7/10/09

Your Auto Insurance Policy Simplified

Follow these tips to read and understand yourpolicy faster

Have you ever sat down to read your autoinsurance policy contract — not your Dec Page that lists the coverages you purchased, but the actual policycontract that looks like a very long legalagreement?

If not, you're not alone. Many people find this task daunting due to the contract's complexity, so they avoid tackling it.

While we recommend that you read yourpolicy to fully understand specific coverage details, we also know that your policy is written as a legal contract, so it can seem intimidating or confusing.

To simplify the reading of your policy, we've put together a brief overview of the types of coverages in a typical policy contract and how they work.
Elements of an Auto InsurancePolicy

Your auto insurance policy consists of sections that define every type of auto insurance coverage offered by your company.

Policies are distinguished by the state in which they're issued, and coverages available may vary among states. Your policy simply explains the types of coverage available and how or when they can be used. For your specific policy information, please refer to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions contained in your specific policy.

If you see these coverages in your Progressive policy, here's what they do:

* Liability – This coverage consists of Bodily Injury and Property Damage (BI/PD), which covers your legal liability, up to the limit you select, for damages caused in a covered vehicle accident. Under BI/PD, we pay for damages to an injured person and for property damage that you are legally obligated to pay as a result of an accident. If we cover an accident for which you are sued, we pay for a lawyer to defend you, too.
* Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Available in certain states and commonly referred to as "nofault insurance," PIP covers your medical bills and often lost wages if you are disabled or unable to work as a result of an accident. PIP also usually covers the cost of personal services you must now pay someone else to do for you. PIP coverage is subject to a limit, which is specified in your policy.
* Medical Payments (MedPay) – This coverage applies no matter who is at fault and covers the cost of reasonable and necessary medical care provided to you as the result of a car accident. The coverage is often limited to a specified time period following the accident (usually three years) and the amount of coverage you chose when you purchased the policy.
* Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – UM/UIM coverage pays for damages that you are legally entitled to recover for your bodily injury. In general, this coverage provides what you would have received from the other person's insurance company had that person been insured. UM/UIM may also protect you if the person who caused the damage does not have enough insurance. Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage is available in some states and provides protection for damage to property caused by a person without insurance.
* Collision – If your vehicle overturns, or if it collides with another vehicle or object, Collision coverage pays for the damage to your vehicle. Collision involves a deductible amount you select when you purchase your policy. This amount, typically $250 or $500, is the amount you are required to pay in the event a claim exceeds the deductible amount.
* Comprehensive – This coverage pays for damage caused by an event other than a car collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, hail or flood damage. Comprehensive also covers damage from an animal hit. Additionally, if your car is stolen, Comprehensive will cover the cost of a rental (subject to a daily limit). Like Collision coverage, a deductible usually applies.
* Custom Parts or Equipment (CPE) – Collision and Comprehensive coverage each provide up to $1,000 of coverage for custom parts or equipment, which are accessories and enhancements permanently installed in or on your vehicle. Parts and equipment offered by the manufacturer or installed by the dealer at the point of sale are not custom parts or equipment, but they are included under your standard Collision and Comprehensive coverage.
* Additional Custom Parts or Equipment (ACPE) – This coverage is available if you have more than $1,000 of custom parts or equipment on your vehicle. If you purchase ACPE, we will pay for custom parts or equipment damaged as a result of a covered incident, up to the amount shown on your Dec Page.
* Rental Reimbursement – If you buy RentalReimbursement coverage, we will reimburse you for rental car charges incurred while our vehicle is being repaired after a covered accident. You can only buy Rental Reimbursement if you buy Collision and Comprehensive coverage. Rental Reimbursement is limited to 30 days and is subject to the maximum per day amount shown on your Dec Page.
* Loan/Lease Payoff – This coverage protects you when your covered vehicle has been deemed a total loss and you owe a lender more money than the vehicle is worth. If you buy Loan/Lease Payoff and your vehicle is declared a total loss, Loan/Lease Payoff will pay the difference between the vehicle's actual cash value and the amount you owe to the lender. However, the maximum we will pay under this coverage is 25 percent of the actual cash value.
* Roadside Assistance – If you incur labor costs at the place where your vehicle becomes disabled as a result of a mechanical/electrical breakdown, dead battery, flat tire and/or lockout, Roadside Assistance covers those costs. We also will help if you run out of gas or other fluid, or if you become stuck in snow or mud within 100 feet of a road or highway. And, if necessary, Roadside Assistance will cover towing to the nearest qualified repair facility.

If you have further questions about your Progressive policy, please contact us online or at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE (1-800-776-4737). Our representatives are always available to answer your questions or help you with your policy.

Auto Insurance Rate Comparison Ticker Earns Progressive.com a Place Among Fast Company Magazine's Fast 50 Champions of Innovation

Web Site's Real-Time "Rate Ticker" Helps Consumers Understand the Importance of Shopping Around for Auto Insurance

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio —Driver after driver and rate after rate - you're glued to screen, mesmerized by the auto insurance rates that scroll by and how much they vary from company to company. And then it hits you. You're on progressive.com, but Progressive's rates are not always the lowest! Progressive.com's rate ticker, fashioned after news and stock tickers, is an up-to-the-minute display of auto insurance rates provided to consumers across the U.S. who used the company's online rate comparison service. The ticker, designed to highlight the spread in rates available from different companies and therefore the importance of shopping around for auto insurance, won Progressive (NYSE: PGR) a spot on Fast Company magazine's prestigious Fast 50 Champions of Innovation, the company announced today.

The Fast 50 appears in the March issue of Fast Company, the nation's leading magazine for management innovators, hitting newsstands today. The list includes 50 exceptional achievers selected from more than 1,400 online entries from around the world and across the U.S. Companies previously named Champions of Innovation include Morningstar, Microsoft and 3M.

Launched in early 2002, the first-of-its-kind rate ticker was the vision of Progressive's Internet team led by Alan Bauer, group president. "We're thrilled to be part of the Fast 50 because Progressive and our people are all about innovation-each day we work to make the experience of shopping for auto insurance better," said Bauer. "Auto insurance can be confusing and most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about it. We're convinced that openly sharing information is the key to helping consumers understand their auto insurance options. The ticker tells it like it is, with a snapshot look at rates so consumers can quickly see how dramatically rates vary and that simply shopping around could save them money."

The rate ticker is one of the latest in a long line of innovative Internet firsts for Progressive. The company was the first auto insurer on the Web (1995); the first to offer comparison rates online (1996); the first to sell auto insurance policies on the Web (1997); the first to launch a password-protected online customer service center, personal.progressive.com (1998) and the first to offer wireless access to its site (2000).

Founded in 1996 and published monthly, Boston-based Fast Company ( www.fastcompany.com ) covers ideas, trends and individuals devoted to innovation and managing change in today's economy. The magazine is owned by Gruner + Jahr USA, one of the top-ranked magazine publishers in the U.S., reaching one of the largest readerships in America. Gruner + Jahr USA also publishes Inc, Child, Family Circle, Fitness, Parents and YM.

The Progressive group of insurance companies, in business since 1937, ranks fourth in the nation for auto insurance, provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7, in-person service and, in November 2002, was hailed by Fast Company as a "master of operational innovation." The companies offer insurance by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, online at progressive.com and through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies. The Progressive Corporation, the holding company, has headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio. More information can be found at progressive.com

How Good Is Your Insurance Rate?

When you compare an auto insurance rate from one company to another, how accurate is it?

If you've ever wondered whether your Progressive insurance rate is higher or lower than other companies' rates, you can easily compare an auto insurance rate from Progressive to rates from other companies when you visit Progressive.com.

Every month, more than 100,000 people who get an auto quote with Progressive choose to compare their auto insurance rate to rates from other companies. When you compare an auto insurance rate at Progressive.com, you'll know you're getting up-to-date rates for Progressive and for other companies.

In fact, here are a few customers who decided to compare an auto insurance rate from Progressive with those from other companies:
How We're Able to Provide Rates for Other Companies

Every state has a department of insurance or other body that regulates the insurance industry, and all auto insurers are required to file their insurance rates with these regulators. Companies file their insurance rates in every state that they do business, which means their calculation methods are made public. Because of this, any insurance company can see how other companies determine their rates.

Since rate calculations are not private, Progressive is able to research them and provide rates for other companies, which, in turn, allows you to compare an auto insurance rate from Progressive to other top companies' rates — all in one place.

Insurance rates can change at any time, as long as a company files the update with its state insurance regulator. So how can you know Progressive will provide you with the right rate for another company? We continuously monitor state insurance filings, and when we discover a company has updated its rate calculations, we update our information for that company. So, when you choose Progressive to compare an insurance rate for one or more companies, you'll know the comparison insurance rates you receive are based on current information.

Automobile Insurance and Other Types of Vehicle Insurance

Progressive offers automobile insurance to customers across the U.S. We also provide motorcycle insurance, boat insurance, RV insurance and more.

Customers choose Progressive automobile insurance for our extensive coverage options, specialized claims service and competitive rates. Auto insurance coverages include Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability, Comprehensive, Collision, Rental Reimbursement, Roadside Assistance and much more. If you're thinking about automobile insurance, motorcycle insurance or RV insurance to protect you and your vehicle, we can help.
Automobile Insurance Features

A Progressive auto insurance policy comes loaded with extra features — 24/7 live support, local response claims service and our unique concierge level of claims service — at no extra cost. Plus, some Progressive automobile insurance coverages involve perks like Total Loss Replacement, Accident Forgiveness, Pet Injury Coverage and more.
Get An Auto Insurance Quote. Then Get More

With so many automobile insurance companies out there, choosing the right company for your automobile insurance needs is paramount. We make sure we provide you with all the information you need to make the right decision today, tomorrow or whenever you're ready. A Progressive car insurance quote includes car insurance rate comparisons, money-saving tips, automatic discounts, payment plans and more. Go ahead — find the auto insurance rate you're looking for. We'll help you every step of the way.
Progressive Focuses on Your Needs

Since 1937, Progressive has provided automobile insurance to millions of customers. Today, we're one of the largest automobile insurance groups in the country, and we've earned that spot through competitive insurance rates and superior customer and claims service. For automobile insurance — and so much more — choose Progressive