Thursday, April 10, 2014

Auto Insurance Requirements In Rhode Island

If you are driving or are getting ready to drive and you live in the state of Rhode Island, then you have arrived at the right web page. This brief but yet informative article will tell you what the auto insurance requirements are in Rhode Island as well as some optional coverage you can obtain for your vehicle.

Auto Insurance Requirements For RI Drivers
Liability Insurance is a requirement while operating a motor vehicle in RI. If you are in an accident and it is your fault, you need to help cover the other driver's expenses. When you purchase a policy, it must offer you under-insured/uninsured motorist insurance. This is an option and you are NOT required to add this to your policy.

Liability Coverage

This type of coverage helps to pay for damages done to another motorist's property if you are found to be at fault. And it also helps to pay for injuries incurred to the other motorist and/or their passengers. The minimum amount that you will have to purchase is:

Property Damage Coverage is $25,000 for each accident
Bodily Injury Coverage is $50,000 in total for each accident and $25,000 per person injured in that accident. Now, you can increase these limits of course but your insurance premiums will be higher but you will have increased coverage.

Under-insured/Uninsured Motorist Insurance
Although you are not required by law in the state of RI to carry this type of insurance, it would be prudent to opt for it anyway since about 15% of drivers in RI are uninsured or don't have enough insurance. Under-insured/Uninsured Motorist Coverage is equal to your liability coverage which is $25,000 for property damage coverage and $50,000 bodily injury coverage.

This means that if you add this coverage to your policy, you will be covered up to $25,000 for damage to your property and if you are injured in an accident and you were not at fault, you will be covered for up to $50,000.

This coverage kicks in if and only if you are involved in a hit-and-run accident or if you are involved in an accident and were found to be NOT at fault IF the driver of the other car does not have enough coverage or he/she does not have any car insurance.

Optional Auto Coverage In Rhode Island
Optional insurance coverage can be purchased with your policy. These types of coverages will provide you with added protection under different circumstances and it will help pay for bodily injuries, damages done to property, and other related expenses.

Medical Payments Coverage does what the title implies. It helps you to pay for medical expenses if your liability coverage does not cover it all.

Comprehensive Coverage helps you to pay for damages done to your vehicle that are not accident-related, such as theft, inclement weather, and wildlife.

Collision Coverage covers your vehicle in an accident where YOU were at-fault.

Coverage For Towing and Related Labor Costs pays to have your car towed when your vehicle breaks down or it is non-operational.

Reimbursement Rental Coverage gives you a reimbursement if you need to rent a vehicle after you have been in an accident.

By Law a leased or financed vehicle must have comprehensive and collision coverage. This is not an option when you do not own your vehicle.

There are penalties that will apply to you if you drive in RI without proper auto insurance. You could be fined between $500 - $5000. You could also have your vehicle's registration and license plate revoked.

For your first offense, your registration could be revoked for 3 months. For a second offense, it could be revoked for 6 months. For 3rd and additional offenses, you could have your registration revoked for 12 months. Failure to drive without insurance is a misdemeanor offense which could cost you a year in prison.

For more information on auto insurance in Rhode Island Click Here







Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Best 4 Auto Insurance Companies

When looking for the best auto insurance or getting insured by the best auto insurance company, you want to know the financial strength of the company, policy perks and benefits, how many complaints have been filed, customer feedback and reviews, and offered discounts. We realize that there are more highly rated auto insurance companies that can be added to this list but we couldn't list them all.

GEICO Ranks The Best In Overall Value
GEICO offers an insurance package that is well-rounded in its coverage protection. It also has some of the most inexpensive insurance rates with 24/7 live customer representative assistance. GEICO ranks high as having the largest discount selections on auto insurance ranging from immediate deployment for active duty service members to multi-auto policies.

If you didn't know this already because I didn't, GEICO was initially created for employees of the government. For those persons whom are military members or federal employees, they are offered 8 - 15% off of their monthly premiums. These are some of the reasons why GEICO is one of the top underwriting auto insurance companies in the United States, and many happy customers sing its' praises for its fantastic liability coverage with inexpensive premiums.

Allstate Ranks The Best With Agents

If you prefer face-to-face interaction when it comes to auto insurance, then you should consider Allstate Insurance. They have a large network of agents who are extremely knowledgeable about all types of car insurance coverage in addition to extra benefits and features that they offer. Allstate has over 20,000 insurance sales agents and 9,300 offices throughout the United States, so it is not hard to find an Allstate agent near you.

Allstate Insurance also looks out for its customers and tries to keep them happy by offering a Claims Satisfaction Guarantee for an insured customer that is not satisfied with how his/her claims was paid out or if they are not satisfied with their overall experience. They offer optional features to their polices like bonuses for safe driving and accident forgiveness. So, you should check Allstate out if this is appealing to you.

USAA Ranks The Best For Military Service Members

In order to be a policyholder of the United States Automobile Association and related affiliates, you must be an active duty or a retired service member (family members can be policy holders too). When compared to other auto insurance companies, time and time again USAA has the most inexpensive auto insurance rates.

In addition to, terrific coverage and affordable insurance rates, USAA offers its policy holders a 15% discount on comprehensive coverage for military members who house their vehicles on military installations.

One of the best benefits about being a member of USAA is their network of forums and community support for veterans and their spouses. These support forums can be found on the USAA website. Members are never left alone to scratch their heads when trying to figure something out about their policy. They have ready-access to very experienced and knowledgeable experts to help them navigate through the USAA website or answer any insurance financial related questions.
 

USAA always receives raving reviews by customers about USAA's claims fulfillment and customer service. This auto insurance company is a multi-award winner from a variety of industry associations as well as the J.D. Powers & Associates. If you are an active duty or retired armed forces member, you should really check out this auto insurance company.

The Hartford Auto Insurance Company Ranks The Best For Older Insured Drivers
This is the AARP's program that insures drivers aged 50 and older. The Hartford really looks after their members by offering lifestyle accommodations and really helpful benefits for adults who are 50 years old and older. They have a RecoverCare program and they offer rates that are locked in for a longer period of time.

The RecoverCare program kicks in to help the member make an easier transition back into normal life after he/she has had a motor vehicle accident. The policy holder can get covered up to $2500 in daily life activity expenses such as grocery shopping gardening, and housekeeping.

AARP realizes that the majority of their members are on a fixed income and they work really hard with them to lock in their annual rates so that members can plan their budgets accordingly. If you are approaching fifty years old and want an auto insurance company that really cares about you, you should check out The Hartford Auto Insurance Company.


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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

How To Get Affordable Car Insurance

If you are looking to find affordable car insurance, the best place to start is to get multiple quotes from various insurance companies. You can find a list of some auto insurance companies by clicking here. You want to get multiple auto quotes because you can find better rates and save money, which is your goal right?

I will tell you right now that if you have a poor driving record with multiple moving violations and any DUIs or multiple accidents, it will be difficult to find inexpensive car insurance because the insurance companies will consider you a high risk driver. Your premiums will be much higher than a driver who is considered a low risk.

If you have had any accidents in the past, those accidents will remain on your driving record forever. On the positive side, most auto insurance companies forgive those accidents after 3 to 5 years have past and they won't count heavily against you.

Moving violations do not remain on your record forever but they do take time to drop off. If you are unsure about your driving record, take a trip to your local DMV and find out. Also inquire when certain moving violations will drop off if you have any. Having a spotless driving record will save you a lot of money and it increases your chances exponentially of finding affordable car insurance.

If you already are insured but are still looking for inexpensive car insurance, take a closer look at your policy and see where you can trim costs. This will lower your premiums and you won't have to switch insurance especially if you are happy with your insurance company.

You have to keep in mind that it is the job of the insurance agent to sell you the most expensive package because this is their commission money. If you are unsure what to cut from your policy, just speak with your agent and discuss what are the absolute essentials that you need and get rid of what you don't. If you have full coverage and your car is paid off, you may want to go with basic liability which is required by law. Full coverage is required when you don't own the pink slip to your vehicle.

Another way to trim the fat from your premiums is to increase your deductible. You should consider this option if you have an excellent driving record but if you are not the best driver and are prone to having an accident, then I would rethink this idea.

Another option to saving money on your car insurance is if you have multiple cars in your household. You will qualify for a multiple car discount. Some insurance companies will even allow you to add a non-operational vehicle to your policy just ask your agent if you have a car that is not running. If you are married, you can also add your sweetie to your policy to lower your premiums. When more than one driver is on a policy, this can drive your costs down.

Another big money-saver is knowing how many miles you drive per year. Many insurance companies base what premiums you will pay on how much you drive your car. If you drive your car between 10,000 - 15,000 annually, this can save you substantial amounts of money. When getting an insurance quote over the phone or on the Internet, you should have this number handy.

Many people do not consider this but where you live can dictate how high your premiums will be. If you live in a high crime area, your premiums may be a bit higher than low crime areas. You must also consider the type of car you are driving. If you drive a vehicle that has a high probability of being stolen or broken into like a Honda Civic, a high performance vehicle, or sports car, your premiums will be higher.

The best advice I can give you is shop around for car insurance before you buy, get multiple quotes online. You should know what types of coverage you need. Also shopping online for car insurance will also save you money because online insurance companies do not have a large overhead like physical offices do.


How To Compare Auto Insurance Companies

Here is a list of auto insurance companies you can begin to do research on just in case you have not decided on one.
  • First Choice Insurance
  • 1st Choice Insurance
  • Progressive Insurance
  • AAA Insurance
  • Young America Insurance
  • Michighan Farm Bureau Insurance
  • Peachtree Casualty
  • Willis Group
  • Commerce Commercial
  • Colorado Farm Bureau
  • Great Mutual Insurance
  • Meadowlark Insurance
  • Infinity Insurance
  • Markel Insurance
  • esurance
  • Farmers Insurance
  • Maine Mutual Fire & Casualty
  • Clarendon
  • Liberty Northwest
  • Madison Mutual Insurance
  • GEICO
  • Apollo Casualty
Now I know you are wondering what should you do with this comprehensive list of auto  insurance companies. You should get at least 5 quotes from each of these companies to get the best rates as well as check the financial strength of the company you decide to get insured with. You want to pay extra attention to how trustworthy the company is, their customer satisfaction rating, and how timely they pay out and in full.

1) Your first order of business is to go to the website of The Department of Insurance of the state you live in. Every state has a Department of Insurance. Most of these departments have web sites that publicly publish the ratio of consumer complaints for every auto insurance company that sells insurance policies in that state. The consumer complaint ratio is calculated by the amount of complaints an auto insurance company has received per one thousand claims that have been filed.

If the consumer complaint ratio is high, you should cross that company off of your list. Don't rely on the fact that just because they are a big name company that they will treat you right. With that same token, companies that you have never heard of should not be written off. You should compare various auto insurance companies with an open mind.

Now that you have your list of insurance companies and low premium auto quotes, you should also note the best or lowest consumer complaint ratios.  The handful of companies that you have written down should have the lowest premiums and the lowest consumer complaint ratings.

If you are unable to find the consumer complaint ratios for your company in your state, you should look at complaint ratios that other states have published.  When looking at other published complaint ratios in other states look for general trends. If you notice that a particular company you have your eye on has several complaints in many other states, it would be wise to steer clear of this auto insurer. On the I-CAN Web site you will find contact information as well as other helpful links for each state's department of insurance. www.ican2000.com/state.html

2) Secondly, You should contact body shops in your area that you know are trustworthy and ask them who would they recommend as a reliable insurance company. This is an excellent way to hone in on reliable insurance companies.  Since managers at body shops work intimately with insurance adjusters, they can give you the honest truth of whom you should do business with. They have first hand knowledge on which companies process claims quickly. When your claim is processed quickly, you get your car fixed quickly. Managers at body shops also know which companies try to cut costs by pushing parts that are not made by the original manufacturer of your vehicle versus authorizing using genuine parts recommended by the manufacturer (OEM).

3) You should also check out the J.D. Power Ratings on an auto insurance company.  J.D. Power & Associates collect their data from across the nation from individuals who hold policies with various auto insurance companies. They are rated according to price, coverage options, customer satisfaction. claims handling, and the experience overall.  By checking the J.D. Power ratings, you will have a good idea on how major insurance carriers measure up.  A survey is done annually and published by J.D. Power & Associates on the top auto insurance companies.  Personally, I like Progressive Insurance claims handling. Many other companies look for an excuse to not payout on a claim. Progressive's approach is just the opposite.

4) Before settling on an insurance company, you should really look at the financial strength of the company.  Here is where you can start.

Standard & Poor's www.standardandpoors.com/en_AP/web/guest/home AND

A.M. Best www.ambest.com ratings. These two companies publish the ratings of the financial strength for all auto insurance companies. These ratings measure each company's capability to pay out on a processed claim.

Generally speaking if you go for the more well-known insurance carriers, you don't have to worry about their financial strength. But it doesn't hurt to know this tidbit of information.  You will definitely want to look up the financial strength of smaller lesser-known insurance companies to be sure they are a safe bet.

When evaluating the A.M.'s Best rating report, they use a letter grade from A+++ being the best to a grade letter D being poor. If you should see an E, F, or an S rating by a company's name, an E means regulatory action concerning a company to resolve claims. An F means the company is in liquidation and an S means that the company is suspended. Anything below a B rating should not be considered doing business with.

The Standard & Poor's rates auto insurance companies in a similar manner. They use a AAA meaning the highest to CC meaning the lowest. If you should see an R or NR by a company's name, an R stands for under regulatory supervision and NR stands for not rated. You might also see a plus or minus symbol by the letter grade. At any rate, you should only do business with those companies who have a BBB rating.

5) If you are still confused about selecting the right auto insurance, you should consider speaking with an agent in person.

When you have a personal agent, him/her has a personal interest in making sure you are happy. What I mean by this is that he/she will take the time to talk with you and find which policy is right for you financially.

When you have a good rapport with your insurance agent, it will help you to make a better decision about which policy to purchase. And if your needs change, your insurance agent can help you quicker since he/she is already familiar with your situation.

What You Will Need To Get An Auto Insurance Quote

If you have landed on this page, you are looking for auto insurance quotes. An auto insurance quote is easy to get just by browsing online or calling an auto insurance broker and the best thing of all it is free. You can get a quote instantly for your new or current vehicle over the phone or via the Internet. You want to get an auto quote to get an idea of how much insurance you will be paying.

Before you inquire about an auto quote, here is some information you need to have ready to make the process go smoothly.
  • You will need what type of coverage you are looking for
  • Your vehicle's VIN# or vehicle identification number
  • The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring
  • The name of your current insurance company if you have one
  • Where will the insured vehicle be located
  • The names and dates of birth of everyone living in your household.
This information is needed so that the insurance company knows who might be driving your vehicle. This usually drives up the costs of your insurance premiums especially if you have young drivers in the home.

It does not matter whether they drive your car or not or whether they have their own insurance on their vehicle. In the insurance company's eyes, they have access to your vehicle and their is a potentiality for them to drive your car. If I were you I would just tell the insurance company that you live alone to keep your rates as low as possible. This is your call.
  • You will also need to provide your marital status
  • What your vehicle will be primarily used for i.e. work, business, travel
  • An estimation of how many miles you drive each year
  • List any safety features you have on your car i.e. anti-theft devices, air bags
  • Information on your driving record
They will find out anyway if you have had any DUIs, moving violations, accidents just by pulling your DMV records. Now I know you think that the insurance companies are just being nosy but they aren't. This personal information needs to be known in order for the insurance company to be sure they are not insuring a liability. They want to insure people that don't pose a high risk of having multiple driving problems. This poses a huge financial liability for the insurance company.

The types of people who should get an auto insurance quote or who are in need of auto insurance are those individuals who are driving or those whom are getting ready to drive. When you take the time to get an auto insurance quote online and not in front of an agent, you actually save yourself time, money, and gas.

For example, you get in your car and drive to the nearest car insurance company. You then take a number and wait in line for the next available agent. After 30 or so minutes go by, you are finally seen by someone. After going through all the questions you will be asked, maybe an hour and fifteen minutes has gone by.

Now you are tired and hungry and you just want to get out of there so you go ahead and sign on the dotted line and purchase the insurance from the agent without getting other quotes from other companies. Maybe you could have saved a few hundred dollars if you had shopped around.

When you come in to their office or get a quote over the phone, they know this already and they do whatever they can to keep you in the office or on the phone longer. When you do this simple process online and not over the phone or in an office, you stay in control without having to deal with this kind of pressure. Plus, you can get multiple quotes in a short amount of time right in the comfort of your own home. This saves you a lot of time, gas, money, and frustrations. So, after getting multiple quotes online, you can patiently wait for all of them to come in and see which company has the best rates and the most inexpensive down payment.

Another advantage of getting an online quote is that you get well educated about car insurance and the various companies out there. After you have received all of your quotes and have settled on a company you would like to do business with, you can now check the company's rating on how well they treat their customers.

On a side note, my niece had some vandalism done to her car. When she contacted Progressive Insurance about it, they immediately got back to her and ask if she wanted a check for the damages or have it fixed at one of their locations. She opted for the check and got it in a few business days. I am not affiliated with Progressive insurance in any way.

But when you settle on an insurance company, you want them to be there for you when you need them. Also, you need to know how strong your new insurance company's financial strength is. You don't want to go with a company who is near bankruptcy. If you get in an accident, you want them to be able to pay out if need be. This is the whole point of having insurance in the first place.

Before I close this article on auto insurance quotes, I must address a minor disadvantage to getting a quote or buying auto insurance online. There is a good point to sitting in front of a live agent. When you have an insurance agent they can get to know you personally and this can be very advantageous to you.

Even though you can chat with a live representative online, they normally do not have the time to get to know you personally as a live agent in an office can. A live agent in an office can more closely analyze your finances to get you the best rate possible whereas an online agent cannot.