How to Avoid Overpaying for Car Insurance

Constantly review your car insurance at policy renewal time to make sure that you have the ideal insurance coverage at the best price. Basic insurance policy coverage includes:

Liability: Required by law in the majority of states, it covers damage to someone else’s vehicle as well as associated medical expenses.

Collision: Usually optional (though it could be required by a lender or if you lease the car), this pays for collision-related repairs to your very own vehicle.

Comprehensive: This is optional and protects against damages to your auto not caused by a collision (such as if a tree limb falls on it). It can offer valuable additional protection for owners of newer vehicles, which would be very expensive to repair or replace.

Below are explanations of other insurance coverage you might be offered, with skilled advice to help you determine which is worthwhile.

Glass Replacement

Insurance coverage for a windshield or windows damaged in a crash is typically included in collision policies. Comprehensive policies will usually pay to repair or replace glass as a result of noncollision occurrences, such as storms, attempted theft, or a stone from the highway striking the windshield. Without that insurance coverage, those kinds of repairs, which can be pricey, are not covered. If your auto is geared up with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), ensure your car glass policy will pay for the needed sensor calibration, that makes the expense a lot higher than a conventional windshield substitution.

Gap Insurance

This is coverage you may intend to skip. It’s created to safeguard people who owe more on their financing than the car is worth, in case it’s totaled and accident insurance will not cover the full value of the financing. But Douglas Heller, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, states that most people never use this coverage and that it’s more of a moneymaker for insurance companies. “The people at most risk of having their outstanding loan exceed the value of their car are people who can not get loans at reasonable rates,” he states. “It is another way that the financial services sector punishes people for their poverty.”

Rental Car Reimbursement

This covers the cost of a rental vehicle while your automobile is being repaired. Rental car reimbursement is restricted by dollar amount instead of time, so calculate to make sure you have enough insurance to cover at least a week or two in case the auto requires a huge repair work. “The good news is that you can increase your coverage,” claims Divya Sangam, an insurance spokesperson at the consumer financial information website ValuePenguin. She advises calling a few rental companies in your area to get an idea of what daily and weekly rates are to ensure that you can determine the coverage limitation that’s right for you.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This safeguards you from needing to pay for damages to your auto as well as injuries to yourself and also your passengers caused by someone who is uninsured. Without this insurance coverage, you may end up needing to take the uninsured driver to court to recoup anything you spend to repair your auto and for medical treatment related to the collision. According to Heller, 1 of every 10 crashes includes a motorist that doesn’t have insurance coverage. How much insurance coverage do you require? Heller claims it’s a good idea to have the dollar amount of your uninsured motorist coverage equivalent that of your liability coverage.