Car insurance provides financial protection in case you are involved in an auto accident. If an accident occurs, an auto insurance policy provides financial coverage to pay any resulting vehicle damages, property damages, and/or medical costs. The amount of money the policy provides versus the amount of money you pay out of pocket will depend on the type of coverage purchased, the financial limits of each coverage, and your deductible.

In its simplest sense, auto insurance is smart planning — planning that can help protect you from expensive, sometimes devastating surprises.

Think of auto insurance as part of your total financial plan; a powerful tool that can help:
•    Protect the investment you’ve made in your vehicle
•    Pay for hospital bills after an accident
•    Shield you from the costly damages of an accident-related lawsuit
•    Protect your valuable assets
•    Guard you from uninsured or under-insured motorists
•    Pay for damage repairs due to theft, vandalism, or natural disasters
•    Strengthen your peace of mind, every time you take to the road.

It’s important to keep in mind, though, that not all policies or insurance carriers are alike. Make sure you understand the details of your unique situation — including what you need to protect, and how each auto insurance coverage option applies.

Many insurance policies combine a number of these types of coverage. The first step in choosing the insurance you want for your car is to know the laws in your state. This will tell you the minimum insurance you need for your car. It’s good to keep in mind that, just because your state may not require extensive insurance, extra coverage may be worth the expense. After all, no one wants to be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of bills because of an auto accident.

Now, let’s take a look at how to determine your insurance needs. Just enter your information in a box on left side “Click on Insurance Type to Get Free Quote” And we will lead you step by step to get best coverage for less money .

You may spend tens of thousands of dollars on auto insurance, but are you spending it where it’s most needed? When you are in an accident with another motorist and he doesn’t carry his own liability protection or doesn’t carry enough, uninsured or underinsured motorist liability coverage allows you to collect for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering incurred in the accident.

Should you already have comprehensive health and long-term disability insurance, then uninsured or underinsured motorist liability coverage is largely redundant. You do give up the ability to sue for general pain and suffering if you drop this coverage and to insure passengers in your car who may lack adequate medical and disability coverage.

Before you rent a car:

• Contact your insurance company
  Find out how much coverage you have on your own car. In most cases, the coverage and deductibles you have on your personal auto policy would apply to a rental car, providing it’s used for pleasure and not business. If you don’t have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, you will not be covered if your rental car is stolen or if it is damaged in an accident.

• Call your credit card company
  Find out what insurance your card provides. Levels of coverage vary.
  If you don’t have auto insurance, you will need to buy coverage at the car rental counter. The following coverages are available to you at the rental car counter:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
  Sometimes called a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), this coverage relieves you of financial responsibility if your rental car is damaged or stolen. The CDW may be void, however, if you cause an accident by speeding, driving on unpaved roads or driving while intoxicated. This coverage generally costs between $9 and $19 a day. If you have comprehensive and collision on your own car, you may not need to purchase this coverage. (Note: In New York, collision damage is already included in the rental price and rental car companies are not permitted by law to charge extra for the CDW. New York also restricts the liability of drivers to $100.)

• Liability Insurance
  This provides excess liability coverage of up to $1 million for the time you rent a car. Rental companies are required by law to provide the minimum level of liability insurance required by your state. Generally, this does not offer enough protection in a serious accident. If you have adequate liability coverage on your car or an umbrella policy on your home/auto, you may consider forgoing this additional insurance. It generally costs about $7 to $9 a day. If you don’t own a car, and rent cars often, consider purchasing a non-owner liability policy. This costs approximately $200 – $300 per year. Frequent car renters sometimes find this more cost-effective than constantly paying for the extra liability coverage.

• Personal Accident Insurance
  This provides coverage to you and your passengers for medical/ambulance bills. This type of insurance, usually costs about $3 per day, but may be unnecessary if you are covered by health insurance or have adequate medical coverage under your auto policy.

• Personal Effects Coverage
  This provides coverage for the theft of personal items in your car. However, if you have homeowners or renters insurance, you may be covered for items stolen from the car, minus your deductible. You need to have receipts or other proof of ownership. This type of insurance usually costs about $1.25 per day.

Some rental car companies combine personal accident and personal effects coverage together as one type of insurance, while others sell it individually.

The cost of insurance at the rental car counter will vary depending on the rental car company, state, and location of the dealer and the type of car you rent.

Some rental car companies may check your credit and driving history and may deny coverage. Check with the rental car company to find out its policy.

Did you know: If you’re renting a car abroad, you may need an international drivers license.

Bodily Injury Liability

• This coverage applies to injuries you, the designated driver or policyholder cause to someone else. You and family members listed on the policy are also covered when driving someone else’s car with their permission. It’s very important to have enough liability insurance, because if you are involved in a serious accident, you may be sued for a large sum of money. Definitely consider buying more than the state-required minimum to protect assets such as your home and savings.

Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

• This coverage pays for the treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder’s car. At its broadest, PIP can cover medical payments, lost wages and the cost of replacing services normally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. It may also cover funeral costs.

Property Damage Liability

• This coverage pays for damage you (or someone driving the car with your permission) may cause to someone else’s property. Usually, this means damage to someone else’s car, but it also includes damage to lamp posts, telephone poles, fences, buildings or other structures your car hit.

Collision

• This coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. It also covers damage caused by potholes. Collision coverage is generally sold with a deductible of $250 to $1,000—the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. Even if you are at fault for the accident, your collision coverage will reimburse you for the costs of repairing your car, minus the deductible. If you’re not at fault, your insurance company may try to recover the amount they paid you from the other driver’s insurance company. If they are successful, you’ll also be reimbursed for the deductible.

Comprehensive

• This coverage reimburses you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as fire, falling objects, missiles, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, flood, vandalism, riot, or contact with animals such as birds or deer. Comprehensive insurance is usually sold with a $100 to $300 deductible, though you may want to opt for a higher deductible as a way of lowering your premium.Comprehensive insurance will also reimburse you if your windshield is cracked or shattered. Some companies offer glass coverage with or without a deductible. States do not require that you purchase collision or comprehensive coverage, but if you have a car loan, your lender may insist you carry it until your loan is paid off.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

• This coverage will reimburse you, a member of your family, or a designated driver if one of you is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. Underinsured motorist coverage comes into play when an at-fault driver has insufficient insurance to pay for your total loss. This coverage will also protect you if you are hit as a pedestrian.