6 Ways You Can Buy Auto Insurance for Less in Woonsocket Rhode Island

Are you tired of being strong-armed to buy car insurance? You are no different than many other Rhode Island drivers.

Big companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance continually hit you with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction and take the time to shop coverage around.

It’s important to shop coverage around on a regular basis because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you had the lowest rates two years ago you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to find great coverage at a great price.

How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost in Woonsocket, Rhode Island

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from local in Woonsocket, Rhode Islandauto insurance companies. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

• Probably the best way to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for each company. A single, simple form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies.
• A different way to obtain and compare quotes online is spending the time to visit each company website and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want rates from USAA, Safeco and Travelers. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

  For a handy list of car insurance company links in Woonsocket, click here.

• The least recommended method to get comparison rates to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you prefer the professional guidance only provided by licensed Woonsocket agents. Drivers can get prices online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll talk about that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare the exact same coverage limits with every price quote. If you are comparing different values for each quote it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison in Woonsocket. Slightly different limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that getting more free quotes helps you find the best price.

Is there deception in advertising?

Companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you change your coverage to them. How can each company make the same claim?

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Consumers who fall outside the “perfect” profile will have to pay more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims. Because of the profiling, you should quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Auto insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts very well, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

• Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
• Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
• Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
• Paperless Signup – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up on their website.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Woonsocket, click this link.

What about my local Woonsocket agents?

Some people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain lower rates and still choose a local agent.

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Woonsocket who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.

Deciding on a company should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?

If you prefer to select a specific agent in Woonsocket, please click here.

Once you have received positive responses to your questions and locked in a price quote, most likely you have located an insurance company that will adequately provide auto insurance.

When might I need an agent?

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might point out whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
• Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Rhode Island?
• Do no-fault laws apply in Rhode Island?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Coverages available on your auto insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the usual coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Liability insurance

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for things such as emergency aid, legal defense fees, medical services and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Rhode Island state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like falling objects, theft, damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for immediate expenses like rehabilitation expenses, prosthetic devices, chiropractic care and surgery. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage protection

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a ditch and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

More detailed Rhode Island auto insurance information can be found at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Rhode Island consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, get help finding coverage, file complaints about a company, and find disaster information.

More quotes mean more savings

Low-cost auto insurance is attainable on the web and with local Woonsocket insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When you buy insurance online, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can get a better price on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small mutual company. They may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.