As you shop for affordable car insurance, remember that what companies offer can vary greatly. Instead of spending time searching for the cheapest rate with OK coverage, Why not have Robert J Feest & Associates do the work for you? Think about your goal: Does affordable car insurance mean the cheapest price, or does affordable car insurance mean getting the most for your money?
Your Coverage Options
All policies include liability coverage, which protects you financially if you’re responsible for an accident. This is required in most states. You can also buy optional coverages to protect your investment in your car, pay your medical bills or even help if your car breaks down.
Here’s a list of coverages and a brief explanation of what they do.
Liability Auto Insurance:
Your policy will pay if you injure someone or damage someone’s property in an accident. When you buy liability, you choose a limit—the maximum amount we’ll pay for a liability claim. Most states require you to have a minimum amount of liability coverage.
Collision Auto Insurance:
Your policy will pay to repair damage to your car when you hit or are hit by, another vehicle or object, regardless of who’s at fault.
Comprehensive Auto Insurance:
Your policy will pay to repair damage to your car that’s caused by something other than a collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, hail, or flooding. We also pay for damage to your vehicle caused by hitting an animal. When you buy collision and comprehensive, you choose a deductible—typically $250 or $500. This is the amount you pay to the repair shop. We pay the rest. While collision and comprehensive aren’t required by law, your bank may require them if you finance or lease your car.
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD)
Your policy will pay to repair damage to your vehicle caused by a driver who doesn’t have car insurance.
Uninsured/Underinsured Bodily Injury (UMBI)
Your policy will pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages when you’re hurt in an accident caused by a driver who has insufficient or no insurance.
MedPay (also known as Medical Payments)
Your policy will pay for the cost of reasonable and necessary medical care you get as the result of an accident, regardless of who’s at fault.
Rental Reimbursement
Your policy will pay for your rental car while your car is being repaired as part of a comprehensive or collision claim.
Roadside Assistance
Your policy will pay for repairs or towing when your vehicle breaks down due to mechanical or electrical issues, a dead battery, or a flat tire; you’re locked out of your car; your vehicle runs out of gas, or your vehicle gets stuck in the snow or mud.
Loan/Lease Payoff (also known as Gap)
Your policy will pay the difference in the settlement amount and the amount you owe the bank if we declare your vehicle a total loss. This difference can easily be several thousand dollars on newer cars, which tend to depreciate in value quickly.
Robert J Feest & Associates will consider these things while searching for your auto insurance:
- How much coverage do you need?
Planning your insurance budget involves knowing what you need and what you want, then choosing your coverages based on how much you can pay. If affordable car insurance is your goal, make sure you choose coverages that meet your needs. Pay attention to insurance limits, too. For the same cost, some companies may offer higher limits while others may offer lower limits.
How much can you pay out of pocket if you have a claim?
Affordable car insurance can include optional coverages — Comprehensive and Collision, Uninsured Motorist, etc. — that protect your vehicle if it’s damaged. With these coverages, you choose a specific amount — your deductible — to pay out of pocket if you use these coverages. Make sure you can afford to pay your deductible if you have a claim.Do you have coverage through another source?
If you want affordable car insurance, make sure you’re not paying for the same things twice. Think about whether or not you have the same or similar coverage through other non-insurance avenues. For instance, if you have a car warranty or AAA, you may have towing coverage for breakdowns. If so, you may not need Roadside Assistance coverage on your auto insurance policy.What are you getting for the price?
What you pay is only one aspect of affordable car insurance. What you get from it is just as important. Shopping for affordable car insurance means comparing quotes and seeing what you’ll pay for coverage from different companies, so choose similar limits across all quotes to make apples-to-apples comparisons. You may find that some companies charge more for affordable car insurance than others. Also consider factors such as accessibility, customer service, claims handling, etc., to see who offers what you want.
