If you’re new to shopping for auto insurance online, you can be overwhelmed by the large number of online companies offering insurance in Portsmouth.
More discounts equal less premium
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
- Safety Course Discount – Completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Portsmouth, follow this link.
How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
There are several ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. The quickest method to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-34.jpg" alt="Portsmouth Rhode Island auto insurance“/>
- The fastest way to get quotes for comparison is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for each company. One form submission compares rates from multiple low-cost companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
- A slightly less efficient method to compare prices consists of visiting the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, let’s say you want rates from USAA, Allstate and State Farm. To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Portsmouth, click here.
It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples information with every price quote. If you use different deductibles then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best in Portsmouth. Just a small difference in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that getting more free quotes will increase your chances of finding the best rates.
Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.
Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate premiums.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- Younger drivers pay higher rates – Teen drivers in Rhode Island are statistically proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
- Low deductibles can be expensive – Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more you’re willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Your occupation can affect rates – Careers like doctors, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and long work hours. Other professions such as actors, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
- Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a fast way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage might get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Rhode Island department of motor vehicles.
Better coverage you can count on
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.
Lower-priced auto insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Portsmouth, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.
Additional detailed information is located at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Rhode Island drivers can find disaster information, report car insurance fraud, get help finding coverage, and read state legal mandates and laws.
The articles below may also help you learn more about auto insurance in Portsmouth