Many people that are getting insurance for the first time don’t understand all of the technical aspects of the process. Insuring a vehicle is an important part of owning any vehicle whether it’s new or used. If you’re looking to insure a passenger vehicle then you will want to understand what type of coverage you should get based on your vehicle.

Passenger vehicles can have two different types of insurance. You should choose your insurance based on your car, its year and overall value. You should get full coverage if your car is new or has a high value to it. Most states will require a new car to have full coverage until it’s paid off. This helps protect lenders from a huge loss if the car is totaled and the consumer refuses to pay for it when they don’t have insurance. When you have full coverage the insurance company will pay off your car if it is totaled.

This may be your first time getting car insurance so you will want to factor in the value of your car versus how much you will be paying for in insurance. An easy way to do this is to add up the cost of your insurance over 3 years and compare it to the value of your car. If the insurance costs are greater than the value of your car then you will want to get liability only. If the costs are less than the value of your car then you should get full coverage.

Liability is the alternative to full coverage that you can choose to have. However liability only covers you if you hit someone and does not cover your car. Many states require you to have some type of insurance. Liability is the cost effective answer to this law if your car is older. Remember that you should only use liability if your car is older or does not have much value.

Finally you may choose to add comprehensive coverage to your insurance plan. Comprehensive coverage is rarely used on an insurance plan except for full coverage plans. This is because comprehensive insurance will protect your vehicle from situations not pertained to accidents. A good example of this is vandalism or damaged caused by severe weather.

Comprehensive insurance is not a standalone insurance policy. It’s an add-on to your insurance to help cover damages that aren’t due to accidents. This type of damage is usually caused by vandalism or dangerous weather conditions. You will usually find this insurance in a full coverage plan however you will want to adjust the deductible accordingly. It’s important to note that if you change your deductible you will also change your monthly premium. This is handy if you’re looking to lower your overall premium.

You may be eligible for a premium up front discount rate if you pay your 6 month premium all at once up front. Most companies will only do this type of discount if you pay the first six months or a year up front.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal, which provides cover for all car insurance types.