No one in their right mind cherishes buying car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much. There are many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to have multiple companies, it makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
It’s important to check car insurance prices once or twice a year because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the best rates two years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you some great ways to quit paying high car insurance rates.
Learn How to Lower your Rates
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower car insurance prices.
- Don’t skimp on liability – Liability coverage is the protection if ever you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
- With age comes lower rates – Older insureds are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Young drivers tend to get distracted easily when behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Drive less and save money – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the higher your rate. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.
- Car features impact rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
- Lower deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and burglary. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a lot of extra coverages you can purchase on your car insurance policy. Things like roadside assistance, better glass coverage and membership fees may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Occupations like real estate brokers, architects and financial analysts have higher average rates due to high stress and long work hours. Conversely, occupations such as scientists, engineers and retirees get better rates.
More discounts equal less premium
Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts compared to bad drivers.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Select companies give a discount for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
- No Charge for an Accident – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.
For a list of insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Exeter, click this link.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Consumers constantly see and hear ads that promise big savings by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you switch to their company.
But how can every company make the same claim?
All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile will be charged higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings.
That is why you need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which company will fit your personal profile best.
To find out more about Rhode Island car insurance
Additional car insurance information can be read on the website for the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation through this link. Rhode Island consumers can file complaints about a company, read consumer alerts, and view agent and company licensing information.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Exeter
Better coverage you can count on
When you buy insurance online, do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.
Lower-priced car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Exeter agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.