What Car Insurance Do You Need?

Have you ever read through your auto insurance policy? Did you fall asleep? It is not the funnest thing to do since it can be filled with a bunch of insurance jargon. Figuring out what is what can be a bit challenging. If your car insurance confuses you here are a few explanations to help figure out what your car insurance policy is all about.

There are many different types of auto insurance. First, lets look at liability insurance. Property damage liability and bodily injury liability are two of the most important types that you need to know about. Property damage insurance will come in when you get into an car crash and damage the other vehicle or other type of real property. Your state requires a minimum amount of this type of insurance. You can go with the minimum amounts but if you can afford it you probably want to get more. Imagine slamming into a Ferrari.

Bodily liability insurance will assist with medical and death expenses caused by you as a result of an accident. If you are the party at-fault then this insurance will cover your passengers as well. Bodily liability will also provide attorneys fees in the event the other party files a lawsuit against you.  Claims for bodily injury may be for such things as medical bills, loss of income or pain and suffering. Again, your state will determine the minimum amount of bodily injury liability insurance that you need.

Property damage liability will cover you if you damage another person’s property. This could be their vehicle, houses, fence, garden or anything else that you might damage. This insurance will also cover legal costs if you are sued by someone else. You should consider buying more than the minimum amounts that your state requires.

Collision insurance coverage will coverage damage to your vehicle when you hit, get hit another vehicle or other type of real property. This coverage pays to fix your car minus your deductible. You deductible usually runs $500 to $1,000. The cost of your collision insurance will include the type of car you have, the value and how hard your car is to fix.

Comprehensive insurance will pay when your vehicle is damaged by something other than a car crash. A few examples include fire, theft, falling tree or other similar situation.

These are the major types of insurance coverage. It is important to understand them and alter them if needed. Insurance is one of those things that you kind of hate to pay for but those few times you need it, it sure is nice to have.

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Do You Need Gap Insurance For Your Motorcycle?

Many motorcycle owners who purchase insurance are under the mistaken belief that any good policy will cover them completely and totally for the loss of the vehicle. To them, this means if the bike is stolen or totaled they will receive the amount of the bike including complete coverage of the remainder of the loan they might still have on the vehicle. Unfortunately, this is not true and the gap which ensues is why motorcycle gap insurance is so important. To cover that difference is the purpose of gap insurance for a motorcycle.

Most insurance policies will only cover you for the fair book depreciated value of your bike, not necessarily the total balance of the outstanding loan. So if you have a loan that has $18k left and your bike’s depreciated value is $16K, you will only get the 16K, and still owe the bank 2K. This is not a good situation. Gap insurance for a motorcycle is the insurance you buy to fill this gap. So the additional 2K would be covered through your purchase.

For many owners, this type of insurance is a good buy. Since many bikers purchase their bikes with little or no down payment, the likelihood of complete payout in the event of the bike being totaled or stolen is slim. The gap policy will cover you for whatever the difference is between the loan amount owed and the depreciated value.

Remember, gap insurance for a motorcycle is only to help you through a loss while you owe a loan and will cover only the gap between the two. Once your loan is paid or has reached a point where it covers or closely covers the depreciated value of the bike, you should drop the additional insurance. In many cases, the policy becomes unnecessary after the first two years of ownership. You can find out the correct timing of when to drop it by keeping an eye on the true value of the bike verses what you still own on your current loan.

Reducing Car Insurance

Many of you have seen those commercials on TV claiming that you can save up to $500 dollars on your car insurance. How is it possible for every company to claim this? Auto Insurance cost can vary widely depending on the company and depending on the coverage that you select. This article is going to try to cover some of the basics on finding the cheapest insurance for you.

Choosing the correct coverage

There are many options to choose from when you are setting up your policy. The basics that most policies have are liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage.  If you are looking to minimize your coverage, then you will need to check your states laws on the minimal coverage. Maine actually has the highest requirements in the country. Once these minimums are met, you can choose what you think is needed or what you can afford.  One policy that is very important is uninsured driver’s coverage; this protects you from people who drive without insurance.

Shop Around

Each company will have their own way of determining your rates, so it’s best to shop around to find the best price. Many sites online will do comparisons for you, saving you time. Be careful of fine print, some companies will give you a low rate for the first few months but raise it later. Going with well known trusted companies should avoid any of these problems though. Some local insurance companies will often have the cheapest rates for you.

Small Thing Leading to Insurance Savings

There are tons of small ways that you can constantly improve you insurance rates. Keeping a good credit history will dramatically affect the cost of your policy. Also, take the time to check how much your insurance is going to cost before purchasing a new car. Rates will vary largely depending on the make and model of your car, this should be a huge consideration in your car buying.