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Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and reviewed by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and worthy of your trust.
Our insurance team is composed of agents, data analysts, and customers like you. They focus on the points consumers care about most price, customer service, policy features and savings opportunities so you can feel confident about which provider is right for you.
- We guide you throughout your search and help you understand your coverage options.
- We provide up-to-date, reliable market information to help you make confident decisions.
- We reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible.
All providers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide. And we constantly review our criteria to ensure were putting accuracy first.
Liability Vs Full Coverage Insurance
Carrying liability-only coverage on your auto policy means you’re covered, up to specified limits, for damages or injuries you cause to someone else. A liability-only policy will not cover damages to your vehicle. You need to add comprehensive and collision coverages in order protect your vehicle against physical damage. Many lenders, agents, and car dealerships describe “full coverage” auto insurance as liability plus comprehensive and collision.
Your lender may use the term “full coverage,” but that simply means they’re requiring you to carry comprehensive and collision, plus anything your state mandates.
Where Can I Get Cheap Car Insurance In Washington State
PEMCO is the best source of cheap car insurance in Washington state for both minimum coverage and full coverage, based on our data. Full-coverage car insurance policies usually include liability, collision and comprehensive coverages.
PEMCOs average rate for minimum-coverage car insurance is $45 a month. Its average rate for full-coverage car insurance is $81. Both rates are far cheaper than the state averages for such policies.
State Farm, GEICO and USAA also offer cheap auto insurance to Washington drivers, as the graphs below show.
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How We Chose The Best Car Insurance Companies
To find the best auto insurance companies, we vetted 23 insurers, all of which were featured on the NAICs 2021 Property/Casualty Market Share report for Private Passenger Auto as well as J.D. Powers 2021 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.
We only considered companies with relatively few complaints involving their private passenger policies, as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners .
We also prioritized nationwide auto insurers with superior financial strength ratings, ample discounts, technology integration through telematics programs and above-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power.
Finally, we looked at CRASH Networks most recent report which rates insurers based on feedback from 1,100 automotive collision repair professionals, taking into account payment practices and policy handling.
In short, we focused on the following factors:
- Financial stability: An insurance companys financial stability can be gauged by its AM Best credit rating. We chose insurers with an A rating or better.
- Discounts: Auto insurance policies that cover anything beyond basic liability can be costly. We picked companies who offered plenty of bundling options and generous discounts.
- Technology: Most of the companies on our list use automation to provide auto insurance quotes in a matter of minutes and have a 24/7 claims process. Car insurance companies that allow policyholders to file car insurance claims via apps ranked higher on our list.
Liability Coverage Car Insurance
Liability coverage is typically broken into bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Bodily injury coverage, as the name implies, covers liability for any physical harm you may cause to another person, while property damage liability covers the cost for any damage you cause to anothers property. One or both of these types of liability coverage are typically required by state minimum requirements.
Most insurance companies will refer to both bodily injury and property damage liability coverage simply as liability insurance, so dont get confused if you dont see it specifically stated on your quote or policy.
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How Reducing Your Coverages Can Lower Your Insurance Premium
You can also lower your insurance premium by reducing your coverage. For example, you can:
- Skip comprehensive and collision insurance. In this case, you’ll no longer have a full coverage policy. But the savings will be worth it if you have a low-value car.
- Increase your deductible. If you increase your deductible, you’ll lower the amount your insurer will pay you for a claim. In exchange, you’ll pay a lower premium.
- Lower limits for liability and other coverages. If you reduce your liability limits, you’re reducing the protection offered by your insurer and risking not having enough coverage to pay for the total costs after an at-fault accident.
However, keep in mind that there is risk associated with decreasing coverages. Although sometimes it may make sense to drop additional coverages that provide unnecessary protection, you also risk insufficient coverage after an expensive accident.
Increasing your deductible increases your out-of-pocket costs when making a claim, so you risk paying more from your savings after an accident. And decreasing liability limits could expose you to unexpected costs if your insurance isn’t enough to cover a major accident.
Pemco: Cheapest Car Insurance Rates
PEMCO is the best company for cheap car insurance rates in Washington, based on our data. It offers the best rates for minimum-coverage car insurance in the state at $45 a month, as well as the best rates for full-coverage car insurance at $81 a month.
We also found that it offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Washington state if you have incidents like speeding tickets, accidents or DUIs on your driving record. Only State Farm offered cheaper rates for Washington drivers with spotty records.
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Time To Change The Full Coverage Insurance On Your Old Cars
Old cars dont always refer to classic cars. After some years and your car gets older. You might want to change the full coverage car insurance on your car before you make some decision such as selling the car or such. Here is a short explanation about the best time to drop off your car insurance as it gets older.
Personal Injury Protection And Medical Payments
Personal injury protection coverage helps cover the medical expenses of you and your passengers, no matter who caused the auto accident. PIP insurance also pays for lost wages and replacement services, such as child care if youre unable to due to your injuries. Some states require PIP, while in others, its optional or not offered.
Medical payments coverage also helps pay medical bills associated with an auto accident for you and your passengers, regardless of fault. Its required in a few states but optional in most, if offered at all.
To build out your full coverage car insurance policy even more, there are other types of car insurance coverages you can add on. Optional coverages that give you extra protection include rental reimbursement, roadside assistance and gap insurance.
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This Auto Insurer Is Best For:
NJM auto insurance is a great fit for:
- Residents of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania looking for a competitive rate
- Drivers interested in full coverage for their vehicles
- Those who put a premium on great customer service
But if you don’t live in NJM’s service area, you should give State Farm or Geico a closer look.
Other Types Of Coverage
You can customize your full coverage auto insurance by adding other types of coverage as needed for your personal situation. Common examples include:
- Personal injury protection, which pays your medical bills after an accident
- Uninsured motorist coverage, which pays your expenses if you get hit by an uninsured motorist or experience a hit-and-run accident
- Underinsured motorist coverage, which pays the extra expenses after an accident with a driver who has only limited insurance
- Medical payments coverage, sometimes called med pay, which pays medical expenses for you and your passengers if you experience auto accident injuries
- Towing and labor coverage, which pays the cost of roadside assistance and towing if your car breaks down
- Rental car coverage, which pays for a temporarily replacement when your car needs repairs
- Gap insurance, which pays off your auto loan if you total your car and owe more than its value
- Custom policies that cover modifications made to a vehicle
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What Is The Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance
Our analysis finds the national average for full coverage insurance costs $1,857 annually .
The cheapest full coverage car insurance is a policy with low liability insurance limits plus comprehensive and collision coverage with higher deductibles.
Youll need to shop around to find the cheapest full coverage insurance policy, as personal factors affect your rates. Comparison shop with at least three companies to determine who has the best price.
How Much Does Full Coverage Car Insurance Cost
As we mentioned before, there is no standard definition of “full coverage” car insurance. We can help you make sure your policy meets your state’s requirements along with your individual situation.
Your premium is affected by the types of coverages, limits, and deductibles you choose. If you are comparing car insurance rates, it is important to keep this in mind.
If you decide to carry higher limits than required by the state, the cost of your policy will probably be more than someone with the minimum limits of coverage. Or, if you choose a higher deductible, the cost for those coverages is normally lower than if you carry a lower deductible.
Please note:
The above is meant as general information and as general policy descriptions to help you understand the different types of coverages. These descriptions do not refer to any specific contract of insurance and they do not modify any definitions, exclusions or any other provision expressly stated in any contracts of insurance. We encourage you to speak to your insurance representative and to read your policy contract to fully understand your coverages.
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How To Get Cheap Full Coverage Car Insurance
The best way to find the cheapest full coverage car insurance is to shop your coverage with various insurers. Insurance companies rate risk differently, which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Here are a few tips to follow when shopping for cheap full coverage auto insurance:
Liability coverage: Make sure you are consistent when shopping your liability limits. If you choose $50,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $100,000 in bodily injury liability per accident and $25,000 in property damage liability per accident, always shop the same coverage levels with other insurers.
When it comes to liability, you should consider carrying higher limits than the state-required minimums as they are often not enough if you are involved in a serious accident.
Collision and comprehensive: These coverages are part of a full coverage package, so a premium quote will be necessary for these coverages as well. Both collision and comprehensive come with a deductible, so be sure always to choose the same deductible when shopping for coverage.
Choosing a higher deductible will push your premium lower, while a lower deductible will result in a higher premium. Always choose a deductible that you can easily afford in the event you have to make a claim.
Other coverages: There are other coverages that help make up a full coverage package. These coverages vary but can include:
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
How Much Does Full
Based on our research, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $1,730 per year. We used a profile of a married 35-year-old driver with a clean driving record and good credit to find averages from some of the top insurance providers in the industry. On average, USAA, Erie Insurance, and Nationwide have the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates.
| Car Insurance Company |
|---|
| $174 |
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Full Coverage Insurance Rates By Different Companies Of The Usa
As per our analysis and survey, USAA has the cheapest full coverage insurance with Liberty Mutual at the second rank. On the other hand, if you look at state minimum liability insurance, State farms and USAA have the cheapest rates.
Please note that our analysis and data is based on some factors we have decided for our sample driver. Factors like your age, location, driving records and vehicle type impacts on the final insurance rates.
Below are the full coverage rates for 6 months premium from different insurance carriers:
| Company |
|---|
| $234 |
How To Compare Full Coverage Insurance Quotes
To get the cheapest full coverage insurance rates the best way is to compare the quotes from different insurance companies as much as possible. Also, keep in mind that comparing quotes from different carriers can be tricky sometimes.
Make sure you are comparing for the same coverage, sometimes the customers get happy to get a cheaper quote, and later on when the time comes to claim the policy they get to know that the coverage is missing.
Hence, whenever you start comparing different quotes, It is advisable to consider the following points or things:
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Full Coverage Insurance: Everything You Need To Know
Insurance companies often use the term full coverage insurance to describe a package that includes comprehensive and collision policies. While full coverage does not include bodily injury and property damage liability, drivers must also have state-minimum liability coverage to cover the cost of an at-fault accident.
Insurance companies often use the term full coverage insurance to describe a package that includes comprehensive and collision policies. While full coverage does not include bodily injury and property damage liability, drivers must also have state-minimum liability coverage to cover the cost of an at-fault accident.
Average Cost Of Full Coverage Auto Insurance
The average cost of full coverage insurance is $1,204 per year, which breaks down to about $100 each month. This is according to the most recent NAIC data available, and the estimate takes into account liability, comprehensive, and collision. Drivers who live in states that require additional protections will pay more, as will residents in states where auto insurance costs are inflated.
According to a published by the Insurance Information Institute, motorists in Louisiana, Michigan, and New York pay well over $1,400 per year for full coverage insurance. On the other hand, residents in Idaho, Indiana, and Wyoming pay less than $800 annually for the same coverage.
Furthermore, while these national averages are a useful tool to help you understand your potential auto insurance costs, they dont accurately represent the rates that youll pay.
Insurance companies will base your personal premium on a variety of factors, including your age, credit score, driving history, and the attributes of the vehicle youre insuring. Additionally, the types of protections you select and their policy limits and deductibles will also influence what youll pay for full coverage.
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Should I Add Optional Coverages
Even if your lender doesn’t require any coverage, a new vehicle is an important investment and should be protected as such. Comprehensive and collision will pay for damages to your vehicle due to accidents and incidents that are both in and out of your control.
If your vehicle’s value is extremely minimal , it may not make sense to carry physical damage coverage. Should you decide to select liability coverage only, make sure you’ll be able to purchase a new vehicle out of your own pocket in the event it’s totaled and uninsured.
Extra coverage like roadside assistance or rental car reimbursement is typically inexpensive and can be purchased at your discretion as well.
If You Ask Insurance Companies For Quotes For Full Coverage Auto Insurance You May Get Varying Options
Full coverage auto insurance isnt actually a type of insurance. Insurers define full coverage in different ways although they generally agree that it should protect you financially from bodily injury and car damage.
Because policies vary by provider, its important to carefully read each insurance quote to understand the coverage included. Lets take a look at the protection typically included in what some insurance companies consider full coverage auto insurance as well as average costs.
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Nationwide Car Insurance Discounts
You can get more affordable car insurance rates on Nationwide coverage with our car insurance discounts, such as:
- Multiple policies discount When you carry multiple types of insurance policies from Nationwide , you could qualify for lower premiums on each policy than if you had separate policies from different insurers. Think of it as a discount for bundling.
- Good student discount Cheap car insurance for students is possible with Nationwide.
- SmartRide® discount SmartRide is a tracking tool we offer to reward safe driving. Heres where rubber truly meets the road plug the device into your car and it will track your driving habits, such as hard braking, speed and so forth. With a steady hand at the wheel, your low-risk driving can earn you lower insurance premiums.
- Paperless discount You’ll save money on stamps and avoid late fees if you sign up to have your Nationwide bill paid automatically at regular intervals from your checking or savings account. Some policyholders may even earn a recurring discount when they agree to receive documents electronically.