Start with your state minimum, then look past it
Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry some amount of liability insurance. Those minimums are the floor for driving legally — not a recommendation for how much protection you should actually carry. A minimum-limits policy can leave you personally responsible for tens of thousands of dollars after a serious at-fault accident.
Think of the minimum as the start of the conversation. The right amount of coverage depends on what you could lose if you are sued, what your car is worth, and how much risk you are comfortable carrying yourself.
Liability: protect your assets, not just your car
Liability coverage pays for injuries and property damage you cause to other people. If your net worth is higher than your liability limit, the gap is money a court can pursue directly from you. Many advisors suggest carrying limits at least equal to your total assets, and adding an umbrella policy once those assets grow.
Liability is usually the cheapest coverage on your policy relative to the protection it buys, which is why raising it is often the highest-value change most drivers can make.
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Collision and comprehensive: worth it until it is not
Collision repairs your car after a crash; comprehensive covers theft, weather, fire, and animal strikes. Both are usually required while you finance or lease. Once your car is paid off, the math changes: if a year of collision plus comprehensive approaches 10% of your car’s value, dropping it becomes worth considering.
The add-ons that quietly matter
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage steps in when the driver who hits you cannot pay — often the best value on the page. Medical payments or PIP helps with medical bills regardless of fault. Roadside and rental reimbursement are small line items that decide how a bad day goes.