How Much Car Insurance Do I Need? A Plain-English Guide to Coverage and Limits
State minimums are a floor, not a target. Here's how to choose liability limits, decide on collision and comprehensive, and fill the gaps other drivers leave.
Auto and home insurance, explained in plain English
Clear, independent guides to choosing coverage, comparing bundles and getting through a claim. No sales pitch: we don't sell insurance.
How much car insurance do I need? What homeowners insurance covers
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Insurance is easier to buy well when you know what each part of a policy does. If you're new to this, these four guides cover the questions most people ask first:
- Buying or reviewing car insurance? Read how much car insurance you need. It explains liability limits, collision, comprehensive and the coverages that protect you from other drivers.
- Own a home? Start with what homeowners insurance covers, then learn how replacement cost vs. actual cash value changes what a claim pays.
- Thinking about one insurer for both? Our guide to bundling home and auto insurance shows how to check whether a bundle really saves money.
- Dealing with a loss right now? Follow the steps for a car insurance claim or the homeowners claim process.
Latest guides
What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover? Coverages, Exclusions and Gaps
A homeowners policy covers your house, other structures, belongings, extra living costs and liability, but only for covered causes of loss and up to your limits.
Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value: What It Means for Your Claim
Two policies with the same limits can pay very different amounts after the same loss. The difference is usually depreciation.
Should You Bundle Home and Auto Insurance? How to Tell If It Saves Money
A bundle discount isn't the same as the lowest price. Here's how to compare a bundle against separate policies, like for like.
How to File a Car Insurance Claim: A Step-by-Step Guide
What to do at the scene, which claim to file, what your insurer will ask for and what to do if you disagree with the offer.
The Homeowners Insurance Claim Process, Step by Step
From the first phone call to the final check: what to document, how settlements are paid in stages, and what to do if your claim is denied.
How we write our guides
- Sourced, not invented. When we cite a figure or rule of thumb, we link to the regulator, consumer organization or company page it came from.
- General, not personal. Insurance rules vary by state and insurer. We explain the concepts so you can ask better questions, not tell you what to buy.
- Independent. We're not an insurer, agent or broker, and these guides don't rank or recommend specific companies.