December 4, 2018

Navigating your Root insurance quote

Now that you’ve received a Root car insurance quote, how do you choose the coverage options that best fit your needs? 

From understanding state laws to deciphering insurance jargon to knowing what you have to have versus what you might need, your next steps may not be entirely clear to you.

Choosing your coverages, simplified

When you open the Root app, you’ll see two auto insurance quotes. You can customize each one, or start from scratch to create your own. 

The two plans offer a range of coverage and price options, from the state minimum to the whole package. Creating your own plan gives you even more freedom to pick and choose whatever options work best together for your needs.  

The Root app walks you through each step, so you know your options and what you’re signing up for.

Lower price, less coverage

With vehicle insurance, the general rule is: the more you pay per month, the more coverage you have for future incidents. The less you pay per month, the less coverage you have—meaning you might pay more later, if you’re in an accident with costs that exceed your coverage.

All drivers have to carry Liability coverage (unless you're in New Hampshire). Liability is what you use when a car accident is caused by you. You’ll get that coverage no matter what, but, you’ll choose your Liability coverage limit. Your Liability limit is the maximum amount Root will pay, if you’re at fault in an accident.

Higher price, more coverage

When you add more coverages, your monthly premium increases. 

But coverages that cost more upfront could end up saving you even more later. For example, Collision and Comprehensive coverages could save you a lot of money, if your car is damaged in an incident. Costs from a major accident can be significant, which is why insurance coverages like these are necessary. 

Important coverages like Collision and Comprehensive let you choose your deductibles. A deductible is the amount you pay toward covered repairs before Root pays for the rest. The lower your deductible amount, the higher your monthly rate will be.

The Root app walks you through how each coverage, limit and deductible option you choose will affect your rate and what is covered. Save even more when you bundle renters or homeowners insurance.

Finalizing your policy

These are just a few of many useful coverage options you can add to your policy. We break down each type in both the Root app and in our 4-part series on understanding car insurance basics.

Traditional car insurance companies often offer you a quick quote to get you in the door. But at Root, we use data to offer good drivers the lower rates they deserve. In the Root app, you can even compare your Root quote to car insurance quotes from other companies in real time.

Keep in mind, you can purchase your Root Insurance plan now and start your policy at a later date.