Auto Insurance Basics
Auto insurance protects against financial loss in the event of an accident. It is a
contract between the policyholder and the insurance company. The policyholder agrees to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay losses as
defined in the policy.
Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:
Property coverage pays for damage to, or theft of, the car.
Liability coverage pays for the policyholder’s legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
Most states require drivers to have auto liability insurance before they can legally drive a car. (Liability insurance pays the other driver’s medical, car repair and other costs when the policyholder is at fault in an auto accident.) All states have laws that set the minimum amounts of insurance or other financial security drivers have to pay for the harm caused by their negligence behind the wheel if an accident occurs. Most auto policies are for six months to a year. A basic auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage, each of which is priced separately (see below).
- Bodily Injury Liability
This coverage applies to injuries that the policyholder and family members listed on the policy cause to someone else. These individuals are also covered when driving other peoples’ cars with permission. As motorists in serious accidents may be sued for large amounts, drivers can opt to buy more than the statere quired minimum to protect personal assets such as homes 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 policyholders (or someone driving the car with their 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 hit in an accident. - Collision
This coverage pays for damage to the policyholder’s car resulting from a collision with another car, an 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 the deductible, the lower the premium. Even if policyholders are at fault for an accident, collision coverage will reimburse them for the costs of repairing the car, minus the deductible. If the policyholder is not at fault, the insurance company may try to recover the amount it paid
from the other driver’s insurance company, a process known as subrogation. If the company is successful, policyholders will also be reimbursed for the deductible. - Comprehensive
This coverage reimburses 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, explosions, earthquakes, windstorms, hail, flood, vandalism and riots, or contact with animals such as birds or deer. Comprehensive insurance is usually sold with a $100 to $300 deductible, though policyholders may opt for a higher deductible as a way of lowering their premium. Comprehensive insurance may also reimburse the policyholder if a windshield is cracked or shattered. Some companies offer separate glass coverage with or without a deductible.
States do not require the purchase of collision or comprehensive coverage, but
lenders may insist borrowers carry it until a car loan is paid off. It may also be a
requirement of some dealerships if a car is leased.
Homeowners Insurance Basics
Homeowners insurance provides financial protection against disasters. It is a package policy, which means that it covers both damage to property and liability, or legal responsibility, for any injuries and property damage policyholders or their families cause to other people. This includes damage caused by household pets. Damage caused by most disasters is covered but there are exceptions. Standard homeowners policies do not cover flooding, earthquakes or poor maintenance.
Flood coverage, however, is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers. Earthquake coverage is available either in the form of an endorsement or as a separate policy. Most maintenance-related problems are the homeowners’ responsibility. A standard homeowners insurance policy includes four essential types of coverage. They include: