- Liability limits (split limits)
- Auto liability is usually written as three numbers, such as 100/300/100: $100,000 for injuries to one person, $300,000 for all injuries in one accident, and $100,000 for property damage. It pays for harm you cause to others, including legal defense, not damage to your own car.
- Assets at risk
- What someone could collect if a judgment exceeds your insurance: home equity, savings, taxable investments and other property. Retirement accounts and part of your home equity may be protected under federal or state law. Future wages can also be garnished, which this calculator does not include.
- State minimum coverage
- The lowest liability limits your state allows. In many states they are $25,000 per person or less — far below the cost of a serious injury. Meeting the minimum keeps you legal but can leave your savings and home exposed.
- Umbrella policy
- Extra liability coverage, usually sold in $1 million layers, that pays after your auto or home liability limit is used up. Insurers usually require you to carry certain underlying auto and home limits first. It is a common next step once assets exceed what the highest auto limit covers.
- Collision deductible
- What you pay toward repairs to your own car after an accident before collision coverage pays the rest. A higher deductible lowers your premium but raises what you pay each time you claim.
- Break-even years
- The extra amount you would pay per claim with the higher deductible, divided by the yearly premium you save. If it is 2.5 years, the higher deductible comes out ahead as long as you go more than two and a half years between claims on average.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
- Coverage that pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little. Many advisers suggest matching it to your own liability limits, because medical bills and lost wages can be large.