look at any decision is if it deserves the cost."

I.I.I.'s Barry noted two particular resources available through the organization for consumers.  "The first is an I.I.I. Issues Update paper on trends in the way insurance is sold, the second explains the primary factors which determine the price of an auto policy.  

In terms of rankings, for customer service, you'd want to look at JDPower," noted Barry. "For more financial based data, A.M. Best is a good resource.   

Massachusetts vs. New England  

In February, Insure.com ranked all 50 states in terms of premium costs, listing Massachusetts at #16 nationally with an average of $1,604.

Rhode Island and Connecticut out-cost their drivers at $2,020 and $1,638, respectively, with Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine all ranked lower than #40 nationally.

Barry noted a new development in the insurance industry. "Walmart has just partnered with autoinsurance.com," said Barry. On Wednesday, InsuranceJournal reported that the "new arrangement provides an auto insurance comparison service through the AutoInsurance.com website from national insurance carriers that include Progressive, Esurance, Safeco, Travelers, and 21st Century."

Adding his perspective on the announcement, Barry said, "My sense is that Walmart has so much foot traffic, and they're associated with cost-savings "

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Related Slideshow: The Central MA Cities with the Most Expensive Car Insurance

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