Liability coverage pays for bodily injury and property damage that you cause in an accident. Don't get caught short by reducing your liability limits to the state minimum (CA 15/30/5). Buying more coverage might seem like an odd way to save, but the benefit comes if you have a costly claim, which can put your personal assets at risk. Buy standard 100/300/100 coverage, which pays for bodily injury up to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, and property damage up to $100,000. If you have a high net worth, boost your bodily injury to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident, you should also talk to your agent about adding an Umbrella policy to supplement your liability coverage.

The recession has prompted unemployed consumers to go without insurance. One of every six drivers today may be uninsured according to the Insurance Research Council. Without this coverage, if you are hit by an at-fault uninsured driver you will have to pay for repairs to your vehicle out of your own pocket and sue the at-fault driver for damages. Protect yourself by buying uninsured/underinsured motorist protection with the same limits as your liability coverage.

Think carefully about medical coverage. You may not need it if you have good health insurance, but keep or add it if you don't or if your usual passengers might not be well insured.

A higher deductible reduces your premium because you pay more out of pocket if you have a claim. Raising your deductible from $250 to $500 can cut your premium on collision by 15 to 30 percent. Go up to $1,000 and you could save as much as 40 percent. If you have a good driving record and haven't had an at-fault accident in years, if ever, opting for a higher deductible on collision might be a good bet. Just make sure you can afford to pay it if your luck runs out.

You can probably cancel your collision and/or comprehensive coverage when the annual cost of the vehicle's insurance equals or exceeds 10 percent of your car's book value. Otherwise, you could end up paying more over time than you would recoup for repair or replacement of your damaged, stolen, or totaled vehicle.

In the event of an accident or theft of your vehicle. If you have another car that you can use while your vehicle is being repaired or searched for, you don't need to pay for rental-reimbursement coverage. But take these events into consideration if you do not have another car readily available. For a minimal fee per year, rental-reimbursement coverage may be much more convenient then public transportation or borrowing a friend's car.

If you have an auto-club or another similar membership, you shouldn't double pay by purchasing towing and/or roadside assistance. Towing and roadside assistance are different and vary by carrier. Purchasing towing-reimbursement will normally reimburse you up to $75 for towing related fees. Roadside Assistance can cover Emergency Towing to the nearest qualified repair facility, Flat Tire, Lock out, Dead Battery, and even Essential Fluids (running out of fuel). Roadside assistance is worth its weight in gold when the unexpected strikes.

Discounts are designed to attract the business of lower risk drivers. Those drivers include students with good grades, new drivers who have taken a driver-training course, older drivers who have taken a refresher course, and members of AAA, or affinity groups such as college graduates and alumni, credit union members, and for certain occupations and professions. Antitheft and safety equipment can also get you a discount. Insurers also offer discounts if you buy your homeowners, renters, life insurance or specialty lines policy (Motorcycle/ATV, Boat, RV) from them. But be sure you check out the total costs both ways. Check your premiums from different insurers combined compared with single insurer packages.

YES. The MexiSTAR® program is the result of our search to improve the Coverages and Services for those insureds who drive into Mexico by offering them superior protection that includes Partial Theft, Vandalism and Passenger Liability.

Dwelling coverage is the part of a homeowners insurance policy that covers the physical structure of your home, including other structures on the property. Covers damage to your home due to fire, lighting, smoke, storm damage and other similar peril.

Other Structures: Provides coverage for any structures not attached to your home. This coverage pays for damages to detached structures like garages, sheds, fences, retaining walls, cottages, etc., on your property. Typically 10% of Coverage A is included, with additional amounts available by endorsement.

Provides coverage for your furniture, clothes, decorations, electronics, etc. So hypothetically if you could turn your home upside down and shake it, anything that's not attached to the home and would fall out, would be considered personal propertyTypically 50 to 70% of coverage A is included for contents.

Provides coverage for you to rent another home or stay in a hotel while your home is being repaired or re-built after a covered claim.

Pays for bodily injury or property damage caused to others as a result of a covered incident. Typically the home policy includes personal liability coverage of at least $100,000.

Medical Payments pays medical expenses for your guests who are accidentally injured on your property. Typically the home policy includes personal liability coverage of at least $1,000.

A $2,500 deductible is most common for home insurance policies today because in the event that a policy holder were to have more than 1 home insurance claim during a 3 year period, the current insurance company will likely not renew the policy. It then becomes very difficult to obtain homeowners insurance and the rates typically double for individuals with 2 or more home insurance claims because they have to purchase a more restrictive "surplus lines" policy that is non-admitted with the state and is not financially backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Act.

Homeowners insurance protection is designed to provide coverage for high cost, unforeseen catastrophic type losses that occur sudden and accidentally. It's not intended to provide coverage for low cost, frequent maintenance related losses. The higher home insurance deductible helps homeowner's keep their current insurance policy in place and also helps keep the annual premiums affordable.

The federal government requires every business with employees to have workers' compensation, unemployment, and disability insurance.

• Income losses
• Employee injury or illness
• Theft
• Property damage
• Lawsuits

Business Owner's Policy (BOP) can protect your small business against a variety of claims. It combines commercial general liability insurance and commercial property insurance, often including business income and extra expense (BIEE).

Bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury, and medical payments are typically included in general liability insurance.