Insurance is a scary word for many people; a word that
causes drivers to cringe but also confuses and aggravates them. If there is one
thing I know for a fact regarding insurance, it’s this: everyone has heard a
commercial or jingle advertising car insurance. Why is car insurance so
important, though, to warrant a commercial here and a billboard there? Well,
for one, every state has minimum insurance requirements for vehicles, and
though terms of insurance vary state by state, it’s the law. For example, Missouri state law requires all drivers and
vehicle owners have some kind of liability insurance coverage and the minimum level of coverage is 25/50/10. Confused again? That’s ok, I’ll break down those
three numbers.
·
25/50/10 are the minimum insurance requirements
and each of those numbers refer to (you guessed it) money in the unfortunate
event that you or your vehicle is involved in an accident.
·
The first two numbers deal with bodily injury
liability limits. Therefore, the first two numbers in 25/50/10 mean that in the
event of an accident each person injured would receive a maximum of up to
$25,000 with only $50,000 allowed per accident. If 2 people are injured in an
accident and are in need of $25,000, they could receive that, however, if the
need is greater than that – like 3 injured people needing $25,000 – the injured
person to file first gets access to that $50,000 limit and the driver who
caused the accident could face being sued for the rest of the accident (like
hospital bills and property damage).
·
The third number has to do with the financial
responsibility if the driver is sued. This assures that if the
driver who caused the accident is sued the total coverage per accident for
property damage only, which in Missouri would be $10,000.
To add more confusion to the mix, the type of car you drive
(even down to the color), the age of both the car and the driver, and driving
records all play a role in insurance costs. Before all of that scares you away
from getting a new car (or pre-owned/new to you) or discourages you from
driving altogether, you should remember that there are loads of discounts that can be applied to your insurance. Much like cable services, you can bundle your
car insurance along with any kind of property you own to save some cash. There
are good student discounts, good driver discounts, discounts for
teachers/nurses/public servants/military – the list goes on and on.
As previously mentioned, the type of car you drive has an
impact on your insurance costs. When shopping for your new vehicle, it is
important to consider insurance costs and do some research before buying. Lucky
for you, Kia has three models that made the Insure.com’s list of the least expensive 2013 models to insure. The Kia Sportage, Sorento LX (2 WD), and
Sorento LX (4 WD) made the list with an average annual premium of $1,205.
To make the process of insuring your vehicle no hassle, Lou Fusz has a fantastic partnership with Allstate Insurance Company and can
provide you with as little as a quote or as much as full service insurance. You
can speak with any of the Allstate agents at the Lou Fusz Toyota store prior to
buying a car at any dealership within the Lou Fusz Automotive Network, which
will certainly benefit you when preparing to buy a car. Much like car shopping,
it’s important to shop for insurance, too. Just because a friend or family
member recommended one insurance company doesn’t mean it’s the best or the most
affordable. Too many drivers tend to stick with one insurance company without
shopping around, but sticking with one company without getting quotes from
other agencies could be costing you rather than saving you money. Allstate also
recently had an 8% rate decrease, meaning even bigger savings can be passed on
to drivers.
Now through January 31st, you can call our agents
at 314.835.5100 for a quote and you will be entered to win a $100 gift card of
your choice. Get some insurance help now so you can save yourself a headache
later!
