Paying low cost prices for Narragansett car insurance is always very difficult for drivers who have little experience online insurance quotes. Since there are so many companies competing online, it can quickly become a burden to locate the lowest prices.
It is always a good idea to price shop coverage every six months because car insurance rates change frequently. Even if you think you had the lowest rate a year ago you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the quickest way to get good coverage at a lower rate.
The quickest way to compare rates is to know almost all companies participate in online systems to compare their rates. The one thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information such as the make and model of your vehicles, whether your vehicle is owned or leased, your education level, and any included safety features. Your details is instantly submitted to many different companies and they respond with quotes immediately.
To compare rates for your car now, click here and enter your zip code.
Car insurance in the media
Consumers in Rhode Island can’t escape the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as Allstate and Progressive. They all seem to make the point of big savings if you move your policy.
But how can every company charge you less for auto insurance?
Car insurance companies quote the lowest rates for the driver that will generate a profit. One example of this type of risk profile might be between 30 and 50, has a clear driving record, and drives a safe vehicle. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest prices in Narragansett and have a good chance to save money with a new company.
Consumers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay a higher rate which results in the customer not buying. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. That is how insurance companies can confidently make claims like that.
This emphasizes why you should do a price quote comparison at every renewal. It is impossible to guess the company that will have better rates than you’re paying now.
Cheaper rates with these nine discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t list their entire list of discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Mature drivers may receive reduced rates.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with primary and secondary vehicles on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Smart Student Discounts – This discount may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Require your teen driver to participate in a local driver’s education class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Early Switch Discount – A few companies give discounts for switching companies before your current coverage expires. It can save you around 10%.
- Cautious Drivers – Drivers without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Telematics Discount – Narragansett drivers who agree to allow driving data collection to look at where and when they drive by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could possibly reduce rates if they are good drivers.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save a little on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
One last thing about discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Auto insurance companies that possibly offer some of the discounts shown above may include but are not limited to:
If you need lower rates, check with every insurance company to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply in Narragansett. If you would like to see a list of providers who offer online car insurance quotes in Rhode Island, follow this link.
Specifics of your car insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills for things like X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices, surgery, funeral costs and nursing services. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive insurance – This will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like rolling your car, backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Rhode Island drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/25), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Auto liability insurance – This protects you from damage that occurs to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Rhode Island state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
Compare but don’t skimp
We just presented a lot of techniques to lower your car insurance prices. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small mutual company.
Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, not issuing a premium refund, policy cancellation or extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, switching companies is actually quite simple.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed full coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
Learn more about Rhode Island car insurance
Additional information can be read on the found here. Rhode Island drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, learn about specific coverages, and find a variety of consumer forms.
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