Category: Auto Insurance

If you’re driving a car, the law requires you to have the minimum level of car insurance. But do you need auto insurance to buy a car? At Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan, we can help answer these questions and others. Buying a car can be stressful, but the process can be less stressful overall if you’re working with the experts at Atlas Insurance Agency. 

Is Insurance a Requirement to Buy a Car?

You do not have to have insurance to buy a car. However, you do need to have insurance to drive the car off the car lot. If this is your first vehicle and you do not yet have car insurance, you can buy car insurance while you’re on the lot. The car dealership may allow you to use their phones or computers to shop for auto insurance if you do not have your phone handy. 

If you already have a car insurance company in mind, buy your vehicle during your insurance company’s office hours to ensure that you’re able to get an agent on the phone. 

If you already have car insurance when you’re buying a vehicle, you will be given a grace period to add that new vehicle to your insurance policy. Your car salesperson can tell you how long that grace period is. 

How Can I Show Proof I Have Auto Insurance?

A hard copy of your insurance policy is best, but if you don’t have a hard copy, your car dealership may accept digital proof or faxed proof that you have car insurance. These requirements vary from one dealership to another, so talk to your dealership while you’re buying the vehicle.

Have questions?

Contact Atlas Insurance Agency in Southeast Michigan to find out more. 

If you own a car, you know that car insurance is a necessity in Southeast Michigan. However, with so many types of auto insurance coverage, it cannot be easy to understand which ones you need. Atlas Insurance Agency explains the different types of car insurance coverage, what they include, and what you need to know to make an informed decision.

Types of Auto Insurance Coverage

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is the most basic form of car insurance and is required in Michigan. This type of insurance protects you in case you cause an accident and someone is injured or their property is damaged.

Collision Insurance

If you get into an accident, collision insurance will cover the cost of repairing your car, regardless of who is at fault. However, you must pay a deductible before the insurance company starts covering the expenses.

Comprehensive Insurance

Comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by incidents other than accidents, including theft, vandalism, fire, severe weather, and falling objects.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

PIP is an insurance that pays for medical expenses and lost wages if you or your passengers are injured in an accident without considering who caused the accident. The requirement for PIP insurance varies by state. It is mandatory in Michigan.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be helpful in case of an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance or enough insurance to pay for damages.

We Are Here To Help

Understanding the different types of car insurance coverage is essential to ensuring that you have the right protection in Southeast Michigan. Contact Atlas Insurance Agency today if you have questions about which coverage to buy. Remember, auto insurance is an investment in your peace of mind and financial security.

Buying a home and becoming a property owner has continued to be an excellent way to build long-term wealth and receive other financial benefits. When you are looking to buy a home in the Southeast Michigan area, you will find there are a lot of great places to live. Before closing on the purchase of a home, you need to get insurance in place.

A home insurance plan will cover and protect you in multiple ways: 

Cover Dwelling

Your home and personal assets are important assets that you not only use on a daily basis but also purchase and invest in. The last thing you will want to have happen is to lose these assets due to fire, natural disaster, or other risks. If you continue to build a home insurance plan, it will give you the support that you need to protect your dwelling and other assets. If you do incur a covered loss, the insurance plan will offer support to make repairs or replacements.

Liability Risk Mitigation

There are always liability risks that come with owning a home. If you are a property owner and want to mitigate these risks, getting a full home insurance plan is a great option. This will include provisions so you can reduce and offset these risks. 

We Can Help

Anyone in the Southeast Michigan area that is looking for a new home should consider buying a property and getting the right insurance for it. Once you are ready to start looking for insurance protection here, you could benefit greatly by calling our group of insurance professionals at Atlas Insurance Agency. There are a lot of choices that you will need to make when looking for coverage, and our team with Atlas Insurance Agency can help you build a new plan. 

Choosing an auto insurance policy is one of the important things you need to do as a motorist. If you’re a motorist in Southeast Michigan, you can come to us at Atlas Insurance Agency to meet your auto insurance needs. 

The following are three rules that you’ll want to follow when you purchase auto insurance:

Understand the coverage requirements in your state

Every state has its own auto insurance requirements that motorists must meet.

In Michigan, there are four types of auto insurance coverage that are required: personal injury protection, property protection, bodily injury liability, and property damage. You need to have an adequate amount of all these coverage types in your policy. 

Make sure you have collision coverage on your policy

In addition to meeting the basic requirements in Michigan, you should also have collision coverage added to your policy. With collision coverage, you can enjoy reimbursement for repairs if your own vehicle becomes damaged in an accident. 

Be aware of add-on coverage options that may come in handy

There are plenty of add-on coverages that are really important to have if you end up in an accident and need to file a claim. You probably should have comprehensive coverage, gap insurance coverage, new car replacement coverage, and rental car coverage on your policy to minimize the negative consequences you face after an accident. 

Get The Right Coverage For Your Needs

Let us be your auto insurance provider of choice in Southeast Michigan. Are you ready to get a quote on an auto insurance policy? At Atlas Insurance Agency, we can offer you a quote on a policy that will meet your needs and protect you financially when you’re behind the wheel. 

When leasing a rental car, the salesperson will likely suggest that you remember to purchase rental car insurance. You might think you should ignore them since you already have auto insurance and don’t need more insurance. As a resident of Southeast Michigan, your auto insurance likely doesn’t cover all the perils that might befall your rental car. This is why at Atlas Insurance Agency, we suggest you consider the coverage that comes with rental car insurance. 

Do I Need My Auto Insurance to Rent a Car? 

You aren’t required to have your own auto insurance to rent a car, but you will expose yourself to great liability. To be safe, you should also purchase rental car insurance when renting a vehicle. 

Why should I Purchase Rental Insurance on Top of My Auto Insurance? 

• Access loss-damage waiver (LDW)/ collision damage waiver (CDW)

You will get this waiver after purchasing rental car insurance. Although it’s technically not insurance, this waiver guarantees that the rental car company won’t pursue you if you damage the leased vehicle in an accident or it’s stolen. 

• Access coverage for damage to property beyond the US and Canada borders

Your auto coverage likely only provides coverage for damage you cause with your rental vehicles to property within the US and Canada. You can purchase rental insurance with the supplemental liability protection option to get property liability coverage beyond the US and Canada borders. Even if you damage property within the US and Canada and have auto insurance, your insurance record will be tainted, and you will be charged higher premiums moving forward. 

• To protect your personal property in your rental car.

Your auto insurance doesn’t cover personal property stolen from rental cars. You will need rental car insurance with personal effects coverage to protect your personal property in the leased vehicle. 

Contact Atlas Insurance Agency for rental car insurance assistance in Southeast Michigan.

Receiving a speeding ticket is never fun and to top it all off – your insurance is also likely to increase. Insurance companies use a complicated algorithm to determine your risk factor. Excessive speeding as evidenced by tickets, frequent claims due to accidents, your age, and much more all factor into how much your auto insurance premium is. To keep your insurance costs as low as possible, you’ll want to avoid doing anything that could put yourself, your passengers, or other people at risk. 

If you’ve received a speeding ticket, then it is all but guaranteed that your insurance will increase. Although it can vary from state to state, insurance typically increases about 25% in the period immediately following the ticket being reported. If you do receive a ticket, you’ve got a few options to avoid it increasing your auto insurance premium. One option may be to fight the ticket in court if you believe it was given to you erroneously or you have a valid and justifiable reason that a judge believes for why you were speeding. 

At the end of the day, the best way to maintain an affordable auto insurance policy is to operate your vehicle safely. While you can’t control what other drivers are doing on the road, you are in control of what you do and doing simple things like following the speed limit, avoiding being on your phone and obeying all traffic signs will keep you safe while also keeping your insurance premium at an affordable rate. 

For your insurance needs in Southeast Michigan, give Atlas Insurance Agency a call today to learn how we can help you. 

Shopping for car insurance is never an easy or enjoyable experience. Thankfully, we at Atlas Insurance Agency can help Southeast Michigan residents get the coverage they need using the simple process below.

Prepare Your Information 

When shopping for car insurance, you’ll need information like the VIN, the manufacturer, the year, model, mileage, and other information about your vehicle. You’ll also need your driver’s license numbers and information about policies that you’ve held in the past. 

Know What You Want 

Do you want a comprehensive coverage option or just an essential liability coverage choice? Do you want gap policies to cover your liability limitations? Long before you buy any policies, you need to understand these factors to ensure that you get the option that makes the most sense. 

Talk Directly to the Insurance Provider 

While you might find it is easier to buy online without talking to the provider, it is almost always a better idea to speak directly to the company offering you the coverage. Doing so will help make it easier to answer any questions you may have and minimize any complications. 

Discuss Potential Discount Options 

You might be surprised to discover that many insurance companies will provide discounts to people who do things like install anti-theft devices, take defensive driving courses, or have a high credit score. Talk to your provider before you buy a policy to learn more. 

Finding a Policy That Makes Sense 

As you can see, it isn’t too hard to find an insurance policy as long as you take the time to research your options. So please contact us at Atlas Insurance Agency if you live in Southeast Michigan. Our team will do what they can to provide you with the high-quality coverage that you need.

Each state has its own laws about the type of auto insurance required for its drivers, and Michigan is a unique one with unusual requirements. If you have a vehicle, it’s a good idea to learn more about the many different types of coverage that the state requires. If you need auto insurance in Southeast Michigan, contact us at Atlas Insurance Agency to talk to our team about your specific needs. 

A No-Fault State

Michigan is classified as a no-fault state, meaning that if you are in an accident, you are responsible for your own medical bills no matter who set the accident in motion. Because of this, the state requires you to carry personal injury protection insurance, often called PIP. This coverage will pay for your medical bills associated with the accident. There are several PIP options available, so Michigan drivers choose how much coverage they want and need to stay legal.

Property Protection

This required type of insurance has a high maximum so that there is little chance of you having to pay out of pocket. The coverage pays for any damage caused by your vehicle when the accident happens within the state. It will also pay for damage that your vehicle causes to a parked vehicle. 

Residual Liability

This required liability coverage covers both bodily injury and property damage done by your vehicle. There are specific minimums for the amount of bodily injury coverage for each person who is either injured or killed. There is another mandatory minimum for the total amount for bodily injury for the total accident when it affects two or more people. The second part of this coverage is property damage liability. This part covers property damage that your vehicle causes when you are in a different state. 

Talk to an Agent

If you need auto insurance in Southeast Michigan, don’t hesitate to call us at Atlas Insurance Agency.