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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Low-income car insurance: What it is and where to get it
If you're struggling to make ends meet, you may have a lifeline if you qualify for specialized coverage known as low-income car insurance. Low-income car insurance is state-sponsored coverage available to those who meet income eligibility requirements. The coverage levels may be at or below state-mandated car insurance minimums and do not provide collision or comprehensive coverage. Knowing about government car insurance for low-income drivers, where it's available, and who qualifies can help you understand your options if you can't afford auto insurance. This embedded content is not available in your region. California, Hawaii, and New Jersey have state-sponsored low-income car insurance. The low-income car insurance program in California provides insurance limits lower than the state-required minimum. It provides the following liability limits, plus optional uninsured motorists coverage and MedPay: Up to $10,000 per person for bodily injury or death Up to $20,000 per accident for bodily injury or death Up to $3,000 for property damage To purchase low-income auto insurance in California, you must: Have an annual income of $39,125 or less in single-person households or $52,875 or less in two-person households. You can see income requirements for larger households at the California Low Cost Auto Insurance website. Hold a valid California driver's license. Own a vehicle worth $25,000 or less. Have a good driving record or be a new driver. Hawaii provides eligible residents with free no-fault auto insurance. This coverage pays for your injuries from a car crash, up to the policy limits. You can qualify for Hawaii's car insurance for low-income residents if you: Currently receive public assistance payments with direct cash benefits, supplemental security income benefits from the Social Security Administration, or public assistance benefits in the form of medical services that started before July 1, 1994 Hold a valid driver's license or are unlicensed, permanently disabled, and unable to drive your own vehicle Are the sole registered owner of the insured vehicle New Jersey's Special Auto Insurance Policy provides up to $250,000 of medical coverage after an accident for the treatment of serious spinal cord and brain injuries. It can also provide a $10,000 death benefit. The cost is $365 a year, payable in one or two installments. To qualify, you must be enrolled in federal Medicaid with hospitalization. Seniors can qualify for the above low-income car insurance programs based on income rather than age. If you don't have access to a low-income auto insurance program, ask your insurance agent for ways to lower your car insurance bill. If your state doesn't offer a low-income car insurance program, you can get the minimum amount of coverage required in order to drive legally, but there are risks involved with minimum coverage. Minimum auto insurance requirements vary by state but may include the following: Most states mandate only auto liability coverage. If you cause an accident, your liability insurance pays for the injuries and property damage you cause to others. No-fault insurance states also require personal injury protection (PIP), which pays for medical bills and more for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to the PIP limit. Learn more: Minimum car insurance requirements in all 50 U.S. states State minimum liability coverage levels are often too low to cover all the bills for serious accidents. If accident-related costs exceed your insurance limits, you are still liable for the remainder. If you limit your auto insurance to the minimum liability coverage required by your state, you're leaving yourself without collision insurance and comprehensive insurance. You would have no insurance for repairing your own vehicle if you cause an accident or if your car is stolen. If you don't have a low-income program in your state or you don't qualify, there are other ways to secure cheaper car insurance. Shop around for coverage. Car insurance companies use proprietary formulas to set their pricing. Rates for the same coverage can vary by hundreds of dollars per year from different insurers. Gathering quotes from five or more insurers can help you pinpoint cheap auto insurance options. Pay per mile insurance. If you don't drive much, you may be able to save money with a pay-per-mile insurance plan. Pay-per-mile insurance programs typically charge a low base rate plus a per-mile rate. Examples include Allstate's Milewise and Nationwide's SmartMiles. Ask for discounts. Ask your car insurance agent about getting new car insurance discounts. For example, if you go paperless for policies and bills, you may get a small discount. Some states mandate car insurance discounts for drivers age 55 and older who take a driver safety course, including Florida, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Raise your deductible. If you have comprehensive and collision insurance, a higher deductible will result in lower premiums, but it's not always worth it. Raising your deductible usually only makes sense if you would be able to pay that amount toward repairs if you have a claim. Consider other assistance programs. Support in other areas of your budget may allow you to afford the minimum auto insurance to stay legal on the road. For example, your state may offer other types of assistance, such as food stamps, help with health insurance, or housing costs.
CNBC
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
Ask yourself these 6 questions to see how much car insurance you need
Every driver needs car insurance, but not everyone needs the same type or amount of coverage. The policy that's right for you depends on many factors, including the age of your car, how you paid for it, and where you live. Take CNBC Select's six-question quiz to see how much car insurance you really need. Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent auto coverage is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It offers 16 discounts and a variety of optional add-ons, such as emergency roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and mechanical breakdown offers an array of riders, including rental car reimbursement, rideshare insurance and a Deductible Savings Bank that deducts $50 from your deductible each policy period you go without a claim. All U.S. states except New Hampshire require drivers to have some level of liability car insurance to pay for damage or injuries to others. The amount of bodily injury and property liability coverage, however, is different from state to state. The 12 states with no-fault insurance laws also require drivers to get personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payment (MedPay), which cover medical expenses for you or your passengers after an accident, regardless of who is found to be at fault. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., require drivers to have uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which protects you financially if you're in a collision with someone who doesn't have enough insurance or no insurance at all. Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it hits another car or object, regardless of who is at fault. Comprehensive coverage covers non-collision events, like theft, vandalism, hail, failing tree branches and fire. While comprehensive and collision coverage aren't mandated by law, most lenders require borrowers to have them if they're still making payments on a loan or lease. If your car is totaled or stolen, a standard insurance policy will only reimburse you for the actual cash value of the vehicle, which takes depreciation into account. (New cars can lose as much as 20% of their value in their first year.) If you're still paying off your car, especially if you made a small down payment, gap insurance can cover the difference between the vehicle's value and the amount you still owe on it. According to the Insurance Information Institute, gap insurance is a good idea if you: Adding gap insurance only increases full coverage premiums by about $20 to $60 a year, according to the III. Your dealership may offer gap insurance, but it's usually cheaper through an insurance company. Travelers is known for its affordable rates and offers discounts if your car is no more than three model years old. The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote Yes Travelers auto insurance policies are affordable and backed by the sixth largest company for car insurance by market share according to the NAIC. The company also offers a number of discounts to customers, including discounts for bundling, owning a hybrid or electric car, and good student discounts. Nationwide allows drivers to purchase gap coverage on cars that are up to six years old. The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote Yes Nationwide offers near-nationwide availability and personalized services, such as On Your Side® Review, a free annual insurance evaluation to ensure you are adequately protected and are taking advantage of any discounts available to you. Terms apply. If you're leasing, check your lease agreement before adding gap insurance: It may already be included in the lease price. If you own your car outright, you don't need gap insurance. Full coverage is a good idea for most car owners and is usually required if you have a loan or lease. But if you own your car outright and it's only worth a few thousand dollars, a full coverage policy might be overkill. The rule of thumb is to drop collision and comprehensive coverage if your car is worth less than 10 times your annual premiums. If, for example, you have a car worth $5,000 and your comprehensive and collision coverage costs more than $500 for the year, it may not be worth keeping comprehensive and collision coverage. You can check the value of your car with Kelley Blue Book, the industry standard for pricing. Your net worth is the sum of all of your assets minus all your debts. Determining this amount will give you a good indicator of how much liability coverage you need. The minimum insurance requirement in many states may not be enough to cover all the expenses you could accrue after an accident: In Connecticut, for example, drivers need $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person and $50,000 total per accident, as well as $25,000 property damage per accident. Let's say you're held liable for a crash that seriously injures four people and totals their $50,000 SUV. If their medical expenses are $20,000 per person, you've already exceeded your $50,000 per accident limit for bodily injury liability by $30,000 and your property damage limit by $25,000. You could be sued for the balance, as well as pain and suffering, and would have to pay for it out of pocket. Depending on where you live, that could involve emptying your bank account, liquidating your investments and even selling your car or house. But having adequate liability coverage protects your assets. If your net worth is higher than the limits your car insurance company offers, umbrella insurance can cover you for liability claims up to millions of dollars. One of our top picks for umbrella insurance is American Family Insurance, which has coverage of up to $5 million. The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote Undisclosed Yes American Family has a wide variety of umbrella policies available, including personal coverage, commercial coverage and coverage for ranches and farms. It's also highly rated for auto and home insurance. In some cases, insurers may try to upsell you on coverage you don't need, like roadside assistance or protection for mechanical breakdowns. Many credit cards offer roadside assistance, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) and Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. On Chase's site On Chase's site New cardholders receive a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. Good to Excellent670–850 18.99% - 28.49% variable $0 Earn $250 cash back See rates and fees. Terms apply. Member FDIC. Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited® review. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars If your card does, buying it from your insurer is redundant. (If you have AAA or belong to another motor club, you also probably already have access to roadside assistance.) Mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) acts like an extended warranty, paying for unexpected engine issues, transmission failures and faulty electrical systems. An MBI add-on to a full coverage policy averages between $30 and $100 a year. These policies have strict requirements regarding the age, mileage and condition of covered vehicles. They don't generally cover routine maintenance, normal wear-and-tear or cosmetic repairs. And if your car is still under warranty, it covers much of the same territory. This number breaks down the amount of bodily injury coverage a policy has per person, per accident and the amount of property damage it covers per accident. A 100/300/100 covers up to $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per person at up to $300,000 per accident, and up to $100,000 of property damage per accident. A good liability limit for car insurance is one that meets your net worth, which is the sum of all of your assets minus any debts you owe. Full coverage car insurance is a package that includes liability, comprehensive and collision car insurance. While it is more expensive than just getting liability coverage on its own, getting all three coverages is often required by loans and lease terms. Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every car insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Most common types of car insurance explained
Car insurance is a financial safety net that saves you from paying the full expenses that arise after a car accident, vandalism, storm damage, theft or other problems. There are multiple types of car insurance you can purchase that will cover your vehicle, yourself, your passengers, and others on the road. Understanding the various types of car insurance coverage and when they pay out will help you decide what coverage is right for you. This embedded content is not available in your region. While many types of auto insurance are optional, some are required based on where you live and if you're leasing or financing your vehicle. These are the six major types of auto insurance. Collision insurance covers damages to your vehicle due to an accident – whether you've collided with another car or hit a tree or telephone poll in a single-car accident. If your car is beyond repair, collision insurance will reimburse you based on the actual cash value of your vehicle – minus your deductible. Collision insurance is not state-mandated but is usually required if you're financing or leasing your car. With comprehensive insurance, your insurance company will pay for your car to be repaired or replaced following non-collision incidents, such as vandalism, theft or damage from natural disasters, such as floods. Comprehensive coverage also covers damage to your vehicle if you've hit an animal on the road. This type of insurance isn't mandatory but also is often required by your lender or leasing company if you have a car loan or lease. Read more: Does car insurance cover flood damage? Liability insurance pays for medical expenses and car repair costs for others in accidents you cause. It won't cover your bills, but rather the expenses of the person or people you hit. Every state except New Hampshire and Virginia requires drivers to purchase – and maintain – liability insurance when they register a vehicle. It typically has two components, bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. Required minimum liability limits vary by state. Medical payments insurance – also known as MedPay – covers injury-related expenses for you and your passengers following an accident, even if you were at fault. It can help pay for ambulance fees, health insurance deductibles, and funeral costs in addition to your regular doctor's bills or hospital bills. MedPay is only required in three states but most states offer it as optional coverage. It is similar to personal injury protection insurance coverage but less comprehensive. Personal injury protection – also known as PIP – is insurance that covers injury-related expenses for you and your passengers if you're in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. In addition to your medical costs, it can cover lost wages, at-home care, childcare costs, and funeral expenses. Personal injury coverage is required in 12 states, including 'no-fault' states where drivers are required to file a claim with their own insurance company after an accident, even if they didn't cause it. For this reason, PIP is sometimes referred to as no-fault insurance. PIP is optional in some states and not available in others. Uninsured motorist insurance covers bills from your injuries – and property damage, depending on the type of coverage – if you get in an accident caused by someone who does not have auto insurance, aka an uninsured driver. Underinsured motorist insurance is similar, but it helps to cover your expenses when you're in an accident caused by someone who doesn't have enough insurance. Nearly half of all U.S. states require drivers to have uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is sometimes bundled with underinsured motorist coverage. Alongside the main types of car insurance, are additional options to further protect yourself and your vehicle or specialized coverage to fit unique situations.. Accident forgiveness, an extra option offered by some insurance companies, prevents your car insurance rates from increasing after an accident. Auto glass insurance is optional coverage you can add on to your car insurance policy to cover repairing or replacing a damaged or broken windshield. Depending on the incident, windshield damage could be covered under collision or comprehensive insurance or under the at-fault driver's liability insurance. If you store your car for a long period without driving it, you might reduce your coverage down to comprehensive insurance and the minimum amount of coverage your state requires. Sometimes this strategy is referred to as 'car storage insurance.' Classic car insurance covers bodily injury and property damage liability for vehicles considered classic, collectible, or antique. This type of insurance typically includes limitations on how often the car can be driven and requires the vehicle to be securely stored. A collision damage waiver covers damage to a car while you're renting it. You can buy the coverage at the rental car counter. Generally the insurance pays for repairs if the car is damaged in an accident, the windshield is chipped, or the vehicle is hit in a parking lot. In some cases it may cover the vehicle if it's stolen. If your own car insurance policy covers rental cars, then you may not need to purchase a collision damage waiver. Credit card rental car insurance is a benefit offered by some credit cards to cover rental cars. You have to charge the entire rental cost on the card to activate the coverage. Not all credit cards offer this benefit, and the coverage terms vary, so check your card's guidelines for details. Custom parts and equipment insurance – also known as CPE coverage – covers modifications you make to your car to enhance its appearance or performance. If you've added custom rims, a new speaker system, tinted windows, or a special paint job, these enhancements would not be covered under a standard auto policy unless you've added CPE coverage. If you work as a delivery driver or rideshare driver, your personal auto insurance policy probably won't cover you if you get into an accident while making a delivery, transporting passengers, or waiting in between gigs. You may need to purchase add-on delivery drivers insurance or rideshare insurance if you're not covered under an employer's commercial insurance policy. Even if your rideshare company provides insurance coverage, there may be instances – such as when you're waiting to pick up your next passenger or accept your next delivery – when you wouldn't be covered. You can add emergency roadside assistance to your auto insurance policy to get help if you're stranded on the road. This coverage typically provides towing services, tire change services, battery services, fuel delivery, locksmith services, and more. You could also choose to get emergency roadside assistance through an organization such as AAA, or it may be included as a perk from your credit card company or cell phone provider. If you drive an electric vehicle, you won't need to purchase special EV car insurance. A standard insurance policy – which could include liability coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, and more – will help you cover the costs of injuries, auto repairs or vehicle replacement if you're in an accident or your car is stolen or damaged. But be prepared: Because electric vehicles tend to have newer technology that is costly to replace and difficult to source, insuring them generally costs more. Learn more: The reasons electric car insurance will cost you more. Here's how to save. Forced-placed insurance is a temporary policy that a lender purchases on a vehicle when a borrower doesn't obtain sufficient coverage. Most auto loan contracts require borrowers to purchase collision and comprehensive insurance to cover vehicle theft or damage. Forced-place insurance protects the lender's interests, and the cost is added to the borrower's monthly loan payments. Gap insurance – which stands for guaranteed asset protection insurance – helps minimize your financial loss if your car is totaled or stolen and you owe more than your vehicle is worth. Standard insurance policies only pay out up to your car's current value, which might be much less than your auto loan balance, thanks to depreciation. Learn more: What is the actual cash value of my car? Here's what to know. Mechanical breakdown insurance — similar to a dealer's extended warranty — pays for repairs when a major component of the car malfunctions, such as the transmission, suspension, engine, drivetrain, air conditioning, or heating. The coverage is usually limited to new and lightly used vehicles and requires you to keep up with routine maintenance outlined in the car's owner's manual. New car replacement insurance reimburses you for the purchase price of a new car if your vehicle is totaled in an accident or event covered by your collision or comprehensive insurance. Normally collision or comprehensive coverage pays out the actual cash value of your vehicle if it's totaled. Insurers that offer new car replacement insurance restrict the coverage to vehicles that are relatively new, anywhere from one to five years old, depending on the company. Non-owners car insurance provides basic liability coverage for a driver who doesn't own a vehicle and isn't included as a named driver under another driver's policy but frequently rents or borrows someone's car. Additional coverage, such as medical payments coverage, personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage, may be added to a non-owners car insurance policy for more complete protection. If your car needs to stay at the repair shop following an accident, you can use rental car reimbursement to cover the costs of a rental car (or other options such as rideshare services or public transportation). Your insurance company may require you to have comprehensive and collision insurance in order to add on rental reimbursement coverage. Usage-based insurance programs track your driving patterns to help determine your car insurance price. The programs typically require you to use a plug-in device, smartphone app, or your vehicle's OnStar (or similar system) to monitor your driving. The data is transmitted to the insurance company. There are two types of programs – pay-per-mile and pay-how-you-drive. Pay-per-mile insurance can help infrequent drivers save money on car insurance, but not all insurance companies offer it. Rather than paying a flat car insurance rate based on the cost of your annual policy, you'll pay two separate rates: one based on your demographics and a second on your usage (or per mile), which is tracked using a telematics device that plugs into your vehicle. The per-mile rate you pay can fluctuate depending how much you drive. Pay-how-you-drive programs consider your mileage as well as your driving behavior, such as acceleration rate, braking habits, and smartphone usage to determine your car insurance price. The amount of car insurance you'll need will depend on where you live, whether you own your car outright, and your financial ability to cover accident-related costs. Each state has its own requirements for car insurance coverage. If you're leasing or financing your vehicle, there may be additional requirements. You should also consider how much money you'd feel comfortable spending out of pocket should you get into a non-covered accident and have injuries or property damage. When people talk about full coverage insurance, they typically mean a combination of liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. This provides a wide range of financial protection to cover medical bills and car repair costs following a car accident or other damage to your vehicle. Additional coverage – such as uninsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, and medical payments coverage – can be added onto your policy and may even be required depending on your state. If you're caught driving without car insurance, you could be fined, have your vehicle impounded, get your license suspended, or potentially face jail time, depending on your state laws. In some cases, you may have to file a SR-22 form with your state, which serves as a certificate of financial responsibility. You can likely expect higher car insurance premiums after an SR-22 filing or when you get a new policy after having a lapse in coverage. Auto insurance companies use a variety of factors to determine your car insurance premium. The vehicle you drive, the types of insurance coverage you need, your driving record and insurance claims history certainly play a big role. Depending on the laws in your state, other non-driving-related criteria – including your age, gender, marital status, credit history, and ZIP code – can also affect how much you pay for car insurance. Each company has its own method for determining your rates, so get insurance quotes from multiple providers to find the best and cheapest car insurance. Learn more: What is a car insurance premium and how is it calculated? Tim Manni edited this article. Barbara Marquand contributed to this article.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Does My Car Insurance Cover Rental Cars?
Personal car insurance generally extends to rental cars with the same coverage limits and deductibles as your policy. Still, rental car insurance may be worthwhile for some drivers in certain situations. That's why it's prudent to know your rental car insurance options before you pick up the keys at the counter. Save more with Liberty Mutual Switch and you could save $700 with customized car insurance. Offers personalized discounts and services Enjoy benefits and savings including 24-Hour Claims Assistance and Violation-Free Discount. Availability All states and Washington, D.C. Switch and you could save $700 with customized car insurance. Enjoy benefits and savings including 24-Hour Claims Assistance and Violation-Free Discount. All states and Washington, D.C. Like any other vehicle, rental cars need car insurance to be operated on the roadway. You'll need at least liability insurance. It's state-mandated and pays for injuries and property damage you accidentally cause to others. It's also wise to have other types of car insurance that can help pay to repair or replace a rental car you damage or medical bills for you and your passengers if you cause an accident. Your personal auto insurance policy will generally cover a rental car used for personal travel. If you're driving a rental car for business use, be aware that some insurers don't cover a vehicle rented for business purposes. Before booking your rental car, check with your car insurance company to verify whether you have rental car coverage from your current policy and review coverage details. Here are common types of car insurance coverage that may be required by states or optional and how they apply to a rental car. Liability car insurance pays others for injuries and damages if you're at fault in an auto accident. For instance, if you crash into another car while driving a rental car, this will pay for the damage to the other person's car and injuries the other drivers and passengers suffered, up to the policy's limits. It also will pay for your legal defense and judgments if you're sued because of the accident. It is required in most states. Personal injury protection (PIP) pays you and your passengers' medical expenses resulting from an accident when you're driving a rental car, regardless of fault. It also pays your lost wages and replacement services for tasks you can no longer perform, such as child care. It is required in 15 states. Medical payments (MedPay) coverage pays medical expenses for you and your passengers if you're in an auto accident in the rental car. MedPay is similar to PIP, but has low limits (typically $1,000 to $5,000) and doesn't have the extra benefits that PIP provides. It is required in three states (Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania). Collision insurance is an optional coverage that pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an auto accident, minus your deductible. If you crash into another car with the rental car, or crash into an object like a fence, collision insurance will pay for the damage to your rental car. Comprehensive insurance is an optional coverage that pays to repair or replace your car if it's stolen or damaged due to problems such as fire, falling items like tree branches, flood water, hail, striking an animal or vandalism. For example, comprehensive will help pay for the repairs if your rental car is damaged if you drive through a flooded street. Collision and comprehensive coverage have a car insurance deductibl if you make a claim. Before renting a car, verify that your car insurance coverage extends to rentals and check your policy for exclusions. For instance, your auto insurer may have an exclusion for exotic vehile rentals or rentals over a certain value. Some credit cards provide rental car insurance as a perk. These credit card companies usually require that you use their card to pay for the rental car, are the primary renter and decline the rental car company's collision damage waiver. Depending on your credit card, it may offer primary or secondary rental car insurance. Most credit cards provide secondary coverage, but the best credit cards for rental car insurance offer primary coverage. Here's the difference: Consider a rental car company's insurance options when you don't have other coverage for a rental car or would like to supplement your existing coverage. For example, maybe you have low liability limits on your personal auto policy and would like higher limits while driving the rental car. In that scenario, you can buy supplemental liability insurance from the rental car company to raise the liability limits. That way your coverage will pay out a higher amount if you cause an accident that injures someone or damages their property. Here are common coverage types of rental car insurance you'll find. SLI provides liability insurance with higher limits. Limits vary depending on the rental car company. For instance, Alamo and Enterprise provide up to $300,000 in liability coverage, while Budget offers up to $500,000. Hertz provides up to $300,000 in most states but up to $2 million in California and Florida. Average costs can run from $8 to $17 a day. Some rental companies refer to SLI as supplemental liability protection (SLP) or liability insurance supplement (LIS). A collision damage waiver is technically not insurance but waives your financial responsibility if your rental car is damaged or stolen. This coverage is also called a loss damage waiver (LDW). A CDW can cost around $10 to $30 per day. Also known as a damage waiver or loss damage waiver (LDW) PAI pays medical bills for you and your passengers if you get hurt in an accident while driving a rental car. PAI typically covers ambulance bills, medical bills and accidental death and dismemberment. It can cost about $5 to $13 a day. PEC covers you and your passengers' personal belongings, such as a laptop or luggage, if they are stolen from the rental car. The cost can be about $6 to $16 a day. Some car rental companies sell PAI and PEC together, such as Budget, which calls it Personal Accident and Effects Coverage (PAE) coverage. Note that most renters and homeowners insurance policies will help pay to replace personal items stolen from a rental car, so you may not need this coverage from a rental company. Roadside assistance plans cover rental car problems you have on the road, such as lockout service, replacement of lost keys, flat tire service, towing, dead battery jumpstarts and fuel delivery. Your specific situation will determine whether you need rental car insurance. Here's our take on when to consider or skip buying insurance coverage at the rental car counter. Get Forbes Advisor's ratings of the best insurance companies and helpful information on how to find the best travel, auto, home, health, life, pet, and small business coverage for your needs. In addition to your personal auto insurance, you may already have existing coverage from other policies that can extend to your rental car for certain needs. This can include: If you don't have auto insurance or other policies or benefits covering a rental car, you may want to consider a stand-alone policy. Stand-alone policies can be cheaper than coverage the rental car agency offers. If you want to buy rental car insurance, comparing quotes before going to the rental car counter is wise. Here are some options: With so many choices for car insurance companies, it can be hard to know where to start to find the right car insurance. We've evaluated insurers to find the best car insurance companies, so you don't have to. Rental car insurance may be worth it if you don't have adequate coverage through a personal car insurance policy, credit card or insurance policies. If you don't have other coverage options—or want to fill coverage gaps—rental car insurance can be worth it. For example, if neither your auto insurance nor credit card covers damage to a rental car, it's worth considering CDW coverage from the rental car company or a stand-alone policy. Some state laws require car rental companies to provide state-minimum liability car insurance. However, if you have personal auto insurance, state laws or rental car companies' guidelines may say that your auto policy is primary. That means it would be used first if you cause an accident. If you don't have a personal auto policy or other coverage for the rental car, you would need to buy liability coverage in states that don't require rental agencies to provide it, such as California and Texas. A collision damage waiver (CDW) might be a good choice if you don't have a personal car insurance policy or credit card that will cover damage to a rental car or its theft. If you have collision and comprehensive coverage on your auto policy, it should extend to your rental car. A CDW may also be a wise choice if you have car insurance but don't want to risk increasing your rates if you have to make a claim for a damaged rental car. Using a CDW will allow you to avoid making a claim on your personal auto policy.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teachers accuse council of 'fire-and-rehire' plan
Swimming teachers have accused a council of "fire-and-rehire" tactics after advertising self-employed roles just days before issuing redundancy notices. Four swimming teachers and two aerobics instructors said Medway Council confirmed in writing on 17 March they would be made redundant at the end of the month. Workers said they were offered replacement roles which would combine their current role with other responsibilities, but if they wished to remain solely as swimming teachers this would be on a self-employed basis. Medway Council said it had not asked the staff to return on a self-employed basis, but had made them aware of the roles. A consultation on redundancies began in December, but was put on hold a month later. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the teachers heard nothing until they were told verbally at the start of this month they were being made redundant. While the redundancies were confirmed on 17 March, the council-run Medway Sport Facebook page posted an advert about becoming a self-employed swimming teacher two days earlier. The teachers, who would lose sick pay and maternity/paternity pay if they took up the £20 per hour self-employed role, said the council had "shot itself in the foot". One teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said the authority had decided on redundancies as far back as April last year. They said: "The way this has been done is absolutely devastating and shambolic – at every single step they have failed to think it through and so there's been a lack of communication and consideration." A council spokesperson said the redundancies come as part of the MedPay programme which aimed "to provide greater opportunities for career progression and pay consistency". "As part of this, the former term-time swimming instructor and part-time and casual aerobics instructor roles no longer exist as the work is included within the pre-existing sports officer or senior sports officer roles," they said. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Free swimming sessions to be axed as appeal fails Pool to open on site of demolished leisure centre Sports centre revamp savings could improve others Medway Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
