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Will My Insurance Pay for a Loss In My Car’s Value if it Is Damaged In a Collision? Diminished Value Explained What Is Diminished Value? After a vehicle has been involved in a major accident and has been repaired, depending on its age and condition, the resale value may be less than if it had not been damaged. In other words, potential buyers may believe the repairs, even if they meet the highest standards, have not restored the vehicle to its pre-accident condition and will be unwilling to pay as much for it as a result. This perceived financial loss is known as diminished value .   (In fact, older model cars that have been damaged and repaired may actually be worth more because new parts have been substituted for many of the old parts.)   Diminished value claims generally apply to auto insurance policies but can also pertain to a property insurance policy covering real estate.    Will My Insurance Policy Pay for Diminished Value? ...

Determining Your Car's Value and Cost of Repair There are several standard guidelines for determining the value of your car for insurance purposes. You and your insurer can refer to one of the books that list the depreciated value of all new and used cars. One of these books is published by the  National Association of Automobile Dealers another is published by  Kelley Blue Book . When you file your claim, your insurance company will refer you to a claims adjuster. The adjuster will verify the loss and determine what it will cost to repair the car. The adjuster’s estimate can serve as a benchmark to which to compare your own mechanic’s estimate. No good adjuster or insurance company will expect you to sign an agreement accepting the insurer’s estimate as the total claim payment until you’ve established, to your own satisfaction, that it will cover the cost of repair. The insurer will expect you to get your own estimate from your mechanic, garage or car dealer. Don’t...

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim To file a claim, follow these steps:  Call your insurance agent as soon as possible, regardless of who is at fault. Find out whether you're covered for this loss. Even if the accident appears minor, it is important that you let your insurance company know about the incident. Ask your agent or company representative how to proceed and what forms or documents are needed to support your claim. Your insurance company will require a “proof of claim” form and, if there is one, a copy of the police report. Increasingly, companies allow you to monitor the progress of your claim on their web site. Supply the information your insurer requests. Fill out the claim form carefully. Keep good records. Get the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak with and copies of any bills related to the accident. Ask your insurance agent or company representative the following: Does my policy contain a time limit for filing claims and submitting bills? Is th...

Insuring Your Classic Car SPECIAL AUTO INSURANCE PROTECTION FOR CLASSIC VINTAGE EDITION CARS A classic, collectible or antique car is no ordinary car—and regular auto insurance is not sufficient to protect such a vehicle against damage or loss. Unlike everyday vehicles, which depreciate over time as you add miles to them, classic cars may, in fact, gain value over the years. Your insurance needs to match your special vehicle’s value—and you’ll need to adjust your coverage if its value appreciates. The first step in insuring your classic car is for you and your insurer to reach an agreement on the value of the vehicle. This value will be specified in your policy and your car will be covered up to that value without depreciation.  Most classic car policies will take into account the importance of using a specialized repair or restoration shop. Make sure your policy gives you the flexibility to bring your vintage Mercedes, Ferrari or Corvette to a specialist—even if the...

Five Insurance Mistakes to Avoid… And Still Save Money We are all concerned with saving money and it is important to shop around when looking for insurance coverage. However, simply reducing your coverage or dropping important coverages altogether can leave you dangerously underinsured in the event of a disaster.   Following are the five biggest auto, home, flood and renters insurance mistakes consumers can make, along with suggestions to avert those pitfalls while still saving money:   1. Insuring a home for its real estate value rather than for the cost of rebuilding . When real estate prices go down, some homeowners may think they can reduce the amount of insurance on their home. But insurance is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding, not the sales price of the home. You should make sure that you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home and replace your belongings.   A better way to save : Raise your deductible. An increase from $500 t...

How Can I Save Money On Auto Insurance? The price you pay for your auto insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars, depending what type of car you have and the insurance company you buy your policy from. Here are some ways to save money. 1. Shop Around Prices vary from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Get at least three price quotes. You can call companies directly or access information on the Internet. Your state insurance department may also provide comparisons of prices charged by major insurers. (State insurance department phone numbers and Web sites can be found on the back cover.) You buy insurance to protect you financially and provide peace of mind. It’s important to pick a company that is financially stable. Check the financial health of insurance companies with rating companies such as A.M. Best ( www.ambest.com ) and Standard & Poor’s ( www.standardandpoors.com/ratings ) and consult consumer magazines. Get quotes from different types of insura...

What information do I need to give to my agent or company? Your agent will ask you what make and model cars you own, roughly how many miles you drive each year, and what kind of liability coverage you will need. The agent will also want to know how many people drive the cars, how old the drivers are, where you live, and driving records of each household member. The agent will then ask more detailed questions about your cars, such as their Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), whether they have passive restraint systems or air bags, anti-lock brakes or anti-theft devices. If you already have another insurance policy with the company for home or life insurance, you might receive a discount on your auto policy. You should also mention if you or other drivers in your household have completed safe-driving courses and if student drivers in your home are getting good grades—both of these may qualify you for discounts on your auto policy. Once the agent has assembled all of the ...

What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? The average yearly auto insurance premium is almost $800, but there is wide variation around this average. Many factors can affect your premium, and they all help determine how likely you are to have an accident. Perhaps surprisingly, many of them do a better job than just your driving record. Not all companies use all of these factors, and some might use factors not listed here. Your premium may depend on, in no particular order: Your driving record. The better your record, the lower your premium. If you have had accidents or serious traffic violations, it is likely you will pay more than if you have a clean driving record. You may also pay more if you are a new driver and have not been insured for a number of years. How much you use your car. The more miles you drive, the more chance for accidents. If you drive your car for work, or drive it a long distance to work, you will pay more. If you drive only occasion...

How Much Auto Coverage Do I Need? Almost every state requires you to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage. Chances are that you will need more liability insurance than the state requires because accidents cost more than the minimum limits. If you’re found legally responsible for bills that are more than your insurance covers, you will have to pay the difference out of your own pocket. These costs could wipe you out! You may want to talk to your agent or company representative about purchasing higher liability limits to reflect your personal needs. You may also consider purchasing an umbrella or excess liability policy. These policies pay when your underlying coverages are exhausted. Typically, these policies cost between $200 and $300 per year for a million dollars in coverage. If you have your homeowners and auto insurance with the same company, check out the cost of coverage with this company first. If you have coverage with different companies, it may be easier to buy...

Where can I buy insurance? You can buy insurance through your local insurance agent and through insurance companies that sell through their own employees, over the phone, by mail and over the Internet. Consult your  state insurance department , the yellow pages of your phone book, and friends or relatives for the names of insurance companies doing business in your state. In most states, there are dozens, sometimes hundreds of companies to choose from, depending on the type of insurance you're looking for. You can go to our Find an Insurance Company tool for help. Compare all insurance policy before going to buy your insurance policy.There are many online sites like policybazaar.com which helps in choosing best insurance policy with good rates.

Choosing an Insurance Company There are many insurance companies, so choosing between them can be a challenge. Here are the main points to keep in mind when selecting an insurance company: 1. Licensing Not every company is licensed to operate in each state. As a general rule, you should buy from a company licensed in your state, because then can you rely on your state insurance department to help if there’s a problem. To find out which companies are licensed in your state, contact the  state insurance department . 2. Price Many companies sell insurance policies and prices vary greatly from one to another, so it really pays to shop around. Get at least three price quotes from companies, agents and from the Internet. Your  state insurance department  may publish a guide that shows what insurers charge for different policies in various parts of your state. 3. Financial Solidity You buy insurance to protect you financially and provide peace of mind. Select ...

Is there a difference between cancellation and nonrenewal? There is a big difference between an insurance company canceling a policy and choosing not to renew it. Insurance companies cannot cancel a policy that has been in force for more than 60 days except when: You fail to pay the premium You have committed fraud or made serious misrepresentations on your application Your drivers license has been revoked or suspended. Nonrenewal is a different matter. Either you or your insurance company can decide not to renew the policy when it expires. Depending on the state you live in, your insurance company must give you a certain number of days notice and explain the reason for not renewing before it drops your policy. If you think the reason is unfair or want a further explanation, call the insurance company’s consumer affairs division. If you don't get a satisfactory explanation, call your  state insurance department . The company may have decided to drop that parti...

Rental Car Insurance There are more options for renting a car than ever before. In the past, you simply selected a vehicle from one of the many brick-and-mortar car rental companies found at airports, train stations or other locations. Today, technology has made possible other alternatives, including peer-to-peer car services, which enable consumers to rent personally owned cars from others; and car sharing programs in which—for a monthly or annual fee—consumers can pick up a vehicle at a wide range of locations for periods ranging from minutes to days. While these car rental options mean more choice for consumers, they mean more questions about insurance coverage. Fortunately, it is possible to be properly insured when renting a car without wasting money by purchasing duplicative coverage. The insurance coverage offered by traditional car rental companies is fairly standardized. However, coverage varies widely amongst other types of car sharing programs. The most import...

What Is Gap Insurance? When you buy or lease a new car or truck, the vehicle starts to depreciate in value the moment it leaves the car lot. In fact, most cars lose 20 percent of their value within one year. Standard auto insurance policies cover the depreciated value; in other words, insurance pays the current market value of the vehicle. If you finance the purchase of a new car and only put down a small deposit down, the amount of the loan may exceed the market value of the vehicle in its early years of ownership. Gap insurance is available to cover the “gap” between what a vehicle is worth and what you owe on it.   It’s a good idea to consider buying gap insurance for your new car or truck purchase if you:   Made less than a 20 percent down payment. Financed for 60 months or longer. Leased the vehicle. Purchased a vehicle that depreciates faster than the average. Rolled over negative equity from an old car loan into the new loan.   While the ...

Insuring a Leased Car If you lease a car, you still need to buy your own auto insurance policy. The auto dealer or bank that is financing the car will require you to buy collision and comprehensive coverage. You will need to buy these coverages in addition to the others that may be  mandatory in your state , such as auto liability insurance. Collision covers the damage to the car from an accident with another automobile or object. Comprehensive covers a loss that is caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as a fire or theft or collision with a deer. The leasing company may also require "gap" insurance. If you have an accident and your leased car is damaged beyond repair, or "totaled," there's likely to be a difference between the amount that you still owe the auto dealer and the check you'll get from your insurance company. That's because the insurance company's check is based on the car's actual c...

Protecting Yourself against Uninsured Motorists Overlooked Auto Insurance Options About one out of every eight U.S. drivers does  not  have an auto insurance policy, even though it is mandatory to purchase this coverage in 49 out of 50 states (New Hampshire is the exception), according to the  Insurance Research Council  (IRC). In several states, more than one in five drivers do not carry coverage. If you’re involved in a serious accident with an uninsured motorist, you could be at risk for substantial financial losses. For protection from losses arising from an accident with an uninsured motorist, consider purchasing uninsured motorist coverage. A handful of states require that this coverage be included in all auto insurance policies. Regardless of state requirements, you may already carry uninsured motorist coverage, so check your policy or ask your insurance professional.   Types of Uninsured Motorist Coverage Specific options for uninsur...

Can I drive legally without insurance? NO! Almost every state requires you to have auto liability insurance. All states also have financial responsibility laws. This means that even in a state that does not require liability insurance, you need to have sufficient assets to pay claims if you cause an accident. If you don’t have enough assets, you must purchase at least the state minimum amount of insurance. But insurance exists to protect your assets. Trying to see how little you can get by with can be very shortsighted and dangerous. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident since accidents may cost far more than the minimum limits mandated by most states. If you've financed your car, your lender may require comprehensive and collision insurance as part of the loan agreement. For more information, see  Automobile Financial Responsibility Laws .

Infographic: Types of Auto Coverage Some types of auto insurance coverage are required, others are optional, but you’ll want to understand them all because they provide protection against several types of risk.

What Is Covered by a Basic Auto Insurance Policy? Your auto policy may include six coverages. Each coverage is priced separately. 1. Bodily Injury Liability This coverage applies to injuries that 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. 2. 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...

Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2015 Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy. Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage: Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car. Liability coverage pays for your 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. An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements. Most auto policies are for six months to a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay your pre...