AUTO INSURANCE 101

Liability insurance is the most common form of mandatory coverage, but each state may have different requirements. Additionally, if your vehicle is financed, your lender will likely require you to purchase collision and other than collision coverage — both of which will protect you and the lender if your vehicle is damaged or totaled.

Liability coverage protects you if you're found at fault in a car accident. It also helps cover any property damage or lawsuits.

This coverage protects you if you are legally responsible for accidentally injuring someone. (Because we know you would never purposely injure anyone.)

These are referred to as "split" liability limits. Here is a breakdown:

• The first number represents the maximum payable per person injured in any one accident.
• The second number represents the maximum payable for all injured persons in any one accident.
• The third number, which may also be listed separately, represents the maximum payable for property damage of others in any one accident.

For example: 25/50/25 or $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 limits would indicate that for bodily injury in any one accident, the maximum amount payable per person is $25,000. The maximum payable for bodily injury for all persons is $50,000. And finally, the maximum payable for property damage is $25,000.

For 100/300, the maximum amount payable per person for any one accident is $100,000 while the maximum payable for all persons is $300,000. In this example, the property damage limit is separately listed.

Most likely! Collision and other than collision coverages are both subject to a deductible. Clever offers several deductible options as well as a reducing deductible, which takes $100 off of your deductible each year you're accident-free. And yes, you can work your way down to a $0 deductible. Check your policy or speak with a Clever expert to see if you have a deductible, and if so, what amount it is.

These are Clever's optional auto coverage offerings that you can select from to build your policy:

• Other than collision
• Collision
• Transportation and travel expense
• Uninsured motor vehicle
• Uninsured motorist damage to your auto
• Underinsured motor vehicle
• Accidental death benefits
• Auto loan/lease
• Disability income
• Medical payments
• Additional insured lessor
• Drive other car
• Emergency road service
• Reducing deductible

Want to know more about each type? Buckle up and read more below!

This pays for accidental loss or damage to your auto due to natural disasters, civil commotion, vandalism, falling objects, contact with a bird or animal, glass breakage, fire and theft, subject to the deductible.

This pays for accidental damage to your auto due to collision or upset, regardless of who is at fault, subject to the deductible.

This pays for temporary transportation, meals, lodging and loss of use expenses in the event a loss renders a covered vehicle unsafe to drive.

This provides for recovery of injuries caused by motorists who do not have bodily injury liability coverage.

This provides for recovery of damages to your auto caused by motorists who do not have property damage liability coverage, subject to a $250 deductible.

This provides for recovery of injuries caused by motorists who have inadequate bodily injury coverage.

This coverage pays if death occurs to you and/or your family members due to bodily injury caused by a covered automobile accident if the death occurs within 60 days of the accident. The insured can choose between $1,000, $2,000, $5,000 and $15,000 in coverage.

This provides coverage for the difference between the outstanding indebtedness on a loan/lease agreement and the actual cash value (not to exceed 20%) of the vehicle. This coverage is ideal for individuals who have a loan amount that's higher than the value of their vehicle.

This provides payments if disability occurs due to the bodily injury caused by a covered automobile accident.

This provides payments for reasonable medical services for any person injured in the insured vehicle and/or you and your family members if injured while riding in most vehicles.

Automobiles owned by another party but leased to an insured on a long-term basis are treated as an owned vehicle. This coverage provides liability coverage to the lessor as an additional insured. There is no additional premium associated with this endorsement. This coverage should only be added to vehicles leased for 6 months or longer. Vehicles involved in a third-party lease agreement are not eligible for coverage.

This extends liability and medical payments coverage to a designated driver while operating a business-, company- or government-owned auto.

This pays for reasonable expenses for towing, mechanical labor done at the place of breakdown, delivery of gas, oil, loaned battery or change of tire, and locksmith services. This is included at no extra charge for bundling auto with home or renter's customers, but those with a Clever auto policy only can add it as an additional coverage.

This coverage reduces your collision and other than collision deductibles as long as no claims over $250 have been paid by Clever during the 12-month period following the date the reducing deductible coverage was added. Essentially, as long as you keep your reducing deductible coverage continuously in force, we knock $100 off your deductible for each loss-free period. Your reduction becomes effective at the next renewal date following 12 months after the date the reducing deductible coverage was added, and your credit applies only up to the original deductible value. Notice that you can file claims and keep your deductible credit – the claims just can't be over $250 a year. Pretty sweet, huh? If Clever does end up paying for a loss (under any coverage except uninsured motor vehicle or underinsured motor vehicle) over that $250 limit, the original collision and other than collision deductibles will be reinstated at the next renewal date. And, each vehicle with the reducing deductible coverage must be individually insured as a single unit on a separate policy. If you didn't sign up for reducing deductible but decide you want it later, you can always add it to an existing policy on its renewal date.

Liability coverage extends to anyone driving your vehicle subject to the policy provisions and limitations and applicable state laws — however, it doesn't cover anyone specifically restricted by your auto policy. Reach out to a Clever expert for more information.

That depends! Your Clever policy will only cover you in the USA (including its territories and possessions), Puerto Rico, and Canada. If you are traveling outside of these countries, it would be best for you to purchase coverage from the country you're visiting or the rental company you are using.

Clever's private passenger auto coverage does extend coverage to rented private passenger automobiles for temporary use by you or your family members. This policy covers autos:

• With four or six wheels
• Designed solely to carry persons and their luggage
• With a car or station wagon body
• With a van body that has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less
• With a pickup truck body and pickup style bed
• Pickup vehicles must have a GVW of 10,000 pounds or less OR
• A GVWR of 13,500 pounds or less OR
• A curb weight of 6,500 pounds or less if an original equipment manufacturer GVW or GVWR is not available.

Keep in mind that vehicles that fall within these guidelines are only covered if they're for personal use — not for business use. If you need to rent a vehicle that falls outside of these guidelines or is for business use, be sure to purchase coverage through the rental company.

Yes! If you're bundling auto with home or renter's, or an auto-only member who has purchased emergency road service coverage, Clever pays for your tow. For emergency roadside service or accident scene assistance, please call 1-833-MYCLEVER (1-833-692-5383), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We do offer a transportation and travel expense endorsement. If you've purchased this option, your policy will reimburse you for any rental car expenses while your vehicle is being repaired.

First of all, we hope everyone is okay! Visit our Claims Guide or call 1-833-MYCLEVER (1-833-692-5383) to report a claim or loss.

Here's what you need to do if you are in an accident:

• Call the police.
• Determine if anyone is injured, and get their names if possible.
• Obtain the name, address, license plate number, and name of the insurance company of other drivers involved.
• If possible, write down the names and addresses of any witnesses.
• DO NOT admit being "at fault" or discuss your insurance coverage.
• Notify us as soon as possible and report a claim.

Every now and then, vehicles may be damaged to the point where repair is no longer economically feasible. If this happens and you have collision or other than collision coverage, your policy will pay the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time of the loss.

In many cases, your Clever expert will have specialized automobile estimating software to calculate the damage to your vehicle. All you have to do is provide the estimate to the repair shop of your choice. If they find additional hidden damage, have them contact our Claims Department directly. In other cases, we may ask you to obtain a written estimate from the shop of your choice and let us take a look.

The long answer is yes, based on the state regulations applicable to your claim and location, you will receive compensation for the sales tax value of your vehicle loss. This may be received in a number of ways depending on your state laws and tax rates of where your vehicle is registered.

Yes. Most states require you to carry, at the minimum, financial responsibility liability limits per person for bodily injury, per occurrence for bodily injury, and for property damage to others. However, different states often require different types of coverages or minimum coverage limits, so make sure to know what your state requires before you start shopping.

Well, first and foremost, it's required by law, as we discussed above. But also, auto insurance is a safety net. It protects you and others from financial loss after a car accident.

"Premium" is really a fancy word for cost. So, your auto insurance premium is the total cost of maintaining your auto policy. And at Clever, we have different intervals at which premiums can be paid to maintain the policy.

First off, there's more to comparing quotes than looking at prices. To get a true apples-to-apples comparison, you'll need to look at the cost when coverage limits, deductibles, and all other aspects are the same.

So how do you get such a comparison? Start off with getting a quote from one company. Choose the deductible, coverage, and liability limits that you're looking to get, and you should end up with a month-by-month premium (cost). Then, choose another company to give you a quote, and select the same deductible, coverage, and liability limits so that the policies are as close to identical as possible. Then you can compare the prices side by side and see who offers the better value.

Each car has its own approximate value, and the cost to repair or replace each make and model varies greatly from vehicle to vehicle — often more than you'd realize. This is the primary reason rates can be so drastically different.

What premium you'll pay is determined by a few common factors, including:

• Driving record
• Number of miles you drive
• Type of automobile you drive
• Where your vehicle is garaged
• Your age

There are a number of ways you can keep your rates as low as possible:

• Drive carefully to protect your driving record
• Carefully select your vehicle
• Choose higher deductibles
• Examine your coverages
• Explore available discounts and promotions

• Multi-vehicle
• Bundling auto with home or renter's
• Bundling auto, life, and home or renter's
• Good student
• Accident-free years
• Loss score
• Passive restraint

You sure can! Clever lets you bundle your auto, life, renter's, or home insurance so it's all in one place — and the best part is, you save money. Bundle auto with home or renter's together and you'll save on your monthly premiums. Bundle all of your insurance (auto, life, and home or renter's) and you'll get our bundling discount, which means the lowest rates we offer plus all kinds of free add-on coverages. It's pretty much the greatest.

Liability insurance is the most common form of mandatory coverage, but each state may have different requirements. Additionally, if your vehicle is financed, your lender will likely require you to purchase collision and other than collision coverage — both of which will protect you and the lender if your vehicle is damaged or totaled.

Liability coverage protects you if you're found at fault in a car accident. It also helps cover any property damage or lawsuits.

This coverage protects you if you are legally responsible for accidentally injuring someone. (Because we know you would never purposely injure anyone.)

These are referred to as "split" liability limits. Here is a breakdown:

• The first number represents the maximum payable per person injured in any one accident.
• The second number represents the maximum payable for all injured persons in any one accident.
• The third number, which may also be listed separately, represents the maximum payable for property damage of others in any one accident.

For example: 25/50/25 or $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 limits would indicate that for bodily injury in any one accident, the maximum amount payable per person is $25,000. The maximum payable for bodily injury for all persons is $50,000. And finally, the maximum payable for property damage is $25,000.

For 100/300, the maximum amount payable per person for any one accident is $100,000 while the maximum payable for all persons is $300,000. In this example, the property damage limit is separately listed.

Most likely! Collision and other than collision coverages are both subject to a deductible. Clever offers several deductible options as well as a reducing deductible, which takes $100 off of your deductible each year you're accident-free. And yes, you can work your way down to a $0 deductible. Check your policy or speak with a Clever expert to see if you have a deductible, and if so, what amount it is.

These are Clever's optional auto coverage offerings that you can select from to build your policy:

• Other than collision
• Collision
• Transportation and travel expense
• Uninsured motor vehicle
• Uninsured motorist damage to your auto
• Underinsured motor vehicle
• Accidental death benefits
• Auto loan/lease
• Disability income
• Medical payments
• Additional insured lessor
• Drive other car
• Emergency road service
• Reducing deductible

Want to know more about each type? Buckle up and read more below!

This pays for accidental loss or damage to your auto due to natural disasters, civil commotion, vandalism, falling objects, contact with a bird or animal, glass breakage, fire and theft, subject to the deductible.

This pays for accidental damage to your auto due to collision or upset, regardless of who is at fault, subject to the deductible.

This pays for temporary transportation, meals, lodging and loss of use expenses in the event a loss renders a covered vehicle unsafe to drive.

This provides for recovery of injuries caused by motorists who do not have bodily injury liability coverage.

This provides for recovery of damages to your auto caused by motorists who do not have property damage liability coverage, subject to a $250 deductible.

This provides for recovery of injuries caused by motorists who have inadequate bodily injury coverage.

This coverage pays if death occurs to you and/or your family members due to bodily injury caused by a covered automobile accident if the death occurs within 60 days of the accident. The insured can choose between $1,000, $2,000, $5,000 and $15,000 in coverage.

This provides coverage for the difference between the outstanding indebtedness on a loan/lease agreement and the actual cash value (not to exceed 20%) of the vehicle. This coverage is ideal for individuals who have a loan amount that's higher than the value of their vehicle.

This provides payments if disability occurs due to the bodily injury caused by a covered automobile accident.

This provides payments for reasonable medical services for any person injured in the insured vehicle and/or you and your family members if injured while riding in most vehicles.

Automobiles owned by another party but leased to an insured on a long-term basis are treated as an owned vehicle. This coverage provides liability coverage to the lessor as an additional insured. There is no additional premium associated with this endorsement. This coverage should only be added to vehicles leased for 6 months or longer. Vehicles involved in a third-party lease agreement are not eligible for coverage.

This extends liability and medical payments coverage to a designated driver while operating a business-, company- or government-owned auto.

This pays for reasonable expenses for towing, mechanical labor done at the place of breakdown, delivery of gas, oil, loaned battery or change of tire, and locksmith services. This is included at no extra charge for bundling auto with home or renter's customers, but those with a Clever auto policy only can add it as an additional coverage.

This coverage reduces your collision and other than collision deductibles as long as no claims over $250 have been paid by Clever during the 12-month period following the date the reducing deductible coverage was added. Essentially, as long as you keep your reducing deductible coverage continuously in force, we knock $100 off your deductible for each loss-free period. Your reduction becomes effective at the next renewal date following 12 months after the date the reducing deductible coverage was added, and your credit applies only up to the original deductible value. Notice that you can file claims and keep your deductible credit – the claims just can't be over $250 a year. Pretty sweet, huh? If Clever does end up paying for a loss (under any coverage except uninsured motor vehicle or underinsured motor vehicle) over that $250 limit, the original collision and other than collision deductibles will be reinstated at the next renewal date. And, each vehicle with the reducing deductible coverage must be individually insured as a single unit on a separate policy. If you didn't sign up for reducing deductible but decide you want it later, you can always add it to an existing policy on its renewal date.

Liability coverage extends to anyone driving your vehicle subject to the policy provisions and limitations and applicable state laws — however, it doesn't cover anyone specifically restricted by your auto policy. Reach out to a Clever expert for more information.

That depends! Your Clever policy will only cover you in the USA (including its territories and possessions), Puerto Rico, and Canada. If you are traveling outside of these countries, it would be best for you to purchase coverage from the country you're visiting or the rental company you are using.

Clever's private passenger auto coverage does extend coverage to rented private passenger automobiles for temporary use by you or your family members. This policy covers autos:

• With four or six wheels
• Designed solely to carry persons and their luggage
• With a car or station wagon body
• With a van body that has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less
• With a pickup truck body and pickup style bed
• Pickup vehicles must have a GVW of 10,000 pounds or less OR
• A GVWR of 13,500 pounds or less OR
• A curb weight of 6,500 pounds or less if an original equipment manufacturer GVW or GVWR is not available.

Keep in mind that vehicles that fall within these guidelines are only covered if they're for personal use — not for business use. If you need to rent a vehicle that falls outside of these guidelines or is for business use, be sure to purchase coverage through the rental company.

Yes! If you're bundling auto with home or renter's, or an auto-only member who has purchased emergency road service coverage, Clever pays for your tow. For emergency roadside service or accident scene assistance, please call 1-833-MYCLEVER (1-833-692-5383), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We do offer a transportation and travel expense endorsement. If you've purchased this option, your policy will reimburse you for any rental car expenses while your vehicle is being repaired.

First of all, we hope everyone is okay! Visit our Claims Guide or call 1-833-MYCLEVER (1-833-692-5383) to report a claim or loss.

Here's what you need to do if you are in an accident:

• Call the police.
• Determine if anyone is injured, and get their names if possible.
• Obtain the name, address, license plate number, and name of the insurance company of other drivers involved.
• If possible, write down the names and addresses of any witnesses.
• DO NOT admit being "at fault" or discuss your insurance coverage.
• Notify us as soon as possible and report a claim.

Every now and then, vehicles may be damaged to the point where repair is no longer economically feasible. If this happens and you have collision or other than collision coverage, your policy will pay the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time of the loss.

In many cases, your Clever expert will have specialized automobile estimating software to calculate the damage to your vehicle. All you have to do is provide the estimate to the repair shop of your choice. If they find additional hidden damage, have them contact our Claims Department directly. In other cases, we may ask you to obtain a written estimate from the shop of your choice and let us take a look.

The long answer is yes, based on the state regulations applicable to your claim and location, you will receive compensation for the sales tax value of your vehicle loss. This may be received in a number of ways depending on your state laws and tax rates of where your vehicle is registered.