Easy Ways to Pay Less on North Scituate Auto Insurance

Buying cheap North Scituate auto insurance over the internet may be intimidating for consumers new to buying insurance online. Since there are so many insurers available, how can consumers possibly compare the different rates to find the best available price?

Buying car insurance in North Scituate is easy if you know what you're doing. Basically, anyone who is required by state law to have auto insurance stands a good chance to be able to reduce their rates. But Rhode Island vehicle owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online.

Save big with these discounts

Car insurance companies don't always list all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.

  • Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Accident Waiver - Certain companies allow you one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven't had any claims prior to the accident.
  • Good Student Discount - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
  • New Vehicle Savings - Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • Seat Belts Save - Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
  • Auto/Home Discount - If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Payment Discounts - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
  • Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • Life Insurance - Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that go into determining auto insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

  • Don't sacrifice liability coverage - Liability insurance is the protection if a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • A clean driving record saves money - Only having one ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers with clean records get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
  • Please use or commuting - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year's time the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers price each vehicle's coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
  • Never let your coverage lapse - Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a quick way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance will get you a revoked license or a big fine.You may then be required to file a SR-22 with the Rhode Island motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
  • Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - Auto insurance companies in Rhode Island award lower rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies make an identical promise that you'll save big if you switch your policy. How does each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who fall outside these standards must pay a higher premium and ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how companies can advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers should get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

More detailed Rhode Island auto insurance information can be read at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Rhode Island drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, learn about insurance regulations, and file complaints about a company.

Also read more on this link for Rhode Island auto insurance quotes and this page for help finding agents in North Scituate, RI.

Shop smart and save

Budget-conscious auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many North Scituate insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small mutual company.

People switch companies for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, denial of a claim, high prices and even delays in paying claims. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is less work than it seems.