Choosing The Right Auto Insurance

By Author: dave davies
Total Articles: 31
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In nearly every state, there is a law on getting insurance for your vehicle. If you're looking for auto insurance, do you know what the minimal regulations are? Also, you should know that the legal minimum required coverage could not be enough. If your car is ever stolen or damaged, by your fault or someone else's, if you are under insured, you could be paying out a lot more to replace or repair your car, or for personal injuries.

Americans pay out as much as $900 a year on auto insurance, and if you have a newer, more expensive model of car, you'd be paying a lot more. Still, many people might find themselves under-insured, or even over-insured in the wrong places. How can you figure out how much coverage you actually need?

This might seem complicated, but there are really only a handful of specific types of coverage that you might need. If you focus on the main parts of different auto insurance policies, you can be sure to get the right types of coverage. The next step after that is selecting the right amount to cover for your vehicle.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

The variety of different auto ...
... insurance coverage options available are designed to fit into whatever you need, though most people find themselves under-insured, or with the wrong type of coverage. Every state has regulations on how much auto insurance you need, but these laws are often way lower than what you might actually need if you are ever in a serious auto accident.

You can also be over-insured. There are types of policies that might not be suitable for you and your situation. Obviously, you pay more for the more coverage you have. You'll need to select the right type of insurance for you.

It always depends on your situation, but on average, between $100,000 and $250,000 is recommended for personal injury insurance. Make sure your policy will also cover you if you are not at fault, and if the other driver is under-insured. You should also consider how much coverage you'll need with an older model car. If you own an older car, the insurance policy comprehensive coverage will cost a lot less.

Remember, your coverage is going to be different depending on the type of car you drive, as well as how often you drive, and your driving record. The more accidents you are involved in, obviously the more you'll pay out in insurance. You'll also pay more for a car that is targeted and stolen more often, like sports cars or SUVs. The less you drive, a clean driving record, and a less expensive car will save hundreds of dollars on insurance.

The Different Auto Insurance Coverage Types

There are several types of options when it comes to auto insurance coverage. While you might need more in one area, or less in another area, you should get at least the minimum required by the state in each area as required, and then increase it for what you'll need more of.

Liability insurance coverage is the basic type of insurance you'll find available. It covers you and your property if you were at fault in an auto accident. In some cases this includes all the legal costs, though you should double-check the policy to make sure this is included as well. This might also fall over collision coverage, this is the case that you run into an object and not another car. This type of insurance will cover that. Some don't. Always double-check your insurance policy so you know what is included.

This type of policy doesn't cover if the other person is at fault, however. So you'll probably also need under-insured motorist coverage. This type of coverage will help you out if the other party is not covered in insurance, or is under-insured and their policy has a limit on how much they will pay out. This will help in case you get in an accident, and the medical bills or damages outweigh the policy by the under-insured motorist.

Comprehensive coverage is often required if your car is financed, via the bank or the car company. Comprehensive insurance coverage pays out on a variety of circumstances, such as theft, arson, natural disasters or other sorts of vandalism. Under this coverage, you'll have a deductible. A deductible is how much you will pay, out of pocket, to cover the costs of damage or replacement, before the insurance company will start paying out. If the deductible is high, the monthly rate, or premium you pay, will be lower.

You should also seriously look at personal injury protection. So many people skimp out on this one, thinking they won't need so much, or assume someone else who is in an auto accident will cover the costs. You'll want personal injury protection auto insurance because this covers medical costs no matter who was at fault, and often enough if there was no third party. You'll also want to make sure who is covered by the personal injury protection policy, because it might just cover you and your family you've registered, and not anyone else who might happen to have been riding with you in your car.

If you own a classic car, there is special insurance just for your car. This covers car models older than 25 years and has different variables depending on what you need. This is separate from other types of policies so you'll have to ask for this type of coverage specifically. Check the policy, you might be limited on how many miles you can drive your car every year to be covered.

With the number of different policies out there, you should consider talking to an auto insurance broker. A broker could let you know exactly how much coverage you might need for you and your family. One should also be able to help you pick policies out from different insurance companies. An auto insurance broker will not cost you any more money, but you'll get a better idea of what coverage you need, and a wider variety of options to choose from.