Insuring drivers in Carlsbad, CA & San Diego County for over 26 years.

What is auto insurance?

Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance provider. You agree to pay the premium, and the insurance provider commits to pay your potential losses according to the coverage's you select on your policy. We will discuss as we move forward in detail the various packages available to meet your auto insurance needs. Many people may feel they do not need as much as offered and find later they were mistaken. Some people believe they need more coverage than necessary and find that they were over insured and overpaying for years after conversations with knowledgeable NCPA Insurance Services personnel. Care must be taken on both ends, customer and agent, in deciding and advising what you would like for coverage. The main reason is coverage cannot be added once the claim has occurred. Customers who believe they would like the cheapest policy possible may find that this was not a prudent decision. All of the circumstances for coverages will be discussed in the following paragraphs. The reasons you may or may not choose coverage will come down to an understanding of coverages, values, and cost.

What are the different types of Automobile Coverages Offered?

An auto insurance policy is comprised of many different kinds of coverage. California requires all drivers to purchase liability insurance with the minimum limits of $15,000/$30,000/$5,000. Other options of higher liability will be discussed in paragraphs to come, however, if you're financing a car, most lenders will require you carry comprehensive and collision coverage and higher liability than required by the state of California. Many leasing companies will require 100000/300000/50000 liability:

• Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others (What you are liable for). This includes coverage for bodily injury and property damage. State legal minimum coverage is $15,00/$30,000/$5,000 this is the minimum liability for the state of California. A break down would be $15,000 per person bodily injury $30,000 per occurrence and $5,000 property damage.  You may choose to insure at higher limits of liability to protect your personal assets if in the event you injure someone past the 15,000/30,000 threshold for bodily injury or cause more than $5,000 damage to their property. Again, liability means what you are responsible for or liable for. That is why it is the law to have the minimum coverage. We are compelled to pay for others injuries or property if in the event we are found liable for an accident. That is the essence of liability coverage for the state of California.

• Uninsured motorist coverage will cover you in the event an uninsured or underinsured motorist is found liable (at fault). This does not cover hit and run or vandalism. Uninsured motorist will cover your bodies to the limits chosen on your policy i.e. if you chose 15,000 per person and 30,000 per occurrence that means the total limit for bodily injury will cap at 30,000. You will be compensated for your deductible to fix your vehicle. This is good to have as there will be no out of pocket expenses to make your vehicle whole. If you have higher liability than required by the state of California you may choose a higher uninsured motorist package for bodily injury if you are hit by an uninsured motorist. Also, this will come into play if the person who hits you has a lower liability threshold. This is important because if your uninsured motorist package is higher bodily injury coverage than the person who hit you, you are entitled to the difference between the two packages (up to your limits). It will also cover your own vehicle with no out of pocket expenses. This is an important coverage because any person or persons can be driving without the proper liability insurance for the state of California at any time (either knowingly or unknowingly). For example, if someone moves from out of state many other policies do not transfer over state lines once residency has been established. Or if someone moves into the country from elsewhere and does not purchase liability insurance or understand the necessity for it. If in the event they cause you or your family damage you may be at a loss for your expenses.

• Physical damage coverage pays for comprehensive collision claims to your vehicle(s). You may choose varying deductibles in either category according to your comfort level. Collision coverage covers you if in the event you collide with something. Comprehensive coverage covers your vehicle in the event of the many various circumstances that can occur other than collision. i.e. (for example) vandalism, fire, ice storm, dust storm, rock chip, tire slash, etc. Many people choose to stagger their physical damage coverage i.e. for example 100 deductible for comprehensive 1000 for collision. This is done after discussing with your agent how you as the customer feel about your driving habits. If you feel you are a very safe driver and do not have the propensity for collision circumstances this may be an option for you to keep prices low. However, lowering your comprehensive deductible will save you the dismay of finding your vehicle in disarray or a random rock chip breaking your windshield.

• Medical coverage is a smaller portion that will pay medical expenses before liability is established if necessary. Usually, the limits for medical coverage is much lower than the liability portion of the policy. This coverage should be discussed with your NCPA Insurance Agent to determine if you are comfortable with having or not having this type of insurance. Many people choose to carry medical as a comfort in knowing that they are better protected.

• Towing and rental coverage. Towing coverage will cover you if in the event you need a tow. Most companies offer different towing packages at different rates. You need to decide if you would like to purchase the additional coverage after you have made a risk assessment and are comfortable paying for the additional coverage. Some towing coverages only will cover the tow after receipts are submitted so the customer must pay for the tow upfront. Rental reimbursement will pay a set amount per day for a set amount of days if in the event you need to rent a car due to a collision.

• Roadside service is coverage that is offered on not all insurance policies or companies. However, you may find that roadside coverage is a useful tool on an automobile insurance policy if in the event you have a flat tire, dead battery, or locked out of your car. Roadside service is a comforting thought if you are driving alone or if you have any young drivers in your household.

• In the end liability insurance at a minimum is required by state law. Comprehensive and collision insurance is required by banks if you are financing or leasing your vehicle as they have an interest in your vehicle. All other coverages are at the consumer's discretion after discussing all viable options with your NCPA Insurance Services agent.

• You as the consumer need to decide what level of coverage makes you most comfortable and are willing to pay for. This is why speaking with a professional may be the most prudent way to decide what coverages are best for you when purchasing insurance. Many people do not realize after purchasing policies on their own via the internet or some other mechanism they did not have the opportunity to have a full understanding of the value of the different limits of liability and other coverages. They end up being woefully underinsured and do not realize this until it is too late.

How long do policies last?

There are policies that last as short as one month and will renew until canceled or until not paid. Three-month policies do exist with some carriers but not all. But the most common auto policy terms are for six months or twelve months. Both have payment options to pay for the policy term in full or to break them into payments over the course of the term of the policy. Payment options can be called in by phone manually, in our office, or from EFT (electronic funds transfer from your bank account). The payment structure should be discussed with your agent and the method of payment should be as well as this will impact the overall cost of your policies term. Many companies will charge different billing fees for different payment methods. As your independent agency, NCPA Insurance Services has the ability to re-shop your policy at the end of your term, when you purchase a new vehicle, or when changes occur on your driving record that may alter the premium such as tickets or accidents. As part of the services, we offer our clients we shop upon request insurance providers to ensure that you are paying the absolute lowest premiums possible as your life circumstances change.

Why do you need auto insurance?

• The number one reason to have any type of insurance is to protect yourself and your family financially.

• Unfortunately, it's not “If an accident occurs” it's “When an accident occurs.” When that time comes, it’s often very expensive to repair or replace not only your own vehicle but potentially the property of another individual.

• In the event of an accident, if yourself or any of your passengers require medical care, the cost can be extremely expensive.

• If you or your vehicle is responsible for damage or injury to others, you may be sued for much more than you're worth.

• Not only is having insurance an exceedingly wise financial decision, but California also requires you to be covered by law.

Questions to ask your NCPA Insurance Services agent

As Independent Agents, NCPA Insurance Services acts as your personal shopper and advocate for finding auto insurance coverage to meet your unique needs at the most affordable price. We take every aspect of your life into consideration when writing insurance quotes. Here are just a few  things that we can go over with you when quoting you an insurance policy:

• How much are you comfortable paying if an accident is to occur? (To keep premiums low you may opt to carry a higher deductible and be willing to pay more for repairs.) Again, as discussed previously your collision deductible will dictate your out of pocket expenses in the event you are found liable for the accident.

• What discounts are available? (Ask about good driver, multiple policies and student discounts.) Many companies offer discounts for good student, educational degrees, safe driving, multi-automobile, and multiple policies through the same carrier.  

• What's the procedure for filing and settling a claim? (Ask who to call and what happens after you file a claim.) When a claim occurs if you call us directly at NCPA we will guide you through the claims process many things that arise with claims are misunderstood and may need to be explained at which time we will be happy to listen, take notes, and advise you to call adjusters to gain clarity. Having a claim or accident is unnerving enough we hope we will make you feel comfortable and assist you every step of the way and do everything in our power to make sure that things go smoothly for you.

We at NCPA are willing to take appointments on the weekends or after hours to meet with our customers to meet their needs. We understand that life is hectic enough without having to worry about structured business hours to make appointments we will try our best to make appointments around your busy schedule.

Thank you for your interest in NCPA Insurance Service. With our convenient location in Carlsbad, CA, we can help insure all drivers in San Diego County! Call our office at (760) 720-9588 or request your quote today!