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Our policy pillar guide includes printable worksheets to compare deductibles, premiums, and vehicle values.
Comprehensive and collision are often bundled together, but they cover totally different events. Understanding the distinction helps you decide when to keep both, when to raise deductibles, and when to drop one to save money.
Comprehensive insurance pays for non-collision losses such as theft, vandalism, hail, fire, or animal strikes. Collision insurance pays when your car hits another vehicle or object. Keep both if your car is newer, financed, or worth more than the combined premium plus deductible.
1. Quick definitions
- Comprehensive: Pays when your car is stolen, vandalized, damaged by hail, fire, falling objects, flood, or when you hit an animal.
- Collision: Pays when you hit another vehicle or object or roll your car over, regardless of fault.
2. Deductible strategies
Deductibles apply separately. If hail damages your car one month and you slide into a guardrail the next, you could pay both deductibles. Consider these tactics:
- Choose a lower glass deductible if you live in a hail-prone state.
- Raise collision deductibles once the vehicle is paid off and you have an emergency fund.
- Keep deductibles at or below 10% of your car's actual cash value.
- Pair higher deductibles with telematics savings or pay-in-full discounts to maximize overall savings.
3. When to keep both coverages
- Leased or financed vehicles (lenders require both).
- Cars less than ten years old with resale values above $5,000-$7,000.
- Drivers who commute daily or park on busy streets.
4. When it makes sense to drop collision
If your vehicle is worth less than the annual collision premium plus deductible, dropping the coverage may be reasonable. Before you do, ask yourself:
- Could you pay for a replacement vehicle out of pocket?
- Do you have a backup car or public transit options?
- Is the car still subject to a loan or lease contract?
5. Claim examples
Comprehensive scenarios
- Storm sends a branch through your windshield.
- Someone steals your catalytic converter.
- A deer darts in front of your SUV.
Collision scenarios
- You back into a pole in the parking garage.
- Another driver hits you and disappears, leaving you to file under collision.
- Your teen driver hops a curb and damages the suspension.
Review both coverages at every renewal. Compare deductibles, vehicle value, loan requirements, and your current emergency fund. Use the savings from any coverage you drop to build a repair fund or pay down debt faster-and remember to document every change in your policy binder.