My Personal Finance Blog

Today, most states require car owners to purchase auto insurance coverage. Whether you already have auto insurance or are considering buying some, you may be wondering how much is enough and which types of coverage you need. Here are a few tips to get you started.

A is for auto policy

When you purchase auto insurance, you enter into a written contract with your insurance company. The contract states that you agree to pay a certain amount of money (the premium) and that the insurer agrees to provide a certain dollar amount of protection (coverage limits) for a specified amount of time. Read this policy carefully when you get it, and ask your insurance agent to clarify any terms and conditions that you don’t understand. And remember to review your policy periodically. Your life will change, and so will your coverage needs.

B is for bodily injury coverage

Bodily injury and property damage make up the portion of your policy known as liability coverage. This is mandatory in most states. If you cause an accident, you may be liable for some or all of the damages. Liability coverage protects you from potential lawsuits by providing coverage to individual(s) injured as a result of your negligence. The amount of protection (coverage) that you choose, beyond state requirements, is up to you. In many states, you can purchase as little as $20,000 per injured person and $40,000 per accident. However, this may not be enough to adequately protect you. For instance, if you own a home or have any other valuable assets, you’ll want to protect those assets by choosing higher limits. Frequently recommended limits are $100,000 per injured person and $300,000 per accident.

C is for collision and comprehensive

Collision, as the name implies, covers your auto when it strikes an object (e.g., a tree or a telephone pole). Comprehensive covers your auto against other physical damage that is not covered by collision (e.g., fire and theft). Although these coverages are optional under state insurance laws, that doesn’t mean you should forgo them. Collision and comprehensive can be valuable because they can limit your out-of-pocket expenses.

But if your car has a low resale value (e.g., under $1,000), having collision and comprehensive coverage may not make sense–the premium cost may not be worth it if you can afford to pay for repairs yourself. However, keep in mind that dropping these coverages is not always up to you. If you finance your car, your lender may require you to carry collision and comprehensive coverage.

D is for deductible

Think of your deductible as self-insurance. It’s the amount of money that you’re willing to pay out of your own pocket if there’s an accident. You can save money on your premiums by choosing a higher deductible, but watch out–if you get into an accident, you’ll need to come up with that amount before your insurance pays a dime.

For example, say you choose a $1,000 deductible. You get into a minor accident, and the damages total $950. You’ll end up footing the entire repair bill, because your insurer pays for damage only above and beyond your deductible amount. But if your deductible was lower, say $500, you would have to come up with only that amount–your insurer would pay the remaining part of the bill, in this case $450.

E is for exclusions

Exclusions are why it’s so important for you to read your auto policy. Most people purchase open peril or unnamed peril policies. These policies cover all risks, except those listed in the exclusions section of your policy. For example, insurers do not cover “willful and wanton misconduct.” This is conduct that is intentional and reckless or in disregard of the law. You don’t want to find yourself in an exclusionary situation, because you’ll be left to pay the bills–both yours and those of anyone you injure.

F is for filing a claim

You’ve been in an accident–now what? You need to notify your insurer. Your insurer will have you fill out an incident report in which you state what happened in the accident. You may also need to give a recorded statement to the adjuster. If you file a claim for property damage, you’ll need to get an appraisal. Some insurers will send an appraiser to you, while others require you to come to them. If you are injured, your insurer will require you to have a physical exam. In general, you can see your own doctor, but the insurer may also ask that you see a doctor of its choosing.

Most insurance policies contain a clause regarding late notice. If you fail to notify your insurer of the accident in a timely manner, the company can disclaim coverage. This means that the insurer will not pay. What is considered late notice? This question continues to be battled out in courtrooms across the United States, so if you are planning to file a claim, the best advice is to notify your insurer as soon as possible.

You probably know that all US states have different minimum coverage amounts that are required to be carried within the driver’s insurance policies. And depending on where your car is registered you will have to meet these requirements. What happens if your policy has coverage amounts lower than the required minimum? That depends on the state you drive in. But usually, in case of an accident if the authorities learn that you have coverage below the minimum amount you can face a penalty or even taken into custody. So, in order to avoid that, here are the minimum requirements of coverage state by state:

Alaska 50/100/25
Alabama 20/40/10

Arkansas 25/50/15
Arizona 15/30/10
California 15/30/5
Colorado 25/50/15
Connecticut 20/40/10
Delaware 15/30/5
Florida 10/20/10
Georgia 15/30/10
Hawaii 20/40/10

Idaho 20/50/15
Illinois 20/40/15
Indiana 25/50/10
Iowa 20/40/15
Kansas 25/50/10
Kentucky 25/50/10
Louisiana 10/20/10
Maine 50/100/25
Maryland 20/40/10

Massachusetts 20/40/5
Michigan 20/40/10
Minnesota 30/60/10
Mississippi 25/50/25
Missouri 25/50/10
Montana 25/50/10
Nebraska 25/50/25
New Hampshire 25/50/25
New Jersey 15/30/5

New Mexico 25/50/10
Nevada 15/30/10
New York 25/50/10
North Carolina 30/60/25
North Dakota 25/50/25
Ohio 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma 10/20/10
Oregon 25/50/10
Pennsylvania 15/30/5

Rhode Island 25/50/25
South Carolina 15/30/10
South Dakota 25/50/25
Tennessee 25/50/10
Texas 20/40/15
Utah 25/65/15
Virginia 25/50/20
Vermont 25/50/10
Washington 25/50/10

Wisconsin 25/50/10
West Virginia 20/40/10
Wyoming 25/50/20

The numbers refer to bodily injury and damage liability limits to be carried by the car insurance policy. The first number is the limit of injury liability per person. The second number is the injury liability limit per accident. And the third number refers to damage liability amount. And if the property damage limit is pretty evident, needed to pay for any damage to property or infrastructure delivered by your vehicle during the accident, the first two limits need a more detailed explanation. Let’s take an example from Alaska – 50/100. The first number means that a person injured in the accident that gets covered can receive up to $50,000. The second number refers to the total injury car insurance coverage per single accident. If there are two persons in the car who sustained damage they will receive up to $50,000 each (a total of $100,000). But if there are 3 or 4 persons, the $100,000 will be distributed amongst them, making individual coverage limits lower. In case all the persons require maximum per capita coverage of $50,000 the first who file for it will get it, and the other ones will be covered by the policy of the car owner who was at fault during the accident.

Vehicle accidents can leave devastating effects in its wake, not least financially. NC auto insurance is similar to that of other states. Policies are very simple and law only requires that drivers carry an adequate amount of liability auto insurance.

Liability insurance pays for property damage and bodily injury caused by the driver of the insured vehicle. The minimum required amount of cover is $30,000 for medical expenses incurred by the driver and $60,000 for combined medical expenses of all the occupants in the vehicle. A minimum of $25,000 is required for property damage resulting from an accident caused by the insured driver. Experts recommend a minimum of $100, 000 in individual medical coverage $300,000 in combined medical expenses and $100,000 in property coverage.

Insurance companies are obliged by law to notify the state of lapsed policies. If the problem is not corrected in the period allowed, the policyholder will have to pay fines.

These minimum amounts will not cover all of the expenses that are part of a major accident. Experts recommend all drivers carry 100/300/100 in coverage. Also mandated by the state is that all drivers must carry continuous liability coverage. Every auto insurance company is required to notify the state when a customer fails to renew their policy. When the state knows of the laps of insurance coverage, the policyholder will have a certain number of days to fix the problem or else will have to pay fees.

North Carolina law recommends collision and comprehensive coverage that will pay for damages resulting from a collision caused by the policyholder. If you do not have this coverage, you will be solely responsible for the necessary repairs. In the event of the vehicle being written off, the policyholder will be responsible for the repayment of any lien even if they no longer have the vehicle. Therefore, it is required that any vehicle, which is under lien, also has comprehensive insurance cover.

Uninsured motorist insurance is strongly recommended in North Carolina to help cover damages resulting from an accident involvement with an uninsured driver or a driver with insufficient insurance. If you do not have uninsured motorist insurance, you will be left responsible for paying the medical as well as repair expenses yourself. This could result in costly lawsuits in order to seek compensation from the uninsured motorists personal assets. Uninsured motorists insurance cover is also helpful in the event of a hit and run accident.

Bodily injury liability is mandatory and can be divided into two different parts. It is important to note that this policy does not provide medical cover for the policyholder and other members on the policy. They will require additional cover.

Property damage liability covers the other driver whose car is damaged in a collision where the policyholder is at fault. Property damage can include other vehicles, buildings, fences and lampposts. As with bodily injury liability, this does not apply towards any expenses incurred by the policyholder. The policyholder will have to buy additional cover for their own vehicle.

Many factors can contribute to saving money on your insurance premium. Many aspects play a part in making up your payment. The type of car you drive is one of the most important aspects. A flashy new sports car will be more expensive to insure than a slower, heavier and older car.

The NCDI or North Carolina Department of Insurance can provide you with any specific information you require with regard to your personal insurance needs. NC auto insurance is helpful in dealing with all kinds of damages and losses that arise because of theft, accidents or malicious damage to your car.