5 Ways to Save Money on Auto Insurance in Barrington

Shopping for the cheapest Barrington auto insurance on the web can seem to be challenging for people who are new to online price comaprisons. With dozens of companies in the marketplace, how can consumers even start to compare every one to find the lowest price?

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

The are a couple different ways of comparing rate quotes and find the best price. The best way to find the lowest rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The best way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do separate quotes for each company. Filling out one form gets you coverage quotes from multiple low-cost companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
A more difficult way to compare prices requires you to visit the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want rates from GEICO, Farmers and Progressive. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in Barrington, click here.
The least recommended method of getting rate comparisons is driving around to and from local Barrington insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the personal advice of a local Barrington agent. However, consumers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare the exact same coverages and limits for each comparison quote. If you have higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Barrington. Slightly different coverage limits could mean much higher rates. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.

Don’t miss out on these 5 money-saving discounts

Companies don’t always list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

Military Rewards – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Clubs and Organizations – Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
Safety Course Discount – Completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

For a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Barrington, click here to view.

Is my situation unique?

When buying proper insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your situation might need professional guidance.

Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
Am I covered when driving a rental car?
Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

Certain consumers prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Once you complete this simple form, the quote information is sent to insurance agents in Barrington who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your house since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.

Deciding on an provider shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
How are they compensated?
Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Rhode Island?
Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?

Listed below is a list of auto insurance companies in Barrington that can give you rate quotes.

Marc J Di Salvo Insurance – 7 George W Finnerty Rd, Barrington, RI 02806 – (401) 245-2264
AAA Insurance – 180 County Rd # 2c, Barrington, RI 02806 – (401) 245-1050

To view a complete directory of licensed insurance agents in Barrington, please view this page. save money image

Upon getting satisfactory answers to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to a company that meets your needs to insure your vehicles. Just keep in mind you can always terminate your policy whenever you wish so never assume that you’re stuck with your new company for the entire policy term.

Auto insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of auto insurance can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many Rhode Island drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 25/50/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage, damage from getting keyed and hail damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like nursing services, X-ray expenses and EMT expenses. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage protection

This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, colliding with a tree and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability auto insurance

Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability coverage pays for claims like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Rhode Island state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/25,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

And the best car insurance company is…

People switch companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, unfair underwriting practices or denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching companies is not as difficult as it may seem.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how to lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a small local company.

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

For more Rhode Island auto insurance information

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read consumer alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.