7 Discounts Narragansett Drivers Forget when Shopping for Car Insurance

Expensive car insurance can empty your bank account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with advertising and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Car insurance companies don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Defensive Driving Course - Taking a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education in high school.
Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Life Insurance - Some companies give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
Good Student Discount - Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you're out of luck.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a "best" method to buy coverage. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from professional advice.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?

If you're not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and you can get the answers you need.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Consumers in Rhode Island get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you move to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer might be a mature driver, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements must pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how insurance companies can claim big savings. This illustrates why drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, download brochures, and view a list of available companies.

In the end, you save

Lower-priced car insurance is possible both online and also from your neighborhood Narragansett agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.