Expensive auto insurance can dwindle your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Doing a price comparison is free and is an excellent way to help make ends meet.
Big companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm persitently shower you with catchy ads and it can be hard to see past the corporate glitz and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Providence is quite easy. But Rhode Island vehicle owners should learn the way insurance companies compete online.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but a few need to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
- Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Driver Safety – Successfully completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
- Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.
For a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Providence, follow this link.
Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Providence
Most major insurance companies quote insurance quotes online. Getting quotes doesn’t take a lot of time as you simply enter the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the company’s rating system orders your driving and credit reports and quotes a price. This helps simplify price comparisons, but the process of having to visit a lot of sites and complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to do this if you are searching for the lowest possible prices on auto insurance.
A quicker way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one simple form that analyzes rates from many companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. Once the form is submitted, it is rated and you can select any or none of the returned quotes.
If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase coverage. This process takes just a few minutes to complete and could lower your rates considerably.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-108.jpg" alt="Providence car insurance prices“/>
If you want to find out how much you’re overpaying now, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. This ensures you will have comparison quotes based on identical coverages.
Why your price might be higher
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in big savings.
The following are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job – Jobs such as doctors, architects and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average due to high stress levels and long work days. On the flip side, occupations like farmers, athletes and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Pay less if you’re married – Being married can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it’s proven that married couples file fewer claims.
- Your location affects your rates – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Fewer people means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Liability insurance provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Your credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower credit scores.
- Your car’s features help determine rates – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart auto theft.
- One company can mean more discounts – Some insurance companies will award you with lower prices to people who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
When might I need an agent?
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Rhode Island?
- Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Rhode Island?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
What about my local Providence agents?
Some people just want to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local agencies is important especially in Providence.
Once you complete this short form, your information is instantly submitted to companies in Providence who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! It’s the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
If you wish to view a list of agents in Providence to contact, go to this page.
Picking an provider shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Rhode Island?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
Upon getting good answers to your questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance company that will properly service your auto insurance policy.
Summing up your auto insurance search
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small local company. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Additional information can be read on the website for the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation located here. Rhode Island consumers can get help finding coverage, file complaints about a company, read consumer alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.
Other informative sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this list of agents in Providence, RI.