Expert Advice on Paying Less for Tiverton, RI Car Insurance

People not familiar with buying insurance online can find finding affordable Tiverton car insurance quite challenging.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

Shown below are some of the factors that factor into premiums.

Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
What are your deductibles? – Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and burglary. The more expense you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Do men or women drive better? – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. They both are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Poor driving leads to higher costs – Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Good drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
Lower rates come with age – Teen drivers in Rhode Island have a tendency to be less responsible when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

Quick Tiverton Car Insurance Quotes

The are a couple different ways of comparing price quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests to each individual car insurance company. Completing one form gets you price quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices. This is by far the quickest method.
A different way to analyze rates requires you to visit each company website and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, let’s say you want comparison quotes from GEICO, Liberty Mutual and Travelers. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Tiverton, click here.
The least recommended way to compare rates to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for car insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you require the trained guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you’re using the exact same coverages and limits on every quote. If you have differing limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Tiverton. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. It’s important to know that having more price comparisons helps you find lower pricing.

Save $446 a year? Really?

Companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big after switching to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be a mature driver, owns a home, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Don’t miss these discounts

Car insurance companies do not list every discount very well, so we researched both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance.

No Claims – Claim-free drivers pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Driver Safety – Successfully completing a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
Organization Discounts – Participating in certain professional organizations may earn a discount when buying car insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.

What if I want to buy from a local Tiverton agent?

Certain consumers just want to get advice from a local agent. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Tiverton insurance quotes

By using this quick form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Deciding on a company needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:

Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
How are they compensated?
What insurance company do they write the most business with?
Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?

Pick the best insurance agency in Tiverton for you

When looking for a reliable agent, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Agency Captives

Captive agents can only place business with one company such as State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents primarily because of high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Listed below are Tiverton captive agencies willing to provide rate quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 134 Mark Dr – Tiverton, RI 02878 – (401) 625-5685

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency.

When searching for an agent, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates.

Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Tiverton who can help you get price quotes.

Paquin Insurance – 651 Main Rd – Tiverton, RI 02878 – (401) 624-6603
Lapointe Insurance – 1782 Main Rd – Tiverton, RI 02878 – (401) 624-8433

For a complete listing of insurance agents in Tiverton, go to this page.

Once you have positive feedback to your questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When it comes to choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique.

For example, these questions might point out whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Even more information can be found at the Rhode Island Division of Insurance Regulation website. Rhode Island consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and find a variety of consumer forms.

More comparisons equals lower rates

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone dropped full coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Budget-conscious car insurance can be sourced on the web as well as from independent agents in Tiverton, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, high prices, being labeled a high risk driver and even not issuing a premium refund. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right car insurance provider is less work than it seems.