How Much Car Insurance Do I Need
In addition to state minimums, you should get additional liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage to protect your assets in the event of an accident. The same goes for Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance.
As for collision and comprehensive insurance, these cover the cost of damage to your car so you should focus on the deductible you want to pay. A high deductible will mean a low premium, whereas with a low deductible you’ll pay a higher premium.
Does My Cars Body Type Affect Insurance
Yes, the specific trim and body type can also raise or lower your rates.
Convertibles, sports cars and SUVs tend to be more expensive to insure. Soft top convertibles are easier to break into. Its too tempting not to drive fast in a sports car, and this gives them a higher risk of being involved in a crash.
If you opt for an upgraded trim or a few extra features, changes are that raised your cars MSRP. Springing for heated seats or a fancy sound system wouldnt typically be enough to change insurance rates significantly, but insuring a car with several thousand dollars in upgrades might raise your rates enough to matter.
Use Of Mobile Apps In Auto Insurance Claims
The last couple of years have pushed car insurance companies to streamline auto accident claims through more easily accessible means, such as mobile apps.
Tech-savvy drivers seem happy to engage with insurance companies and repair facilities via mobile apps in order to speed up their claims, but what about injury claims? CCC Information Services, a provider of data and technologies to the automotive industry, surveyed more than 500 drivers who had a minor injury from a low-impact auto accident within the last two years. CCC found that 91% of respondents used a mobile app during their auto insurance claims process. More than half of respondents used a car insurance app for the first time after their accidents.
Nearly three-quarters of the drivers had a positive impression of the claims process. A majority of respondents, 89%, said that they both would use a mobile app to submit claims and select an insurance company that offers an accelerated mobile payment option if these items would speed up the claims process.
While most injured drivers surveyed used a mobile app during some part of their claims process, only 37% submitted their injury claim using their auto insurance companys mobile app.
If youre injured in an accident, consider using your insurers mobile app to keep informed about your claims status and speed along the process.
Here are the mobile app features survey respondents used for their claims:
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Which Makes And Models Are Cheaper To Insure
In general, the cheaper the car, the cheaper your insurance rates. Safer, cheaper cars present less risk to an insurer because theyre safer in a crash and tend to have cheaper replacement parts. Japanese manufacturers like Honda, Toyota and Subaru are often at the top of the list of cheapest cars to insure, while luxury and sports cars made by BMW and Buick land on the pricier side of insurance rates.
Buying A Used Car Waycom Is Your Best Bet For Used Car Insurance

If youre in the market for a used car, consider any model from the list above to find cheap car insurance. You could save thousands of dollars in car insurance every year by picking the right make and model. However, make sure you compare quotes from several car insurance companies before buying a policy, as the cost of used car insurance can vary widely. Use our car insurance tool to get started and get the best car insurance rates for your zip code.
Check out our blogs for info on finding top-rated airport parking, the best parking spots in your city, and affordable car washes near you.
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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.
How Much Car Insurance Costs By Marital Status
Your car insurance costs can be affected by whether youre married, divorced, or single. We found that the cost of auto insurance is lowest for married drivers. If youre married, your rates cost $5 less than average per month.
Being single or divorced means that your insurance costs will be more expensive. Car insurance costs drivers who are single $6 more per month than average, while rates are about $5 more expensive than average for single drivers.
Table sorted alphabetically by violation.
When do you need an SR-22?
After a DUI or serious driving violation, your state may require you to prove that you have insurance by getting an SR-22 or FR-44 form. Both of these forms carry an additional fee on top of your increased insurance costs.
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Compare Car Insurance Companies
Use NerdWallet’s reviews to compare car insurance companies and find the best one for you. NerdWallet has researched policy options, consumer complaint data, customer satisfaction ratings, financial stability and more for all of the country’s top auto insurance companies as well as many smaller, regional insurers.
Shop Around For Car Insurance
Be sure to get several quotes online, or even from a local insurance agent.
Keep in mind that the cheapest insurance isn’t always the best. Focus on the coverage you need and make sure you’re getting quotes that reflect that. If you think a cheap car insurance quote is too good to be true, it likely is.
If you find a good deal, you’ll want to learn more about .
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More About Travelers Car Insurance
Travelers sells car, boat and yacht insurance . Optional auto insurance add-ons include roadside assistance coverage and rental reimbursement coverage.
For drivers who want to protect a vehicle when its financed or leased, Travelers offers loan/lease gap insurance. If your vehicle is totaled, this coverage can pay your the difference between the actual cash value of the car and the remaining balance of your loan or lease.
More About Allstate Car Insurance
Allstate sells vehicle insurance for cars, motorcycles, classic cars and boats. For those that enjoy the outdoors and adventure, Allstate also offers coverage for ATVs and RVs.
Optional coverage that can be added to an Allstate policy include roadside assistance, rental reimbursement and sound system insurance. Allstate also offers add-on coverage of gap insurance, new car replacement and diminishing deductible.
Gap insurance helps if your car is totaled in an accident and you owe more than the vehicles value. Alllstates new car replacement coverage will pay to replace your car with a new car of the same make and model if it is two model years old or less and totaled in an accident covered by your policy. And enrolling in the diminishing deductible gets you $100 off your collision deductible immediately, and if you remain claim-free you can continue to reduce your deductible each year, up to a maximum of $500 off.
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Risk Of Causing Damage
If a large SUV gets in an accident, it may cause more damage and injury than a compact sedan. And taller vehicles like SUVs, pickups, and vans are more likely to roll over. The greater risk of costly damage or serious injury means a greater risk for the insurer, which may result in higher premiums.
These are just a few factors that can affect your insurance rate. Learn more about other car insurance cost factors.
Do Car Insurance Companies Check Your Credit

Your credit score will factor into your insurance premiums a better credit score gets you a lower premium. Studies indicate that drivers with high credit scores are less likely to file claims than those with low credit scores. Car insurance companies check your driving and to determine your liability risk.
This inquiry is a “soft pull” that won’t impact your credit score. Before applying for car insurance, you might want to check your credit score using a such as Chase Credit Journey or and take steps to improve your score to secure a lower car insurance premium.
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Collision And Comprehensive Insurance
Collision and comprehensive insurance pay for repairs to your car for a variety of problems, such as car accidents , car theft, vandalism, fires, floods, falling objects and collisions with animals.
While collision and comprehensive coverage are often sold together, you can purchase them individually. For example, if you only want coverage for problems like theft and floods, you can get a car insurance quote for comprehensive insurance without collision.
Just keep in mind that buying one without the other can leave you with a significant coverage gap. For example, if you back into a pole, you need collision coverage to pay for repairs.
If you have a car loan or lease, youâre likely required to carry both anyway.
Choices That Affect Car Insurance Rates
Some decisions a driver makes can influence the cost of their car insurance. Heres a look at a few of those factors:
- Coverage level: Minimum coverage on your vehicle will cost less than full coverage car insurance. However, youll receive very little protection for your car in the event of an accident if you opt for the state minimum coverage limit.
- Deductible amount: Those with high deductibles receive lower rates for auto insurance, but they also pay more out of pocket when damages occur.
- Bundled policies: You could pay a lower price if you put other types of insurance, such as homeowners or renters coverage, under the same policy as your car coverage.
- Annual mileage: Insurance companies typically charge lower rates for policyholders who dont drive as much since spending less time on the road makes them less likely to get into accidents.
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Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays for medical bills and other expenses like lost wages when you are in a car accident caused by someone who doesnât carry liability insurance, or who does not carry enough liability insurance to cover all your medical bills.
Some states require that car owners have uninsured motorist insurance.
Why Does The Car You Drive Affect Your Insurance Rates
Insurers set their premiums based on the likelihood that a driver of a certain vehicle will file a claim, and the expected cost of a claim should it be involved in an accident.
If drivers of a particular type of car file claims at a higher rate even if they have a good driving record they will have to pay more.
This is why sports cars, which are more likely to be involved in accidents because of their high performance, often are expensive to insure.
Vehicles that cost more to repair or have high market values will also often have higher insurance rates. This is because insurance companies anticipate having to pay out more for any comprehensive and collision insurance claims, which cover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle, for high-cost cars. Because of this heightened risk for insurers, they increase premiums. This is also why car insurance rates may decrease as your car ages increasing the availability of replacement parts can make a repair cheaper.
However, sophisticated safety features such as early crash detection or advanced airbags may reduce your rates, as they may reduce the likelihood or severity of a crash, especially regarding injury. While vehicle damage claims are more common than bodily injury claims, the average payout for the latter is much higher.
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Cheapest Car Insurance New Orleans: Age And Marital Status
Age factors into auto insurance rates significantly. Younger drivers tend to be less experienced and more likely to get into car accidents, so insurance providers consider them bigger risks to insure. As a result, young drivers often pay higher rates for coverage.
Marital status also affects rates, since married drivers are more likely to buy homes and bundle insurance than single drivers. Not all married drivers may find cheap car insurance in Louisiana, but theyll likely pay lower rates than single drivers with similar profiles.
The table below shows average rates for full-coverage insurance for single 24-year-old drivers and married 35-year-old drivers in New Orleans. Single 24-year-olds often pay a few hundred dollars more than married 35-year-old drivers.
Car Insurance Company |
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$5,854 |
Shop Car Insurance: Compare Online Rates
- How To Calculate Car Insurance
- Car Insurance Rates By State
- How To Keep Car Insurance Rates Low
- How Often Should You Shop For Car Insurance?
- Shop Auto Insurance: Conclusion
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Partner Content: This content was created by a business partner of Motor1 and researched and written independently of the Motor1 newsroom. Links in this article may result in us earning a commission. Learn More
It can be difficult to shop car insurance. Between comparing car insurance quotes, providers, and coverage options, you must consider a lot of information. This article will help you navigate the important details and explain how to find the lowest car insurance quotes for the coverage you need.
Our review team has researched dozens of providers and compiled a list of the best car insurance companies in the business, ranking insurers based on price, customer service, and financial stability. When youre ready to shop car insurance and start comparing options, this list is a good place to start.
If youre looking for a step-by-step walkthrough on purchasing a car insurance policy, check out our nine easy steps on how to buy car insurance.
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How Do I Get Free Car Insurance Quotes
Here are two ways to get car insurance quotes, which are always free:
1. Online. Many auto insurance companies offer free car insurance quotes online. You can visit several insurance company websites and compare quotes. To save time, use a website that provides quotes from multiple companies.
2. Speak with or visit a local insurance agent who can help you find affordable car insurance options and get you a car insurance quote.
There are generally two types of insurance agents:
1. A âcaptiveâ agent works for one insurance company and can give you a quote only from that insurer
2. An âindependentâ insurance agent can sell policies from multiple insurance companies and can get you quotes from different insurers.
There are benefits to both approaches, and thereâs no law against contacting multiple insurance agents. It doesnât hurt to get online quotes and also speak with an agent who can help you identify your coverage needs and tailor a policy thatâs the best fit for you.
How To Get Cheap Car Insurance

Price is one of the key factors that drive customers’ satisfaction with their car insurer, according to J.D. Power & Associates. So if you’re wondering, “Where can I get cheap car insurance?” you aren’t alone.
To help find cheap car insurance, here are nine steps a motorist can take:
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