The liability might not automatically cover the rental car because somebody else could be using your car while you are gone, meaning you'd be insuring two cars for the price of one. It depends on the laws of your state. If your agent says that liability DOES extend to the rented vehicle, ask them to point it out in your policy. When it comes to insurance, if it's not in writing it isn't true. Credit card coverage is usually very good, but again be sure to read all the fine print. There are likely to be "exceptions" and "exclusions." Plus, it usually covers damage to the rental only. Keep in mind that even though credit card coverage would pay for repairs, the rental company will still want to collect the daily rate from you while the vehicle is out of service. Typically, the insurance will NOT cover that.

It's really worth it to go through an insurance agent, rather than trying to do this on your own. An agent can crunch the numbers and figure out which insurance coverage is the best and most economical FOR HER. They can compare many different companies, and know what to suggest to lower your premiums, if possible. No one company is the best or the lowest costing. And example. We have our auto policy through a fantastic company--very small, most people have never heard of it. They only insure really good drivers, and our rates are extremely low. I've checked over the years, an not even the really cheap, discount companies can come close for us. DD had her insurance with 'our' company, and a couple of years ago, decided she'd like to get a better rate. Called the agent and yep--she found dd a policy with another company that was even cheaper for her. We had them check our coverage with that new company? For us, our original company was still cheaper. There are a lot of variables that go into the rate you end up paying, so it is best to have a pro doing the comparison for you. Also, with an agent, you've got someone to represent you if you do have a problem/claim down the road. If she does choose to do the legwork herself, a couple of tips. Check with the state insurance commission--they can tell you who has the best rates, what companies have the most consumer complaints, etc. And then, once you find a company that sounds good--check to see if they are allowed to write policies in New York state--they have the most stringent insurance regulations, so usually, if a company meets their requirements, they're pretty solid.

If she's got no assets then she probably doesn't need much more than the next step up from your states minimum liability coverage. My DS had to have full coverage on his car before he paid it off, and with a $500 deductible (the lowest they'd let him have) he was paying about $212/mo. Now he's just got liability, it covers uninsured/underinsured and PIP medical at one step above the state minimum-which is 25-15-50K and his deductible is still the $500. He had no accidents but a speeding ticket-and that, plus he was male under 30 put him in the high cost category. Accidents where she was not at fault shouldn't count against her. If she owns her car outright, and it's more than 5 years old, she can consider dropping full coverage, but get more than just the minimum liability-$15K for medical bills can go in a heartbeat. Ask me how I know....I had $50K personal injury and one bad crash almost 10 years ago ended up costing that.

I emailed my State Farm agent to ask if I was going to receive anything. This was her reply that she said State Farm put out. I hadn't received it. "To our Customers, Since March, we've all had to adapt to new challenges that - for many - may include financial burdens. My team and I are proud to be your Good Neighbor through this and are here to help support you in a variety of ways. First, all Mutual Auto policyholders will receive a 27.5% dividend credit for the premium paid from March 20 - May 31st. State Farm policyholders will receive nearly $2 billion in credits which will show on your late June/July bill or the first renewal, whichever comes first. Second, just announced was that this summer because we are driving less and the accident rate has decreased, we hope to experience a 10 -15% rate decrease for auto insurance!!!. We are waiting on the approval of the State Insurance Commissioner for this rate decrease. This also will mean a $2 Billion in savings for our policyholders."