5 Simple Tips to Slash Auto Insurance Costs in East Providence, RI

Are you sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Rhode Island. You have multiple car insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to get the best deal.

Save money by taking advantage of these 5 discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

• Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down can earn a substantially lower rate.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your premiums.

To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in East Providence, click here to view.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
• When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
• Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
• Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Rhode Island?
• Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in East Providence?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Rhode Island?
• Am I covered when driving a rental car?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
• Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Coverage specifics

Understanding the coverages of your policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Collision – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability car insurance – This will cover damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for things like court costs, medical services and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Rhode Island state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like falling objects, a broken windshield, hail damage, hitting a deer and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical costs insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like rehabilitation expenses, dental work and X-ray expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 25/50/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

To find out more about Rhode Island auto insurance

Additional information can be found on the website for the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation found here. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and get help finding coverage.

Better coverage you can count on

Cheap auto insurance is available on the web and with local East Providence insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

We’ve covered some good ideas how to compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the smaller companies. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.