"What type of car insurance should I have?" is a common question. Here's a brief outline of what you should have and how to get it at the best rate possible.

 

Most states require you to have a minimum amount of liability insurance, which includes:

* Bodily injury liability coverage which pays your legal fees and claims made against you when you, a family member, or someone driving your car with your permission, injures or kills other people.

* Property damage liability coverage which pays your legal fees and claims made against you when you, a family member, or someone driving your car with your permission, damages someone else's property.

A few states also require you to have uninsured motorist coverage which pays for medical fees and property damage expenses for you, your family, and your passengers when you're hit by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver.

These two types of insurance are all you're required to carry. However, if you're in one of the categories below you should consider purchasing the following coverages:

If you drive a late model car - you should carry collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage pays to repair your car when you're involved in an accident no matter who was at fault, and comprehensive coverage pays to repair your car when it's been damaged by fire, vandalism, theft, or acts of nature.

To save money on collision and comprehensive coverage, get the highest deductible that you can afford to pay. Raising your deductible from $250 to $1,000 can save you up to 50% on your insurance premium.

You may also want to purchase personal injury protection coverage which pays medical expenses for you and your passengers when you're involved in an accident. It also pays medical expenses for you and your family when you're injured in someone else's car or when you're walking or riding a bicycle.

If you drive and older car - consider dropping your collision and comprehensive coverage altogether, especially if your car is worth less than the cost of your insurance plus your deductible.

If you have more than one car - insure both cars with the same company. Doing this can save you 5% to 15% on your yearly premium.

If you're shopping for a car - buy a safe, low maintenance, low profile car, like a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, to save big bucks on your auto insurance. Cars that cost a lot to repair or that are favorites of thieves cost a lot more to insure.

If you're a teenager or a student - keep your grades up, take a driver's education course, and keep a clean driving record to keep your rates low.

Comparison Shop to Get the Best Car Insurance Rate

Comparing rates from different companies is by far the best way to get the best rate on your car insurance.