Understanding Your Auto InsuranceBy Tom McKnight
Reading auto insurance policies can be like trying to decipher advanced calculus. It's really not that difficult if you understand a few basic terms. Collision, Comprehensive, Bodily Injury Liability and Property Injury Liability are the main terms you need to fully understand.
You'll appreciate Collision Coverage in the event you need repairs or replacements if your vehicle collides with another vehicle or property. The higher the deductible you elect, the lower your premiums will cost you. If you're at fault for something, well of course it would still be an accident, as I doubt you'd plan to run into that guard rail, but how much would you be able to afford to pay out of pocket for repairs? $250? $500? $1,000? Just like medical insurance, you'd have to pay that deductible amount first and then the insurance company would pay for the remaining charges for the repair.
Another term to become intimately familiar with is Comprehensive Coverage. This is the coverage that pays for damage caused from falling objects, fire, certain natural disasters, theft and vandalism. Deductibles work the same way as with Collision; the more out of pocket costs to you, the less your insurance premium.
In addition to knowing how much Collision and Comprehensive coverage you have, you'll want to know about your liability coverage. Let's say you rear-end another driver. Or your foot slips off the brake onto the gas pedal and you plow down a mailbox. Your liability coverage will kick in and pay for the damages that you caused with your insured vehicle. You liability coverage will, or could, include bodily injury (people) and property damage.
You don't want to go without Bodily Injury Coverage. If you were at fault in an accident and others involved needed to go to the hospital and/or lost wages from missing work, those costs would come out of your pocket if you are not insured with Bodily Injury Coverage. It doesn't take a genius to know how quickly those amounts can add up. This type of coverage can also help you in the event the other party takes legal action against you. Many states require you to carry Bodily Injury Coverage.
The other part of liability includes Property Damage coverage. Can you imagine how much it might cost should you accidentally drive into the side of someone's home? You wouldn't want to be caught without property damage insurance should you need to pay for repairs to another vehicle, building or anything else you might hit. As with Bodily Injury coverage, Property Damage coverage also helps protect you in the event of a related lawsuit.
Every policy will have its limits and various degrees of coverage. It's important that you understand the basics of what you are paying for and why it is necessary. No one plans for an accident, be prepared!
|
A Primer on Student Car Insurance Discounts
A good student discount can help lower your insurance premium and give college kids and teens an incentive to hit the books.
For Drivers in Belgium, God Is Their Insurance Agent
SCHERPENHEUVEL, Belgium?Belgium's roads are among the riskiest in Europe so thousands of drivers come here to take out an Almighty insurance policy. For Mariano Duye, the trip is a family tradition. His mother used to take him to Scherpenheuvel to have the family car blessed. He lives in Leuven, a half-hour drive from Scherpenheuvel, and has brought each of the five cars he has owned to the ...
On vacation? Turn your car into cash
Car-sharing companies can help you earn some extra dough while you're away, if you don't mind a stranger behind your wheel
Pop Quiz: Terrorists Destroy Your Home. Will the Insurance Company Pay?
Money Talks News finance expert Stacy Johnson took to Times Square to see what people know ? or don?t know ? about their insurance policies. Will your insurance company pay? Not unless your homeowners policy has a rider specifically for your stamp collection. Insurance company Travelers notes that standard homeowner policies may restrict payouts for valuable items.
When to Drop Collision? Insurance.com Data Reveals When Drivers Decide to Risk it All
Insurance.com analysis details the percentage of vehicles, from new to 20 years old, whose owners forgo collision coverage to save money. (PRWeb September 09, 2014) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/09/prweb12149509.htm
Insurance.com, Which Compares Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Across the U.S., Delivers 11 Millionth Quote
Insurance.com's user friendliness is a key to its success, lets users 'test drive' policies before they buy. (PRWeb August 25, 2014) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08/prweb12116474.htm
In Belgium, Drivers Seeking Safe Travels Have Their Cars Blessed by a Priest
SCHERPENHEUVEL, Belgium?Belgium's roads are among the riskiest in Europe so thousands of drivers come here to take out an Almighty insurance policy. Every year, more than 5,000 people?most of them Belgian, ...
Global Car Rental Market 2014: Korea, China, US, Brazil and Indonesia Focus and Analysis Report
DALLAS, September 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Car Rental Market Report: 2014 Edition research, now available with MarketReportsOnline, says the growing tourism industry is set to drive the car rental ...
Where Not to Drive in the US: Car Rental Caveats and Other Travel Tips in Travel Intel
The high cost of car travel may not be in gas alone. Renting a car can mean explosive daily rates in some cities while remaining quite reasonable in others. Oddly, the latest tallies from car rental rate ...
San Diego Cab Drivers Upset About Body Odor 'Smell Test' (Video)
San Diego Cab Drivers Upset About Body Odor 'Smell Test' (Video) San Diego Cab Drivers Upset About Body Odor 'Smell Test' (Video) Legal Lifestyle Local Travel Weird News San Diego Cabs Has Been Optimized San Diego County Regional Airport Authority officials have a checklist that they require of each cab driver. The 52-point checklist includes: proof of car insurance, windshield wipers that work ...
|
