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Get the cheapest quotes on your auto insurance
Enter your ZIP code to see insurers near you.
Your information is secure.
If you’re looking for lifelong insurance coverage, consider either whole life insurance or variable life insurance. Both are permanent policies, but whole life insurance grows its cash value more reliably than variable life insurance.
Full coverage is a car insurance term used by consumers that means a policy with liability coverage as well as comprehensive and collision. Liability car insurance refers to a policy with only liability coverage.
Get an idea of what both policies cover before deciding which one suits you:
Type of coverage | Full coverage policy | Liability only policy |
---|---|---|
Injuries, car or property damage you cause to another driver | ![]() | ![]() |
Physical damage to your car when you’re at fault | ![]() | ![]() |
Theft or vandalism | ![]() | ![]() |
Weather damage | ![]() | ![]() |
State minimum requirements | Not always — some states also require underinsured motorist or personal injury protection | Not always — some states also require underinsured motorist or personal injury protection |
Gap | Only if added separately | ![]() |
Rental car reimbursement | Only if added separately | ![]() |
Roadside assistance | Only as a free perk or if added separately | ![]() |
Buying a full coverage policy means you’ll get liability protection, plus:
If you go for a full coverage policy, expect it to set you back $1,430 per year or $119 per month. That cost accounts for an extra $130 for comprehensive and $300 for collision coverage.
A car insurance policy with only liability insurance costs around $1,000 each year, or $83 per month.
A full coverage policy works best if you:
A liability policy works best if you:
When you’re deciding between well-stocked coverage or the bare minimum, balance these three main factors:
If your state or car loan requires coverage beyond liability insurance, you must buy the coverage required. Otherwise, you risk getting uninsured driver penalties or your lender using forced-place insurance.
Consider the cost of the extra coverage compared to your car’s value and your chance of using that coverage. If you’ve only filed one claim in your life and currently own a low-dollar car, extra coverage might not be worth the higher price tag.
And if adding comprehensive and collision would cost more than your car’s worth, you may be better off without them.
Keep a balanced perspective on what you can afford. Even if you don’t own the fanciest car, wide coverage could benefit you if you can’t pay to replace your car after an accident.
In this case, you might add extras like full coverage until you save enough to comfortably drop the coverage from your policy. Re-evaluating your policy yearly helps you determine the right time to adjust your coverage.
Other benefits and drawbacks:
Full coverage is meant to protect you financially if your car gets damaged, whether you or another driver causes the damage. Reasons you might consider dropping full coverage:
Pretected
The Zebra
Progressive
Full coverage and liability-only policies serve different purposes for car insurance. A full coverage policy offers broad physical damage protection, while liability-only insurance stands as a low-cost option with less coverage for your car’s physical damage.
Shop for the coverage level of your choice or get quotes for both full and liability coverage to see which companies give you the most bang for your buck.
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