Shopping for cheap auto insurance in California can be a labyrinthine process, but there are a few basics that it can be broken down into which allows you to see the big picture. In 6 easy steps, you can know exactly what you need to look for and how to get a low cost policy.

Step 1: Do you have any assets?

Do you have any lare assets that someone could sue you for? Technically you are personally liable for any damage you cause to another person which goes above the amounts you’re insurance covers.

Step 2: Do you have a car worth $10,000 or more?

Is your car relatively new, and still worth quite a bit? If so, you will want to get car insurance that covers

Step 3: Decide on liability

If you answered yes to Step 2, then you’ll want to purchase more car insurance liability than the California minimum requires. Your policy won’t be as cheap, but you’ll cover your assets in case of a law suit. On the other hand, if you answered no to Step 1, then consider going with the lowest liability insurance you can. California requires 15/30/5 by law.

Step 4: Decide on collision and comprehensive

If you answered yes to Step 2, you will then want to consider getting both comprehensive and collision car insurance. Collision will cover your vehicle in a crash, no matter whose fault it was. Comprehensive will cover your vehicle in case of theft, fire, etc. If you answered no to Step 2, then you may want to consider forgoing the collision and comprehensive and risk having to cough up the money to do your own repairs.

Step 5: Get discounts

To get your California auto insurance as cheap as possible, first consider going with a very high deductible. A deductible is the amount you pay first before insurance picks up the rest of the tab, and if you ask for a high one, you will get an overall cheaper premium. You can also get discounted insurance by having airbags and certain security devices installed on your car, but check with the local insurance companies to see what discounts they actually offer as they change frequently.

Following the above five steps, you should be able to determine if you should go with low or high liability, and if it’s worth adding collision and comprehensive or not, and how high your deductible should be. Now, shop around! Using what you know you need, compare prices and you will be able to get a cheap California auto insurance policy!



By: James Culp

When attempting to make an auto insurance comparison, not having sufficient knowledge of the industry can make it difficult. Auto insurance is broken into many parts and having a good general understanding of each of its elements is important to compare it accurately.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is required by most states’ laws, although the minimum amount of coverage required varies from state to state. Understanding those limits and what this coverage entails is very necessary in making an auto insurance comparison. Generally this type of coverage will be broken down to look something like: $25,000/$50,000/$25,000. This breakdown stands for: bodily injury liability maximum per person in one accident/ bodily injury liability maximum per accident counting all people involved/ property damage liability maximum.

Using the numbers above for example, if a person is in an accident in which they are found at fault, their insurance will only cover up to those amounts. So if that person is found at fault and the necessary amounts exceed his or her coverage limits, they will likely be held responsible to pay the additional amount out of pocket.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

There is a type of insurance available to help protect motorists from uninsured or underinsured drivers. This type of coverage varies depending on the state but can offer additional protection to the insured, generally for a nominal fee.

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

Also known as full coverage, comprehensive and collision insurance insure a persons’ car in the event they are at fault during an accident or other types of damage occur to their vehicle. An understanding of this type of coverage is essential in order to make an effective auto insurance comparison, as it can impact pricing greatly.

This coverage will appear in a format similar to $500/$500. This means that in the event something happens to your vehicle that is covered by your comprehensive or collision insurance, you will have to pay $500 per incident out of pocket and the insurance company will cover the rest.

Rental Reimbursement and Roadside Assistance

Understanding optional coverage such as rental reimbursement and roadside assistance (or towing coverage) can make a large difference when making an auto insurance comparison. Rental car reimbursement will cover a certain amount (depending on the coverage selected) per day of rental car charges should your vehicle become unavailable for a certain period of time due to an accident.

Roadside assistance coverage allows the insured to receive a variety of emergency services (depending on the plan) for free or a reduced charge. A person having his or her car towed is one example of this type of coverage.

Medical Coverage

Required and optional medical coverage varies greatly from state to state. Some states require insured to carry no-fault medical which covers them in the event of an accident, regardless of fault. Other states do not have this provision so insured are able to carry a certain amount, depending on their state laws and needs. Understanding medical coverage is essential to make an auto insurance comparison as it can cause rates to vary greatly.



By: John Hilaire

Do you know the laws in your state? Nearly all states require that drivers carry a minimum amount of auto liability insurance. That includes Utah. State minimum auto insurance liability coverage is generally quite low which, for most, means it is very affordable.

There is really no excuse not to have it, and why wouldn’t you? When you consider the degree of seriousness of many of the nation’s auto accidents, the costs of treating injured people from these events can be staggering. Even a short stay in a hospital without surgeries and advanced procedures can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. With the minimum amounts of liability coverage as low as ten thousand dollars, these amounts are hardly adequate.

Besides your home state requiring you to carry it, you need Utah auto insurance to make sure that if you cause an accident, you can afford to pay for the damage you caused. In addition to the basic liability coverage, you also may want to include Comprehensive (Comp) and Collision – coverage that ensures you can replace or repair your vehicle in the event it is damaged. Although states don’t require Comp & Collision, the bank that loaned you the money to buy that shiny new car probably will. With a new car and a whopping loan to go along with it, you won’t want to be out a vehicle when it is wrecked and still be responsible for making a payment on a worthless pile of scrap metal in the junk yard.

So the three main reasons to get Utah auto insurance are:

1. It’s the law in most states. Hefty fines, loss of your license and even jail time can result if you’re caught without auto insurance.

2. You will set yourself on a clear path to bankruptcy without coverage if your unintentional actions behind the wheel cause injury or death to another human being. Causing property damage with your vehicle could also land you in the poor house if you don’t carry Utah auto insurance.

3. You need to protect your hardware investment and the loan you acquired to make that investment. In other words, you’ll still be responsible for getting from point A to point B when you don’t have your car. And likewise, the bank will expect that you’ll continue to make the payments as well.

Utah auto insurance is a must-have. We should all consider ourselves lucky that most states require auto insurance coverage and that there are insurance companies around to absorb the risk.

Finance.Quandas.com. “Why do I need auto insurance?” QandAs: Finance. 5 Oct. 2009 [http://finance.qandas.com/insurance/why-do-i-need-auto-insurance.html].



By: L.a. Bowen Insurance