Shopping for car insurance is an important planning topic that is often overlooked since most teenagers are added to mom and dad's insurance policy when they first get behind the wheel and then later shop for the least expensive policy when they have to the pay the bill on their own. In this article, we will be discussing car insurance coverage and so you will get some tips to help you get the most for your money.
Cheap auto insurance has two primary benefits. The first one is protecting your assets and the second one is protecting your health. Getting the proper coverage is the first step in the process. These are the basic types of coverage with which most people are familiar:
1. Liability: This coverage pays for third-party personal injury and death-related claims, as well as any damage to another person's property that occurs as a result of your automobile accident.
2. Collision: This coverage pays to repair your car after an accident. It is required if you have a loan against your vehicle because the car isn't really yours - it belongs to the bank, which wants to avoid getting stuck with a wrecked car.
3. Comprehensive: This coverage pays for damage incurred as a result of theft, vandalism, fire, water, etc. If you paid cash for your car or paid off your car loan, you may not need collision or comprehensive coverage.
In addition to the coverage listed above, other optional coverage types include the following:
a. Full Tort/Limited Tort: Your insurance will be reduced by a few dollars if you give up the right to sue when you get an accident. However, giving up your rights is rarely a smart financial move.
b. Medical Payments/Personal Injury Protection: Personal injury protection pays the cost of medical bills for the policyholder and passengers. If you have good health insurance coverage, this may not be necessary.
c. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: This type provides for medical and property damage coverage if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
d. Towing: Towing coverage pays for a tow if your vehicle cannot be driven after an accident. If you are a member of an automobile service, or if your vehicle comes with roadside assistance provided by the manufacturer, this coverage is unnecessary.
e. Glass Breakage: Some companies do not cover broken glass under their collision or comprehensive policies. In general, this coverage is not worth the long-term cost.
f. Rental: This insurance option covers the cost of a rental car, but rental cars are so inexpensive that it may not be worth paying for this coverage.
g. Gap: If you demolish that $35,000 sport-utility vehicle 10 minutes after you drive it off the lot, the amount the insurance company pays is likely to leave you with no vehicle and a big bill. The same thing applies if your new set of wheels gets stolen. Gap insurance pays the difference between the blue book value of a vehicle and the amount of money still owed on the car. If you are leasing a vehicle or purchasing a vehicle with a low, or no, down payment, gap insurance is a great idea.
Why the Dependent Company's Cheap Insurance May Not Be Cheaper
You know about the auto insurance companies that boast about their low premiums on national television, radio and social media. They really want you to internalize their messages.The truth of the matter, though, is that there may be a misconception about what they mean.
"Replace your current coverage with ours," they proclaim, "and you'll find savings on your auto insurance!" Or "Allow us ten minutes and we will present you with a cheaper rate than others."
The real facts indicate that most vehicle drivers will not get any savings with a policy switch to a direct insurance company. This is because no dependent company has the wherewithal to offer any other coverage than their own. The shimmer of a cheap quote can actually be the mask covering an increased insurance deductible and less liability coverage.
In order to underscore this important lesson, we bring you this actual narrative involving someone who decided to go with an independent agency's ability to locate tailored car insurance for him.
A motorist who had previously been insured through one of these highly advertised dependent companies that promote 'cheaper rates' decided to go with an independent agency known for their impeccable customer service.
Following a review of this man's 'cheap' auto policy, the insurance specialist discovered some serious gaps in coverage. Understanding this could cause serious problems if the insured should ever be involved in a car accident, she went to work, looking through the many policies offered through her company's network of providers. She pinpointed an excellent plan that covered the gaps and had an attached competitive low rate.
The customer was satisfied with the find and left with a fresh peace of mind due to his newly acquired policy.
As fate would have it, it was not long afterwards that this insured was involved in a car crash that left his vehicle in a totaled condition. Because the other driver was at fault in this collision, it was assumed that the other driver's insurance company would pay for the damages.
But there was one major snag to this. The other insurance company offered to pay an amount that was far below the totaled car's worth.
It was then that the new policyholder whose car had been totaled decided to call his new company. The insurance company gave him no hassle, no problems. Instead, they mailed him a check made out to the amount that genuinely represented the worth of his car, three thousand dollars above what the at fault driver's insurance company offered!
Guaranteed: the happy ending to this true-to-life story would have been very different if that 'cheap premium' policy with gaps in coverage would have been in place.
Now, you be the judge, is that 'cheap' policy really 'cheap'?