Choose The Right Liability Car Insurance Coverage Levels
Auto insurance is financial protection, and not just for the investment you made when you bought your car. After a really serious accident, bills for damage and injuries can easily reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you happen to cause such a wreck, the victims could sue you. In the worst case scenario, assets such as your savings and home could be seized.
Liability auto insurance protects you from that worst case scenario by providing a cushion between your assets and the amount youre on the hook for. For this reason, choosing the right auto liability limits is the most important part of your car insurance quote comparison. NerdWallet typically recommends having at least as much liability coverage as your net worth.
But liability coverage levels come in threes youll probably see something like 50/100/50 up to 250/500/250 in typical policies. You can think of these limits like: individual injuries / total injuries / property damage. Insurers are a little more technical, calling them bodily injury liability, total bodily injury liability and physical damage liability.
Liability insurance comes in thousand-dollar increments, so when you choose an auto insurance policy with 100/300/100 limits, youll be choosing:
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$100,000 for bodily injuries per person you injure in a crash.
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$300,000 total for all bodily injuries you cause in a crash.
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$100,000 for damage to any property you cause in a crash, including cars, buildings and objects like mailboxes and lampposts.
Cheap Car Insurance Quotes Comparison
To keep your quotes low, you should be mindful of the following:
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Your level of coverage
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Fewer coverage add-ons and lower limits will keep your car insurance costs low, but they also might leave you vulnerable to out-of-pocket costs in the event of an accident.
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Your selected deductible
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The higher your deductible, the lower your car insurance costs. However, you should make sure you can afford to pay your deductible in the event of an accident.
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Providers have discounts for everythingfrom owning a home to earning a 3.5 GPA at school. Most insurance-comparison sites will ask you questions to ascertain which discounts youre eligible for. Make sure to answer those correctly to keep your quotes low.
Check Coverage Options And Discounts
Make sure the companies youâre considering provide coverage options and price breaks that match your driver profile. For example, if you want pet injury coverage included and the option to have a usage-based plan or accident forgiveness, check to see if these are offered. If you have a teen driver and work from home, a company with good student and low-mileage discounts is worth considering.
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Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes
How much you pay for car insurance will depend on a number of factors, including your age and driving history. Heres a look at the cheapest car insurance for certain types of drivers.
Averages are based on rates from 78 auto insurance companies nationwide. *USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families. |
Its not cheap to add a teenage driver to your car insurance policy because young new drivers pose a greater risk to insurers. We analyzed rates from 78 car insurance companies nationwide to find the cheapest car insurance for teens and found that adding a teenage driver to a parent policy will increase the premium by an average of $2,121 a year.
This amount typically doubles the parents premium. But it is still usually less expensive to add a young driver to a parent policy rather than for the teen driver to get their own.
Nationwide Auto Insurance Discounts

Nationwide offers several discounts, especially for drivers with safe driving habits. If you have a driver in high school or college, look for Nationwides discounts for good students.
Other car insurance discounts from Nationwide include:
- Multi-policy discount: You can save on both your home and auto insurance policies when you bundle them together.
- Accident-free and safe driver discounts: If you have a clean driving record you could receive a discount.
- Defensive driving discount: This is a discount for completing a state-approved safety course.
- Good student discount: If you have a young driver between the age 16 to 24 who has a B average or better in high school or college, you could be eligible for savings.
- Anti-theft discount: Ask about this discount if your vehicle is equipped with certain anti-theft devices.
- Easy pay sign-up discount: This is a one-time discount for setting up an automatic payment from your bank.
- Paperless discount: You can get a discount for receiving your insurance documents and bills electronically.
More:Nationwide Car Insurance Review
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What Happens When I Receive A Car Insurance Quote I Like
We assume the quote you like best is the lowest one youre shown.
Once you complete our form, well show you a list of quotes and provide a reference number for the lowest quote youre offered.
In most circumstances, the brokerage will get in touch with you right away. Or, you can call the broker directly with the phone number we provide.
The broker we connect you with will have access to the answers you provided on our form. Theyll be ready to discuss your lowest quote and take you through the process of buying a policy.
Weve designed our service so that we do all the heavy lifting for you.
Jessica Vomiero
About the Author
Jessica is the former Associate Editor for LowestRates.ca. Before joining the team, Jessica worked as a National Online Journalist with Globalnews.ca and previously spearheaded the launch of the Business Section at one of Canada’s largest technology websites, MobileSyrup.
What Affects Your Car Insurance Premium
Factors that could make your insurance more expensive include:
- being younger or newly qualified
- living in a postcode with a higher rate of motor accidents or crime
- having a more expensive and/or more powerful car
- a very high or very low annual mileage
- a job title seen as high risk by insurers
- any driving convictions and past claims
- parking your car on the street rather than in a garage.
While you may not be able to change insurers’ views of you, read on for several ways you can bring down the cost of car insurance.
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Average Car Insurance Rates For Different Drivers
How much do different factors affect your chances of getting cheap car insurance? In our analysis of rates from 10 large insurers, poor credit was the highest hurdle to cheap car insurance rates. A DUI conviction and causing an accident that injured someone else also lead to higher rates.
Whatever your situation, you can look for a better deal by comparing car insurance quotes. Even drivers with excellent records need to do some shopping around to find the best rates.
Heres a look at average annual rates for different types of drivers.
Type of driver |
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Averages are based on rates nationwide from 10 large auto insurance companies. |
Review And Compare Liability Limits
Liability coverage is required in most states. You can easily check your minimum state car insurance coverages.
If liability limit doesn’t sound familiar, you may know it better in this format: 100/300/50.
That’s just an example, but you’ll commonly see three numbers listed together on an auto insurance quote.
- 100 = $100,000 per person in bodily injury liability coverage limit
- 300 = $300,000 per occurrence in bodily injury liability coverage
- 50 = $50,000 per occurrence in property damage liability coverage
Bodily injury liability coverage may pay if you are in an accident and responsible for another person’s injury.
Property damage liability coverage may pay if you’re responsible for damage to another person’s property. For more details, review additional information on car insurance coverages.
If you’ve stepped up your insurance terms game as a result of the above information, get a fast auto insurance quote from GEICO and see how much you could save.
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What Factors Impact Your Car Insurance Quotes
There are a number of factors that can impact your car insurance quotes, including:
1. Your age and driving history. Younger drivers and those with more accidents or tickets on their records typically pay higher rates than older, more experienced drivers.
2. Your Location. Where you live can also affect your premiums, especially if you live in a high-traffic or accident-prone area.
3. The make and model of your car. Luxury vehicles, sports cars, and other types of high-risk cars may have higher premiums than more practical vehicles.
4. Your coverage options. Different providers offer different levels of coverage, so its important to compare the coverage options that each provider offers and choose one that best suits your needs.
5. Your deductibles and limits. Higher deductibles or lower coverage limits can help save you money on car insurance, but these should be chosen carefully to ensure you have adequate protection in case of an accident. Its important to consider all of the factors that can impact your car insurance quotes when choosing a policy, so you can find the best deal and feel confident in your coverage.
Cheap Car Insurance For Modified Cars
Whether your car has been modified for a disability, or to give it a unique look, insurance can become more complicated – and more costly.
You’ll need to notify your insurer about any modifications, at which point it may increase your premium.
A modified car insurance policy covers your car and any modifications you or a previous owner has made.
Get a car insurance quote with Confused.com
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Start Comparing Car Insurance Quotes From Different Companies
Now you can begin collecting online car insurance quotes. Request rates from at least three different insurers. Be careful to compare the same coverage by using the same liability limits, identical deductibles and optional coverages.
Also, be sure to follow up with potential insurers about any car insurance discounts you may qualify for. There may be additional discounts offered that are not part of the online quote process. For instance, you may be asked how many miles you drive a year to see if youre eligible for a low-mileage discount, but you may not be asked what your teen drivers grades are, which could snag you a good-student discount.
Now that you know what coverages and limits you need, start now by finding car insurance companies in your area.
What Car Insurance Discounts Should I Look For

Discounts on vehicle safety equipment, such as airbags, are easy to get. Make sure to get a bundling discount by buying from the same company if you need more than one type of insurance policy.
Good driver car insurance discounts are common. If you have a teen or young adult driver, you may be able to get a good student discount. And you may be able to get a small discount for things you would do anyway, like going paperless by receiving insurance bills and policies electronically.
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Look For Flexible Payment Options
In today’s economy, we know money can be tight. At Nationwide, you can choose whether you want to pay monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. You also can choose to pay by check, debit or credit card, through the mail, online or over the phone. We also offer paperless billing, which allows you to save money on postage by scheduling recurring automatic payments and may qualify you for our one-time Easy Pay sign-up discount.
Does A Low Car Insurance Rate Mean You’ll Get The Best Coverage
*Average savings amount based on national GEICO New Policyholder survey data through June 2022.
**Customer satisfaction based on an independent study conducted by Alan Newman Research, 2022.
***The GEICO Mobile app and site received #1 rankings according to the Dynatrace Q1 and Q3 2020 Mobile Insurance Scorecards
Recurring Card Payments charged to a credit or debit card and Electronic Funds Transfer payments made under a recurring payment plan are subject to installment fee charges. Please refer to your premium bill for installment fee details and amounts.
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies, or in all situations. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Homeowners, renters, and condo coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, LLC. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076 a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2022 GEICO
Please note:
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Cheapest Car Insurance In California For Drivers With Bad Credit
In California, car insurance companies cannot use your credit score to determine your premiums. While insurers in most states use credit scores to determine premium costs, California is an exception. However, as a good credit score can have many financial benefits, its still advisable to improve your score if possible.
State Farm: Best For Student Drivers
If youre under the age of 25, its a good idea to look into State Farm auto insurance. Thats because the company has the best good-student discount in the industry you can save up to 25% for having good grades. State Farms Steer Clear® educational app can help drivers under 25 save up to an additional 20%. And, if youre a good driver, you can enroll in the Drive Safe & SaveTM program to stack another discount on the pile. State Farm is the largest provider in the U.S. and has an A++ financial strength rating.
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Does Using A Price Comparison Site Affect My Credit Rating
This is potentially the case if you apply for a deal paid for in monthly instalments, but this would be the same if you’d gone to the insurer directly without using a comparison site.
What you may notice is that a number of insurers will run ‘soft’ searches on your credit record to verify your identity. You will see these on your , but soft searches won’t be visible to other companies and won’t affect your rating.
How Do I Get The Best Car Insurance Quote
Simply compare multiple providers when you shop to get the best car insurance quote. Besides that, make sure you provide accurate information to qualify for discounts. You can also build your credit, concentrate on driving safely, and try out a usage-based program to further lower your car insurance costs.
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Why Should You Use Bankrate To Compare Auto Insurance Quotes
As a trusted name in the financial services sector since 1976, Bankrate began as a print publication geared towards bankers and those in the banking industry. Since our inception, weve expanded our expertise, and today, Bankrates insurance editorial team includes four licensed agents with real-world experience across multiple property and casualty products. We use a mix of proprietary rate data and third-party scoring to bring you accurate, helpful and easy-to-understand information that you can use to find the best car insurance company to fit your needs.
How Do You Compare Car Insurance Online

To compare car insurance quotes and policies, you can use a comparison platform like Insurify, which offers drivers up to eight personalized quotes from top local and national providers. All you have to do is answer a few questions about you and your car, compare quotes, and buy your policyall in one place.
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Average Savings For Increasing A $500 Deductible
Company | |
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$246 | $607 |
Its wise to compare car insurance quotes for varying deductible amounts to see if its worth taking on a higher deductible. For instance, with USAA, if you bump up to a $2,000 deductible, youre only saving $4 over what you would save by raising the deductible to only $1,000. With Westfield, you save the same amount, $246, if you increase your deductible to $1,000 or $1,500, so the smart move is to only go to a $1,000 deductible.
Should You Get The Cheapest Car Insurance In California
It depends the most affordable option is not necessarily the best for you. Although Progressive offers the cheapest auto insurance in California, AAA is the best company for balancing cost and customer service.
Additionally, the cheapest insurance policies often come with less coverage, meaning less protection. For example, California’s minimum coverage auto insurance doesnt cover damage to your car on and off the road.
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Could Not Claiming Save You Money
It’s counter-intuitive, but sometimes not claiming on your insurance, and paying for repairs out of your pocket, could save you money over the longer term.
This is because claiming could incur an excess, reduce your NCD and lead to an increase in your premium.
Our guide to claiming on your car insurance explains the calculation you should undertake when deciding whether to claim
You should inform your insurer about an incident whether or not you claim which could also affect your premium.
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