Learn How to Shop For Cumberland, RI Car Insurance Like an Informed Consumer

Overpriced car insurance can dwindle your bank account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to cut your insurance bill. Since consumers have many insurance companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to locate the cheapest insurance company.

You need to get comparison quotes at least once a year because rates are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you think you had the best deal on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the proper way to find lower rates on car insurance.

Finding affordable coverage in Cumberland is quite easy. If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Rhode Island consumers just need to understand the best way to get comparison quotes over the internet.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every available discount very clearly, so here is a list some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

• Student Driver Training – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
• Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
• Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• Save over 55 – Mature drivers may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Car Insurance Prices in Cumberland, RI

Getting a lower price on insurance doesn’t have to be difficult. The only requirement is to take a few minutes comparing rates from different insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

1. The fastest way to find low rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for every car insurance company. One simple form gets rate comparisons direct from many companies.
2. A more time consuming way to obtain and compare quotes online requires you to visit the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, Farmers and Allstate. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular.

   For a list of links to insurance companies in Cumberland, click here.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverage information with every price quote. If you have differing limits then you won’t be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Cumberland.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Your age impacts your rates – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
• Frequent car insurance claims increase rates – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Rhode Island give discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
• No coverage gaps is important – Driving without insurance is against the law and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Rhode Island motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

When might I need an agent?

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

• Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
• Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
• Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

One last thing

While you’re price shopping online, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.

Budget-conscious car insurance is definitely available on the web and also from your neighborhood Cumberland agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

Additional car insurance links

More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Rhode Island drivers can find a variety of consumer forms, read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.