Car insurance is a fact of life in the United States. Every state requires that all drivers carry some form of auto protection, either through state minimums for auto insurance, paying uninsured motor vehicle fees, or through cash bonds.

Undocumented immigrants often have a hard time getting a license, and therefore, should not be taking the risk of driving without a license or auto insurance. This creates a real problem for many people. However, there are a growing number of states that are beginning to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.

This, in turn, is helping more people to get the auto insurance coverage they need to not only protect themselves, but to protect other drivers on the road.

Here are the basics of getting auto insurance in the United States.

Get a Driver’s License

The most important step to obtaining auto insurance coverage is to first get a driver’s license. If you do not live in a state that issues licenses regardless of immigration status, you may be out of luck. Insurance companies are highly unlikely to sell you auto insurance coverage without a valid state driver’s license.

If you do live in a state where you can obtain a license as an undocumented immigrant, you’ve crossed the biggest hurdle preventing you from getting auto insurance. With your valid license, you can shop for the best rate for your situation.

Before you begin your search, it’s important to understand what you need to cover and how much you should cover it for, so that you make the best choice for you and your family. Here are the basics of the different types of auto insurance coverage.

Types of Auto Insurance Coverage

You purchase auto insurance to protect you from financial loss should you be at-fault for an accident. In most states, you will need a valid driver’s license and auto insurance coverage in order to drive legally.

Liability Insurance – This is the basic type of auto insurance coverage required by almost every state. Liability coverage pays for medical expenses and damages to others that result from an accident in which you are found to be at-fault.

Personal Injury Protection – While liability insurance covers you for damages to others when you are at-fault for an accident, personal injury protection protects you even if you are not at-fault. It can cover medical expenses and even lost wages.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist – You may have take n all the right steps as an undocumented immigrant to drive legally, but many others do not. If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, you could still face financial losses if you do not have this type of coverage.

Comprehensive and Collision – These are both optional coverages that offer you a higher level of protection. Depending on the circumstances, comprehensive and collision may pay for or replace your vehicle if it is involved in a collision, is stolen or vandalized, or is damaged by a natural disaster.

The bottom line is that as an undocumented immigrant, you should never drive illegally. Once you get your driver’s license, use the InsuranceWins form to shop around for the best rates and a suitable car insurance policy for your needs

While almost every state requires drivers to have auto insurance in order to be legal, there are still plenty of uninsured drivers on the road. Often, an uninsured driver will flee the scene of an accident before you can get their personal information. This is usually so they do not have to face criminal charges for driving without auto insurance.

According to the Insurance Research Council,which conducted a study in 2016, almost one in eight drivers, or 13% of drivers on the road, are driving without auto insurance. This means that if you are in accident with one of these drivers they will not be covering any injuries or damages to you or your vehicle.

And, if you do not have sufficient coverage on your own policy, you may find yourself paying out-of-pocket for all the associated costs for a car accident. This can be especially frustrating when it is an accident that you didn’t cause. This is a good reason to consider adding uninsured/underinsured motorist protection to your own policy.

Protection Against Uninsured Drivers

For states that require auto insurance, some also require you to buy coverage for uninsured and underinsured drivers. Even if your state does not require this coverage, it might be a good idea to add this type of coverage to your policy to protect yourself.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will help protect you when it comes to both personal bodily injury and property damage. Essentially, uninsured motorist coverage is used to pay for damages that would have been paid by the other person’s insurance company, if they had car insurance.

Uninsured versus Underinsured Auto Insurance Coverage

• • What and how you can recover damages can be quite different, depending on whether the other driver is uninsured or underinsured.
  • Uninsured motorist coverage applies when you are hit by a driver who has no insurance at all. In some cases, a hit and run accident can be covered under uninsured motorist protection.
  • Underinsured drivers are those that have auto insurance but not enough to cover all of the financial obligations that arise from injuries and damages.
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can help you to recover if you get into an accident with one of these types of drivers. This type of coverage protects you both financially and physically.

Getting into a car accident is a hassle, no matter what. But, if you are involved with a driver who doesn’t have auto insurance, it can be a huge headache if you have not taken the steps to be properly covered yourself.

If you want the best protection, it makes sense to take a minute and use the InsuranceWins quote form to find out just how little it will cost to add uninsured/underinsured motorist protection to your own policy.

There are many factors to consider when you buy a new car. Electric cars are more popular than ever, for many reasons, including their lower environmental impact. One thing you may not have considered when buying an electric vehicle is the cost for insurance on an electric car.

Auto insurance rates are affected by many different factors including your driving history, the neighborhood that you live in, the type of car you are insuring, and even your credit history. But, if all things are equal it is still more expensive to insure an electric vehicle. This article tells you why and what you might be able to do about it.

Why are electric cars more expensive to insure?

You can definitely save on gas and save money on oil changes with an electric car, but you will end up spending more on auto insurance. The reason for this is not because electric vehicles get in more accidents than gas cars. It is because electric engines are much more expense to fix or replace than traditional gas engines.

Electric engine technology is new to the automobile scene and these engines have expensive batteries in them. If you are in an accident and have to replace your electric engine battery, the insurance company will be paying much more for the damages than for a gas car battery replacement.

For this reason, insurance companies see an electric vehicle as a greater liability than a traditional gas vehicle. In fact, on average you will see about a 23% difference in price for your electric car insurance, compared to the gas version of the same model.

The good news

As electric engine technology matures and becomes more prevalent, the costs to replace and repair parts will also come down. This should lead to insurance costs for electric vehicles coming down also and eventually becoming the same as gas engine vehicles. Some say that by 2024 it will actually be cheaper to insure an electric vehicle over a gas vehicle.

But for now, the costs to insure your electric vehicle are still higher. The best option is to at least get the best rate possible. You can do this by making sure you keep a clean driving record without tickets or violations, have no accidents, and keep your credit in good order.  

If you want to compare quotes and find the best insurance for an electric car, use the InsuranceWins form. It takes just two minutes with InsuranceWins to get your auto insurance quote online.

Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime, but when you hit your own car it can be especially aggravating. Maybe your garage is narrow and you sideswiped your spouse’s vehicle, or your teenager parked the car in an odd place and you backed right into it. Whatever the scenario, it can be inconvenient to have a crash with two of your own cars.

So, will you still be covered if you hit your own car? It depends on the type of policy and coverage you have, so it’s a good idea to understand the issues now and whether you might want to increase your own protection.

Coverage That Pays

Usually, when you are in an accident that involves someone else, you file a claim and either your insurance company or the insurance company of the other driver pays for the damages. This is done usually through collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for damages caused by a collision between two vehicles. If you have collision coverage, you should be covered for damages. If you don’t have collision coverage, in some states you may be able to have damages paid using your liability insurance, as long as the other vehicle is listed under a separate policy.

Collision Coverage Can Be Important

If your liability coverage does not allow you to make claims against a car that you own, you will want to make sure you are covered if you hit your own car by carrying collision coverage. Depending on your situation, it can make sense to pay a little extra to cover yourself.

If you have a lot of drivers and cars in your household, your risk of accident is higher, and without collision coverage your risk of having to repair damages using your own money is higher. Collision offers the best assurance for protection for the vehicles you own.

What About the Deductible?

If you hit your own vehicle, you will usually be responsible for paying the deductible. And, if both vehicles are damaged, you may have to pay the deductible for each vehicle even if they are listed on one policy.

In some states, however, claims that involve the same insurance company may be have the deductible waived. These are known as cross-file claims, and in some situations insurance carriers will allow a deductible waiver for these types of claims.

What if  You Damage Your Own Property?

Your collision coverage should protect you against out-of-pocket expenses should you damage your own vehicle. But what about if you damage part of your house, for instance, by crashing into it with your car?

If you own your house, you would attempt to have the damages paid for by your home insurance policy. But if you rent your house, you may be in luck. For renters, their car insurance policy will likely cover the damages to the house, since the house is owned by someone else. Most car insurance policies will not cover property you own but will cover property damage to someone else’s property.

To find out how you can protect yourself in these and other types of situations, use the InsuranceWins online form. You’ll be able to compare quotes for collision and liability insurance from major carriers, and choose the policy that’s best for you.

The first few minutes after a car accident can be extremely stressful. Making sure you are in a safe place, that you and others are not injured, and ensuring you don’t do anything to negate an insurance claim are all important and happen quickly.

If the accident is a minor fender bender, you may be dreading the inconvenience of having to work through the insurance claims process and maybe having to pay your insurance deductible, let alone the hassle of having your car in the shop and finding other ways to get around while it is.

And, the other driver may be feeling all of these same things and more. Some drivers think that it is much easier just to settle on the spot for any damages by handing over some cash. If it looks like you just have a nick in your bumper, the other driver may offer to pay on the spot, in exchange for avoiding the insurance claims process.

While it may be tempting, here are a few reasons why you should never take cash at the scene of an accident.

There may be hidden or structural damage

• • There is no way for you to know, even if you are a mechanic, if there is hidden or structural damage to your vehicle after you have been in a collision. So, if you take a hundred dollars to cover the nick to your paint, and then discover that the frame is bent or the whole bumper needs to be replaced, you can expect to have to pay for all of the repairs yourself.

Your injuries may be worse than you thought

• With car accident injuries, especially those related to whiplash, you may not feel the effects of the collision for several hours or days after the accident. You may think you are fine at the scene, only to discover that you have a neck or back injury that is severe enough to require medical attention. And, perhaps ongoing medical attention, or time out of work. These are costs you will then have to cover yourself.

The other driver might be hiding something

• • There are plenty of uninsured drivers on the road. According to the Insurance Research Council, about 12.6% of drivers on the road don’t have auto insurance. This is despite the fact that nearly every state has requirements for state minimum insurance. These drivers will want to avoid any consequences should they be involved in an accident by not giving out their information and perhaps trying to settle on the spot.

• • Even drivers who are insured, may want to avoid filing a claim or having one filed against them. They may not be able to afford their deductible, so offering cash at the scene of the accident seems like a better alternative to them.

The best approach is to not take a cash after an accident and to make sure you are fully covered. The InsuranceWins form can help you compare quotes from several carriers, so that no matter what, you can protect yourself from having to pay out-of-pocket for a car accident.

It’s smart to have car insurance that covers you for flood damage when you live in a high-risk flood zone. Even, if you don’t live in a flood-prone area, heavy rains and severe storms have been happening with increasing frequency across the United States in recent years. This means that more people than ever are at risk of having their car damaged by water or flooding.

To make sure your covered, you must have the right type of policy. To protect yourself from having to pay for flood and water damage on your own, you’ll have to look beyond the state minimum auto insurance coverage. Comprehensive insurance coverage is the way to go if you live in flood risk area or if you want to be prepared for heavy rains and severe storms.

How to Choose the Right Coverage

When purchasing comprehensive insurance, you will want to measure the value of your car against the total cost of purchasing comprehensive coverage. If you have a car that’s just not worth much, you might want to skip comprehensive insurance coverage. If you do, just make sure that you can afford to replace your vehicle if it is considered a total loss from flood damage.

Another consideration when purchasing comprehensive insurance is the amount you are willing to pay for your deductible. Your deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance coverage kicks in. After your deductible amount, your insurance coverage will pay for the needed repairs.

As long as the cost of coverage and the deductible you have to pay in case of a claim is less than the value of your car, you should consider adding comprehensive insurance coverage, especially if you live in a high-risk flood area.

Hurricane Restrictions

If you live in a hurricane area and there is a hurricane in the forecast, you should be aware of some restrictions on coverage. Usually, there are restrictions on the purchase of comprehensive coverage in this instance. So, don’t wait until hurricane season to buy your comprehensive coverage, because you just may be too late. Insurance companies try to prevent people from covering themselves from an impending potential loss when they haven’t contributed premium payments to the overall insurance system.

Take Steps

So, what’s the best approach?

If a storm is in the forecast, you probably won’t be able to pick up comprehensive insurance at the last minute. Your best bet is to get out of the storms path or get to higher ground if a flood is predicted. If you can’t get away, at least make sure your windows and sunroof are closed.

If you feel your car has enough value, consider a comprehensive coverage addition to your auto insurance policy. The best way to get the best deal is to shop around and compare rates.

If you need help pricing out the addition of comprehensive coverage to your policy, the InsuranceWins fast and easy form will let you see rates from major carriers. Use it to choose the policy that’s best for you.

Managing your deductible amount is one way to control your auto insurance costs. A deductible is simply the amount of money you have to pay for any repairs due to an accident before your insurance company takes over. So, for example, if you have $10,000 worth of damage and a $1,000 deductible, you we ill pay the $1,000 to the insurance company and then they will pick up the other $9,0000 to cover the repairs.

Having a higher deductible reduces your monthly premium amount and many people use this to keep monthly costs down. But, if you have an accident and have to pay the deductible, it may be hard to afford the amount. When purchasing auto insurance, you have to weigh what you can afford monthly with the potential of having to pay your deductible in full should you have an accident.

Situations in Which Your Deductible Might Be Waived

There are, however, times when your deductible can be waived. Here are a few situations in which you are covered, and you don’t have to pay your deductible.

Windshield Repairs

• • When it comes to repairs, windshield repairs are just about the only type that allow a deductible waiver. But it’s not automatic. When you are choosing your comprehensive insurance coverage, be sure you choose an option that has non-deductible windshield repair coverage.

You Are Not At-Fault

• • The most common example of a situation in which your deductible is waived is when the other party is found to be at fault for the accident. In this case, the other insurance company covers all of your damages.

You Have Uninsured Motorist Protection

• • If you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist and they are at fault, you may have trouble recovering any money for repairs to your own vehicle or personal injury expenses. You would then have to pay your deductible to have your own insurance kick in for your damages.

• • One way to protect yourself against this is to purchase uninsured motorist protection. There are separate coverages for uninsured motorist property damage and for bodily injury. This will cover you up to a certain amount and you can avoid your deductible.

You Have a Collision Deductible Waiver

• • Another way to have your deductible waived is to purchase a collision deductible waiver. If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist, you can use your own collision coverage to pay for repairs, but you will have to pay your deductible unless you buy the waiver. Known as a CDW, it can be purchased in place of uninsured motorist protection.

The bottom line is that you have options when it comes to having your deductible waived. To compare quotes for a collision deductible waiver or uninsured motorist protection, use the InsuranceWins online quote form. You’ll receive quotes from major carriers so you can find the best coverage at the best rate for your situation.

Most likely, yes. Auto insurance companies generally lower rates when a driver turns twenty-five years old. While some companies choose to lower rates little by little for young drivers, most major insurance companies still use the 25-years-old test to start lowering rates from the high rates younger drivers must pay.

When to Expect Reduced Rates

Your car insurance company won’t likely come knocking at your door to let you know you deserve a rate reduction, assuming of course you have had a clean driving history. Most policies will show a reduction once your next renewal period comes up, rather than in the middle of a policy period. If you don’t see a rate reduction at your next renewal be sure to ask or shop around for a company that will give you one.

How Much Will My Rate Go Down?

There are many factors that are used to determine car insurance rates and your age is just one of them. If you have a clean driving history and no accidents though, you may see a reduction of as much as twenty percent.

Why Insurance Companies Lower Rates at Age Twenty-Five

Insurance companies have spent many decades figuring out how to avoid risk. So, the fact that the age of twenty-five is used to trigger a drop in rates is not arbitrary. Statistics have shown that drivers under the age of twenty-five have more accidents due both to a lack of experience with driving and to immaturity.

In addition, it has been shown through statistics that drivers who are older than twenty-five tend to be more responsible and have fewer at-fault accidents. So, your insurance company is not simply giving you a birthday present for reaching the age of twenty-five. They are giving you a break based on solid statistical data.

What Else May Help Me Lower My Rates?

There are plenty of other ways you can help to get your premium rate down. The most important factor is your driving history. If you keep a clean record, with no tickets or accidents, you have the best chance of paying the lowest rate. Other factors include the type of car you drive, where you live, whether you are married or single, and your credit history.

Even if you don’t get much of a reduction in your rate for turning twenty-five, you might still want to shop around to make sure you are paying the lowest rate possible for the type of coverage you need. In addition, once you turn twenty-five there may be other carriers who want your business, those who do not cover drivers under twenty-five. You may just find a cheaper rate with another company.

You can use the InsuranceWins form to quickly get quotes from major carriers and see how much you can save just for having a birthday!

This is a question you may want to ask yourself when you are shopping around for car insurance coverage. After an accident, you may be left with medical bills for your injuries. So, who is supposed to pay for the cost of care? How do you make sure you don’t get stuck with out-of-pocket expenses, especially if the accident is someone else’s fault?

The answer depends on several factors including:

• The type of accident you are involved in
• The type of insurance coverage you have
• The state you live in

In most states, the law says that the driver who is found to be at fault for the accident must pay for the damages to the other parties, through a lawsuit. Meaning, you would sue the other driver’s car insurance company, and they would award you damages, part of which would be the cost of your medical care.

However, in some states the law works a little differently. These states, known as no-fault states are Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Utah.

Car Accidents in No-Fault States

In no-fault states, your own auto insurance company will be responsible for your medical bills no matter who was at fault for the car accident. There are often limits to the amount the insurance company will pay and each state is different. Generally, though, the limit is around $10,000.

When You Are Responsible for Your Medical Bills

Once you have exceeded the limit in no-fault states, or if you are found at fault for the accident in other states and you don’t have medical payments coverage, you may end up paying out of pocket for medical bills. While your health insurance may cover some of your bills, you may find yourself having to set up a payment plan with a medical provider to cover your care.

Medical Payments Coverage

Especially if you do not have health insurance in a state that does not have no-fault laws, you will want to consider obtaining medical payments coverage through your own auto insurance policy.

Medical payments coverage is used to specifically pay medical bills of those involved in a car accident with you. The payments through his type of coverage have a limit, which is usually less than $10,000. Any amounts above the limit will be your responsibility.

Medical payments coverage is optional coverage, not required coverage. So, if you feel you need this type of added protection, be sure to shop around for quotes to find out how much your monthly premium for medical payments might be.

The InsuranceWins form makes it easy to obtain quotes and find out just how little it costs to have this added protection for you and your family.

 

If you haven’t had an accident, haven’t had any tickets, haven’t moved or changed much of anything, then why did your insurance rate go up? The answer lies in understanding how car insurance companies set their rates.

The details are complicated but understanding the big picture of auto insurance rate setting may help you feel better about that rate increase.

I Haven’t Had Any Accidents and My Rate is Rising

Insurance is a business that is all about risk. The nature of risk is that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and auto insurance companies are all about winning. In their case, this means taking in more money in premiums than they are paying out in claims.

It’s a little bit of a one-sided relationship between you and your insurance company though. If they lose, you generally lose a little bit too—in the form of higher rates. Essentially, if the insurance company loses money, nearly every customer, even those with a clean and clear driving record, will see a hike in premiums.

Another reason that you might see your auto insurance rate go up is due to a change in your neighborhood. For instance, if there is a sudden uptick in the number of collisions or thefts in your area everyone in the vicinity may see their rates rise.

How is My Insurance Company Losing Money?

Natural disasters and severe weather, both of which are on the rise in recent years, can contribute to higher than expected payouts by insurance companies. Even if you don’t live an area that has seen higher than normal rates of flooding or hurricane damage, the effects of these billion dollar disasters are felt by everyone.

Why Your Rate Might Keep Rising

Car insurance rates are always fluctuating based on many conditions and factors. But, you can likely expect that you will be paying more in the future for the type of coverage you have now. This is because of several factors that are generally contributing to more incidents and payouts by insurers.

Distracted driving, especially due to texting while driving, is causing more accidents. In addition, lower gas prices lead to more people on the road, which inevitably leads to more accidents.

Shop Around Regularly to Keep Saving

The best way to keep your own insurance premium payouts in check is to shop around to make sure you are paying the lowest rate. Most policies these days run for six months. So, when it’s time to renew it would be wise to take a few minutes and obtain quotes from several carriers and potentially find some savings.

If you’re not happy with an increase to your insurance premiums, through no fault of your own, use the InsuranceWins form to get quotes from other carriers and you may just find a better rate.