When you are looking at auto insurance coverage that may be available to address your concerns and goals, it is important to understand the different options that are available. Auto liability insurance can include hired and non-owned policies that address a variety of different concerns when you are not the owner of a particular vehicle.

What is the Policy?

A hired and non-owned auto liability insurance policy is a type of plan that addresses specific concerns when you consistently borrow or rent a vehicle. The policy is designed to protect against liability concerns if you are involved in an accident while driving a car that you do not own. Depending on the situation and the number of days that you use the vehicle, you may or may not need to purchase a separate policy to address your specific liability concerns.

When to Purchase the Plan

As a general rule, it is best to purchase the plan if you rent a car for more than 10 days in a year or if you consistently borrow a vehicle from a friend or family member. While borrowing a car once or twice may not require additional coverage, using the car several times can mean that the owner’s policy will not cover you or may offer only limited protection.

If you are driving a company car, then you may also want to consider the plan as a solution to help pay for damages if you get into an accident.

When you do not own a car that you are driving, it is usually best to purchase a policy that is specifically designed to address all of your concerns regarding liability and damages to the vehicle. Contact us to speak to an agent for more details today.

You need auto insurance if you want to drive legally. Problem is, you have accidents and speeding tickets in your past. Your driving record is far from perfect. This means one thing: Your insurance premium will be higher.

Before deciding what to charge, auto insurers will take a careful look at your driving record, looking for past accidents and speeding violations. The reason? They’re searching for those drivers who are the riskiest, the ones most likely to get into future accidents.

These risky drivers cost insurers more money than do drivers with clean driving records. When drivers get into accidents, they often call on their insurance providers to cover the costs of repairing their cars and, at times, the damaged vehicles of other drivers. This cuts into the yearly profits that auto insurers make.

To cover themselves, auto insurers charge drivers with bad driving records higher premiums. This way, insurers still benefit financially from providing insurance to these risky motorists.

Where does this leave you? First, you have to be ready to pay a higher insurance premium. That’s simply the cost of having a checkered driving record. If you want to change this, start compiling a better driving record immediately. This means no more accidents and no more speeding tickets.

Secondly, shop around. This is the best way for motorists with spotty driving records to land the best insurance costs. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever for consumers to shop for auto insurance. You can instantly compare quotes from competing insurance companies online, a process that takes just minutes.

For instance, you can use this Web site to shop around for the lowest insurance rates. Simply enter your basic information and location and hit "return." You’ll soon see rates from several insurers. And some of these rates might be more affordable than you’d think.

If you want to drive along the highways or side streets of Albany, NY, you’ll need auto insurance. New York State law requires all drivers to carry adequate auto insurance.

But drivers with bad driving records might find it challenging to qualify for the right auto insurance policy.

Finding auto insurance won’t be a big challenge. Auto insurers will be glad to provide insurance even to those drives with bad driving records. But finding an affordable auto insurance will prove difficult. If you have accidents or speeding tickets on your driving record, you might be surprised at how much insurers will charge to provide you with the auto insurance required of New York motorists.

There’s a reason for this: Drivers with bad records are riskier for auto insurers. That’s because they are more likely to get into accidents that require insurance companies to pay out damages. To protect themselves from this financial risk, auto insurers charge drivers with bad records extra dollars.

This doesn’t mean, though, that bad drivers have to settle for overpriced auto insurance. Today, it’s easier than ever for drivers to shop for the right insurance policy. Credit for this goes to the Internet. Today, motorists can quickly compare auto-insurance rates from several policies, all from the comfort of their computers.

This is a change. In the past, consumers would have to call individual insurers, ask about their rates and provide their own information. It was an inefficient way for drivers to shop for the lowest insurance rates.

The shopping process today, though, takes just seconds, even for consumers with bad driving records. Consumes, for instance, can instantly compare insurance rates at this Web site. Just by entering their basic information, they can view rates from several competing insurers.

This is especially important for drivers with accidents or speeding tickets in their past. There is no better way for such drivers to land the lowest possible rates.

Renting a car can be an important part of getting around when you are visiting an area for business or a vacation. The problem is that you may not be sure what your rental car insurance covers and the options that may be available after an accident.

Your Car Insurance

In some cases, your personal car insurance on a vehicle that you own will still cover you against some basic liability concerns related to renting a car. You may need to inform your insurance provider about your plans to rent a car before you actually rent, but many insurers will offer some basic coverage for the situation.

Rental Insurance

Rental car insurance may be available as an additional policy or a basic policy if your personal auto insurance does not cover rental vehicles. The insurance may be provided by the rental car company or you can seek a private policy through a different insurance provider if you feel that the rental car company is charging too much.

The insurance will usually cover the basic liability concerns, but you will want to read the policy thoroughly to determine if additional coverage is available for collisions and repairs.

Buying Additional Protection

If you are not comfortable with the amount of coverage that is available, then you may want to purchase additional protection in the form of collision coverage. The coverage will help pay for the damages to the vehicle after an accident so that you can avoid unnecessary hassles.

Depending on your policy and the options that you are considering, the solutions that may be available after an accident in a rental vehicle can vary. Contact us to talk to an independent agent to learn more about your coverage options.