Upgrading Your Car Insurance Is Less Expensive Than You Might Think
Purchasing the bare minimum amount of auto insurance is enough for you to legally get behind the wheel, but would anyone recommend it? No. The absolute cheapest options exist for those on the tightest budgets, and if you can afford additional coverage, it’s always a bad idea to skimp – especially if you’re ever responsible for an accident.
The minimum insurance coverage required by each individual state is not what you would call an abundance of coverage, and it’s likely that if you cause an accident, the costs associated with repairs, replacements, court fees, and other expenses could very easily surpass your coverage. Then what happens? If you have an insufficient insurance plan, the remaining costs come right out of your pocket, a much more difficult financial hurdle than a small increase to your monthly premium.
What is the Bare Minimum?
Each state has its own individual stipulations and guidelines regarding how much insurance a person should have before they start driving, but the most common policy (used in 12 states) is the 25/50/25 minimum. Those numbers represent the following sums of coverage:
• $25,000 for injuries to a person
• $50,000 for total injuries in one accident
• $25,000 for property damage
Most states hover somewhere around that minimum, but since some states like Alaska and Maine actually require 50/100/25 and Florida only requires 10/20/25, it’s best to know your own state’s minimum requirements before purchasing insurance.
While all states require liability insurance, a handful of states have upped the ante by requiring personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. The costs of these two forms of coverage will probably be included in your quote and your policy overall. These two types of coverage are extremely useful, and you can learn more about them by further exploring this website.
How Much Is an Upgrade?
By spending the absolute bare minimum, you can start driving legally, but you’ll regret your lack of insurance as soon as you’re involved in your first collision. Luckily, almost anyone who can afford the bare minimum can afford a much, much better policy. By analyzing the quotes of five leading pillars of the auto insurance community, we’ve found that boosting a 25/50/25 plan to a 100/300/100 plan isn’t that difficult or expensive after all.
For just 13% more (on average), you could completely revolutionize what auto insurance means to you, granting yourself far more coverage for just a couple hundred dollars each year. You might be thinking “that money would be better spent on something other than car insurance”, but rest assured that once you tally up the actual cost of getting into an accident, you’ll realize just how much money you stand to save.
Have any questions about car insurance? Give us a call or click today! We have experts standing by, ready to help you decide on an auto insurance coverage plan for you. We offer minimum liability insurance, full coverage insurance, and everything in between – and we will work to find the plan for you.
