How Much Car Insurance Do You Really Need? (2024)

FAQs

How Much Car Insurance Do You Really Need? ›

The minimum amount of car insurance you'll typically need is state-required liability coverage. This allows you to pay for some, if not all, injuries and damages you're liable for in an accident. The most commonly required liability limits are $25,000/$50,000/$25,000, which mean: $25,000 in bodily injury per person.

Yes, 250/500 is enough insurance for most drivers since it exceeds most states' minimum car insurance requirements as well as the median net worth. Still, you should consider getting more coverage if you have a high net worth, to make sure you are completely covered if a serious accident occurs.

However, having too much coverage can put a damper on your other goals, like saving for retirement or crushing your debt. Some telltale signs you're overinsured include excessive policy amounts, unnecessary coverages and duplicate policies.

Financial experts recommend spending no more than 10% of your monthly take-home pay on your car payment and no more than 15% to 20% on total car costs such as gas, insurance and maintenance as well as the payment.

Each number represents the maximum amount your insurance company will pay for a specific part of your liability coverage, so a 100/300/100 policy means bodily injury liability limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, and property damage liability limits of $100,000.

On average, drivers with poor credit pay 118 percent more for full coverage car insurance than those with excellent credit. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates.

The color of your car doesn't affect your insurance rate. Instead, your insurance company uses other information, like your car's age, location, usage, and your driving record, to help determine insurance rates.

Why Is My Car Insurance So High? Your car insurance may be expensive because of your driving history, location, vehicle or credit history. Recent insurance claims and violations can increase your rates for three to five years. On the other hand, it's possible you also just have a more expensive car insurance company.

How much insurance is too much? ›

It's recommended that you have enough coverage to pay off all your debt, about 10 to 15 times your annual income, and enough to pay for anticipated expenses, like your children's education. If you have more than that total amount, you're probably overinsured.

Reasons that might make car insurance rates go up

Common among them are speeding tickets, DUIs, credit and moving violations. But beyond that, insurers also consider specific risks like the rates of accidents, vandalism and theft in your area, which result in higher claim rates.

Car accidents and traffic violations are common explanations for an insurance rate increase, but other reasons why your car insurance rate can go up include changing your address, adding a new vehicle or driver, increases to claims in your ZIP code, and increases to car repair/replacement cost.

An affordable car payment would be one that doesn't exceed $600 a month, based on the rule of thumb that your car payment shouldn't be more than 15% of your take-home pay. If you take out a 60-month car loan at 8% APR, you should aim to take out a car loan of less than $30,000.

According to our research, you shouldn't spend more than 10% to 15% of your net monthly income on car payments. Your total vehicle costs, including loan payments and insurance, should total no more than 20%. You can use a car loan calculator to calculate a monthly payment within your budget.

Based on our research, car insurance costs the most for 16-year-olds. Young drivers can pay thousands of dollars more than older, more experienced drivers. Car insurance rates decrease in your 20s and can continue to go down into your 50s.

The numbers 250/500 on a car insurance policy mean that the policy will provide $250,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person injured in an accident caused by the policyholder and up to $500,000 in total per accident. These limits only apply to other people's injuries if you cause an accident.

250 = Bodily Injury Coverage — $250,000 for injuries per person. 500 = Overall Maximum Coverage — $500,000 for injuries total per accident. 100 = Property Damage Coverage — $100,000 for property damage per accident.

The third number is the property damage liability limit, which would repair or replace the car of anyone you hit. 50/100/50: This level of coverage is recommended for those who have an older car, few assets, don't drive much and are on a tight budget, for instance college students and retirees who are downsizing.

An umbrella policy can forestall the prospect of financial ruin due to an unintentional misstep or an unforeseeable accident. You may also wish to consider increasing the liability limits on your auto or homeowners insurance policies.