Does Insurance Cover Catalytic Converter Theft?
Catalytic converter theft is on the rise and may continue to rise. See which type of car insurance will pay for you to replace yours if it gets stolen.
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Catalytic converter theft is on the rise and may continue to rise. See which type of car insurance will pay for you to replace yours if it gets stolen.
If you get too many points on your license in an 18-month period you could face a license suspension. See how points rack up and how you can reduce them.
If you have been in an at-fault car accident, it will affect your monthly insurance payments. However, you can save up to 40% of what most insurers are offering you. See how.
Speeding tickets vary depending on where in Ohio you live, how fast you were going and what zone you were driving in. See how speeding points can affect your insurance rates.
You can buy a car without insurance. However, you will likely not be able to legally drive said vehicle unless it is insured. See what options you have.
Technology, microchip shortages and inflation are driving up the costs of buying a car and insuring it. See how you can save money on car insurance.
If you have a loss that is covered by the terms of your car insurance, you can file an insurance claim with your insurance company for coverage, compensation or for representation if you are liable for damages. For example, if you have an accident, you can file a claim to cover the cost of the damages to your automobile. If your car is stolen, you can file a claim for compensation for the loss. You need to file a claim on whether an accident or loss is your fault or not.
A deductible is the amount you need to pay before your insurance company begins to pay for your damages or loss. You choose the deductible amount when you buy insurance. The lower your deductible, the higher your premiums (payments) will be and vice versa. When choosing a deductible, consider whether or not you can pay the deductible amount if you find yourself at a loss. A high deductible on a newer, more expensive vehicle may result in great savings but ask yourself if you’ll have the emergency fund to pay that high deductible if you have a collision. The savings on an older, less valuable car will not be much if you choose a high deductible, so it’s sensible to keep the deductible low.
An insurance endorsement is an addition to an insurance policy, changing the terms or scope of the original policy. Endorsements are also called riders or floaters. Some common car insurance endorsements include gap insurance, new car replacement, roadside assistance, and car rental insurance.
When you buy a car insurance policy, you are signing a contract specifying what you pay in exchange for specific terms of coverage on your vehicle. Your policy will include your declarations page, which has a basic policy and vehicle information, the amount you agree to pay and your deductible amounts. If you have any, you will also see your endorsements and discounts here. In your policy, you will also find your insuring agreement with terms of overage as well as exclusions and conditions. At the very end of an auto policy, you will find a definitions section, which goes over terms used throughout the policy.
The premium is the amount you agree to pay in exchange for protection from an insurance company. Annual and monthly payments are how most people pay for insurance. Others pay semi-annually or quarterly.
A liability, in general, is an obligation to, or something you owe someone, as a legal financial debt. Liability insurance protects you against legal costs and payouts you would otherwise be responsible to pay out-of-pocket.
This form of coverage is required in every state. It covers bodily injuries to a third party in an accident that was deemed your fault.
This form of coverage is required in every state. It covers property damage and loss of use to a third party.
This type of protection is also known as “no-fault insurance” and is required in some states. PIP will cover you if you’ve been injured in an accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Coverages include income continuation, loss of services, funeral expenses and child-care expenses.
This coverage pays for damages and loss other than that caused by a collision. It is subject to a deductible.
This coverage pays for damages and loss caused by impact with another automobile, object or person. It is subject to a deductible.
This coverage pays for medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident caused by someone who doesn’t have liability insurance.
This coverage pays for medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident caused by someone whose liability limits are lower than what’s needed.
This coverage pays the value of a brand-new vehicle of the same make and model, minus the deductible if your car is declared a total loss.
This coverage helps you get back and driving if you have a roadside breakdown.
If you rent a car while yours is in the shop, you are eligible for $50 a day up to 30 days, if the damage to the car was a covered loss.
Without charge, you can replace major parts like tires, brakes, and batteries regardless of wear and tear and depreciation value at the time of the accident.
This protection covers you if your car is declared a total loss and you owe more on the car than its covered depreciated value.
If you drive for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft, this coverage protects you during that period of time when you’re covered by neither your personal auto insurance nor your rideshare company’s insurance.
Drivers with a clean policy may be fully forgiven for their first accident without seeing a price increase as a result of the accident.
Do you know what replacement parts will be used to repair your vehicle after it’s been in an accident? This coverage guarantees original parts made by the car manufacturer, not a third party.
Certain parts of your profile affect your car insurance rates more than others, and every insurer has their own specific formula to decide how much risk you pose. The following are the most heavily weighted factors used to determine car insurance rates:
Young drivers pay the highest rates for auto insurance. Teens are seen as the riskiest to insure because statistically they drive less cautiously and are involved in more accidents than any other age group. Your rates begin to be more reasonable at age 20 but are still dramatically high until 25 or 26. Age 50 is on the other side of the spectrum and sees a dip in auto insurance rates.
Liability insurance is required in nearly every state. Some states require more coverage. No-fault states, for instance, require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. See car insurance rates by location
Each state has different requirements. Some only require liability insurance whereas “no-fault’ states require drivers to carry personal injury protection, also called PIP. Even if the state you live in only requires that you carry liability insurance when leasing or financing a car, the lienholder will most likely require that you also buy collision and comprehensive insurance in case you have an accident.
You can also choose the limits of protection. You’ll see a breakdown of the limits you choose on the declaration page of your policy packet. The limits of coverage will be expressed like this: 20/40/15. What you are covered for in this instance is:
$20,000 for bodily injury liability $40,000 per accident for bodily injury liability $15,000 per accident for property damage liability.
The make/model and year of your car, SUV or truck will greatly impact your auto insurance rate. For one thing, your rate is based on the overall value of the vehicle, so the more expensive your vehicle is the more you pay.
A history of car crashes, a couple of cars stolen and some DUIs will raise your rates. However, if you have no incidents within a given year, your rate may drop.
State | High Risk Drivers | Safe Drivers* |
Alabama | $174.17 | $98.49 |
Alaska | $182.01 | $129.27 |
Arizona | $187.82 | $114.81 |
Arkansas | $158.26 | $108.8 |
California | $238.51 | $164.74 |
Colorado | $204.7 | $131.73 |
Connecticut | $201.93 | $142.07 |
Delaware | $178.63 | $136.15 |
District of Columbia | $274.71 | $175.35 |
Florida | $335.57 | $222.79 |
Georgia | $191.19 | $130.65 |
Hawaii | $168.05 | $116.35 |
Idaho | $102.22 | $63.18 |
Illinois | $146.99 | $103.37 |
Indiana | $124.89 | $90.14 |
Iowa | $116.49 | $75.8 |
Kansas | $170.65 | $105.69 |
Kentucky | $202.47 | $138.36 |
Louisiana | $297.14 | $198.62 |
Maine | $107.25 | $68.71 |
Maryland | $238.81 | $143.73 |
Massachusetts | $186.12 | $119.47 |
Michigan | $180.29 | $132.24 |
Minnesota | $161.22 | $104.68 |
Mississippi | $183.92 | $92.83 |
Missouri | $162.46 | $104.35 |
Montana | $162.59 | $99.05 |
Nebraska | $135.87 | $83.19 |
Nevada | $203.21 | $136.93 |
New Hampshire | $127.54 | $85.19 |
New Jersey | $271.51 | $170.2 |
New Mexico | $167.47 | $103.94 |
New York | $245.19 | $205.34 |
North Carolina | $144.59 | $78.25 |
North Dakota | $135.81 | $88.74 |
Ohio | $129.06 | $94.94 |
Oklahoma | $190.46 | $128.37 |
Oregon | $154.93 | $92.95 |
Pennsylvania | $177.45 | $136.83 |
Rhode Island | $179.64 | $136.09 |
South Carolina | $152.11 | $104.47 |
South Dakota | $153.27 | $103.01 |
Tennessee | $145.73 | $78.4 |
Texas | $189.73 | $132.95 |
Utah | $166.63 | $101.11 |
Vermont | $142.93 | $82.23 |
Virginia | $140.4 | $94.64 |
Washington | $136.74 | $93.07 |
West Virginia | $166.74 | $102.29 |
Wisconsin | $126.43 | $81.41 |
Wyoming | $218.31 | $134.24 |
Some states do not use credit scores to determine car insurance rates while others do. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s data, drivers with lower credit scores file more claims than drivers with good credit. In addition, the claims filed by drivers with lower credit scores are usually more expensive.
Credit Rating | US avg monthly rate |
Excellent | $193.06 |
Good | $173.63 |
Poor | $149.33 |
The number of years you have been driving will affect your rate, so if you avoid filing claims (and accidents), your rate should decrease over time. With experience, drivers make fewer mistakes that lead to collisions and theft.
Your location is also a big determining factor for your auto insurance rate. Your zip code tells a car insurance carrier how prone you are to floods, crime, wildfires, and other perils that may cause damage or loss of your vehicle.
Most states still use gender as a determining factor in setting car insurance rates. While most people assume that male teens pay the highest car insurance rates, the truth is that rates vary depending on the carrier. Some carriers charge female teens more while others charge male teens more. The numbers continue to be just as haphazard as the driver gets older. So, gender is a determining factor but not in any consistent, quantifiable way.
Continuous coverage is one of the most important factors used to determine vehicle insurance rates. If you were licensed without insurance, it’s often assumed that you were driving uninsured, a fact that renders a driver much riskier to insure.
If you have filed claims or had claims filed against you, you’re likely to have a much higher rate than someone with one or no accidents. At-fault accidents take the biggest hit on your rate.
The number of times a vehicle has traded hands and the type of car ownership also affect insurance rates. In other words, your rates vary according to whether your car is owned, leased or financed.
Your annual mileage is a big determining factor for rates. This is because the more you drive the more at-risk you are of getting into an accident. Some carriers offer considerable discounts to people who drive less than 7500 or 5000 miles a year.
Married drivers are seen as lower risk than single ones, mainly because they file fewer claims than a single driver.
If you have the minimum state requirement for car insurance, you will pay less than if you add on coverage. State requirements for minimum coverage vary, with some states requiring only liability insurance while others require liability and personal injury protection (PIP).
After a claim is filed and processed, you are required to pay a deductible amount before coverage takes effect. You set a deductible rate when you first get insured. Usually, you choose from the following: $250, $500 or $1,000. The less you pay for a deductible, the higher your premiums will be and vice versa. To lower your premiums, you can raise your deductible.
If you prefer to start your car insurance quote online, you can use an insurance comparison-shopping engine, like SmartFinancial, to get many free cheap car insurance quotes, which will accurately reflect the prices offered in your area and based on your information.
Once you start the process on SmartFinancial.com, you’ll answer some questions, which will determine how accurate your online car insurance quote will be. Usually, when you’re given the official quote, the information will be on hand and in your records so it does you no good to lie. In fact, if you’re caught lying, your car insurance rates may go up because you’ll be seen as a potentially high-risk driver. an insurance comparison engine like SmartFinancial’s can give you an accurate quote in 5 minutes unless you have multiple cars and multiple drivers, which would tack on another couple of minutes.
SmartFinancial only partners with the top carriers in the country. Some of these insurance companies work in every state, others do not. Learn more about each carrier below.
Dairyland Auto 1 Month | American National P |
NatGen PPA | PEMCO |
Concord Group | Countryway Insurance |
MMG Insurance Company | SafeAuto |
SECURA Insurance | North Carolina Farm Bureau |
Buckeye Insurance Group | Indiana Farmers Mutual Ins |
Texas Farm Bureau Group | Pekin Insurance |
Kemper Auto Premier | Union Mutual Fire Group |
IMT Insurance Company | Farmers Mutual of Nebraska |
Virginia Farm Bureau | Clearcover |
New Jersey Manufacturers | West Bend Mutual |
Capital Insurance Group | Western Reserve |
Mississippi Farm Bureau | Southern Farm Bureau |
Unigard | MO Farm Bureau Services |
Commerce Group Inc | Kentucky Farm Bureau |
Tennessee Farmers | Oregon Mutual |
USAA | Colorado Farm Bureau Mutual |
Ohio Mutual Ins Group | Partners Mutual Insurance Co |
Auto-Owners Insurance Co | Farm Bureau Mutual (IA Group) |
Safety Group | Patriot Group |
Cameron Mutual Group | National General RAD |
Co-Operative Ins Companies | Rural Mutual Insurance |
Grinnell Mutual | Oklahoma Farmers Union |
Columbia Insurance Group | Country |
Nodak Mutual | United Farm Bureau of IN Group |
Umialik Insurance | Erie |
Mercury Insurance | Norfolk and Dedham Group |
GMAC Insurance Group | First Chicago Insurance |
Rockford Mutual Insurance | North Star |
Penn National | State Farm |
Mutual Of Enumclaw | Hastings Mutual Insurance Co |
Atlantic States Insurance | ALFA |
Western National | Plymouth Rock |
Cincinnati Insurance | Dairyland FR Bond |
Dairyland Auto 6 Month | Republic Indemnity |
Arbella Insurance Group | NatGen Advantage |
ACE American Pool | Safeco |
Grange | American Family |
Celina Insurance Group | Plymouth Rock Assurance |
Nationwide | NatGen Value |
Travelers | Dairyland Broadform |
Farm Bureau of ID Group | Shelter |
California Capital | National General Value |
National Grange Mutual | Mercury |
Unitrin | Vermont Mutual |
Quincy Mutual | Auto Club |
American Independent Ins Co | Frankenmuth Mutual |
New York Central Mutual Fire | Dairyland Realtime |
Westfield | Hartford |
National General | Mercury Insurance Company |
Permanent General | Safeway |
MEEMIC Insurance Company | Alliance United |
Allied | National Farmers Union P |
Acuity | Motorists Mutual |
Kemper Personal Insurance | Pioneer State Mutual Ins Co |
Allstate | Sentry |
Grange Mutual | Dairyland Scored |
Chubb | Wolverine Mutual |
CSAA | Direct Auto |
Auto Club Group | Metropolitan |
Electric | Dairyland |
Farm Bureau Ins of MI | AIG |
Farmers | Liberty Mutual |
Esurance | State Auto |
Kemper Premium | Donegal Mutual Insurance Co |
Encompass | Automobile Club of Missouri |
Direct General Insurance | Safe Auto |
Bristol West | Kemper Auto |
Maryland Auto Insurance Fund | Kemper Auto | Infinity |
United Automobile Ins Group | Southern Ins Co of Virginia |
Central Mutual Insurance Co | Home State Ins Group |
Infinity Special | Dairyland Auto |
Preferred Mutual | General Agents Group |
Hanover |
Liability-only car insurance policies don’t cover vandalism and theft. See how comprehensive coverage and renters/home insurance can save the day.
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Some people wrongly believe that an out-of-state ticket will somehow “go away” once they return home. However, you will most likely be tracked down.
No-fault states are different in how they handle accidents. See which 12 states are no fault states and what it means if you live in one.
Read about the points system, including common ways you accrue points on a license, what happens if you get too many, and how points can be removed to lower insurance rates.
Stacked insurance combines uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage across a policy/policies if you insure multiple vehicles. See how it and if it is available in your state.
We’ve listed the steps on how to shop for car insurance. See what you need for a quote, how much coverage you should buy and ways to save.
Americans drive an average of 12,785 per year based on data from the Federal Highway Administration. See how your state, age and sex measure against the national average.
This guide provides an overview of everything you'll need to do to get your driver's license. Read about the age requirements, tests and documents you'll need.
Want to be an Uber or Lyft driver but don’t know if you’re eligible? See what’s required and if you need to buy rideshare insurance.
Bodily injury liability coverage insurance pays for the injured party’s medical bills when you cause a car accident. See how it works, what it covers and what your state’s minimum limit requirements are.
Medical payments coverage is auto insurance that pays for medical bills, regardless of who is at fault, but this coverage is optional.
Gap insurance will pay off your car loan or car lease if your car is totaled or stolen and if you owe more on your loan or lease than the car’s current, depreciated value.
In nearly every state, drivers are required to carry liability insurance but comprehension and collision are completely optional in many cases.
If you’re currently financing your car through a lender, they may ask you to buy an insurance policy with full coverage. But what does that mean, and what does it cover?
Proof of insurance shows you meet your state’s minimum insurance requirements and is required to drive legally in most states. Learn more about how it works, when it’s required and how to get it.
Should you buy the rental car company's insurance or are you already covered with your personal auto insurance policy? Let us explain.
Only about 50% of rideshare drivers have enough insurance. Rideshare insurance will pay for a covered accident, including property damage and bodily injury per person.
Learn all about SR22 Insurance and High Risk Auto Insurance.
Learn the difference between liability and full coverage auto insurance to decide what you need.
See how uninsured motorist coverage works if you're involved in an accident with a driver who has no auto insurance or too little.
Add PIP to your car insurance policy for extra protection for medical expenses, funeral costs and other expenses incurred from the accident.
The car insurance deductible is the amount you are responsible to pay before car insurance coverage is applied.
What comprehensive insurance covers and how it differs from collision.
What is liability coverage for auto insurance? Is it required and what are the limits?
Here is everything you need to know about gap insurance and who needs it. Learn what what it is and whether or not it's required.
All drivers are legally required to have auto insurance. Learn more about the coverages that are available and the consequences of being uninsured.
Find out what auto insurance covers and explore the different types of coverage including comprehensive, liability and gap coverage.
Auto Insurance is required by law in all 50 states. Learn more about how it works and if minimum coverage is right for you.