How to Know You're Wasting Money for Car Insurance in West Warwick

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say many consumers are feeling buyer's remorse and feel like there's no way out.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

Buying car insurance in West Warwick is quite easy. Basically, every driver who has to buy car insurance should be able to lower their premiums. Nevertheless, Rhode Island car owners do need to know how big insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.

Save big with these discounts

Car insurance companies don't list all available discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

  • Clubs and Organizations - Belonging to a qualifying organization could trigger savings when buying car insurance.
  • Military Discounts - Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
  • No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared with drivers who are more careless.
  • No Charge for an Accident - Certain companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.
  • Air Bag Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in West Warwick may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.

It's important to understand that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Protect yourself with liability coverage - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as lawyers, executives and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates attributed to job stress and long work days. Conversely, professions such as actors, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Men fork out a little more - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
  • Better credit scores mean better rates - A driver's credit rating is a large factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit scores. So if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Being married can save on car insurance - Having a spouse actually saves money on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and it's statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim of big savings if you move your policy. How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who fall outside these standards must pay a higher premium which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads state "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This illustrates why drivers should compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Find out more about car insurance

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, read industry bulletins, and learn about insurance regulations.

car insurance in West Warwick

Final considerations

Low-cost car insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many West Warwick insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you many ideas to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like .