<prompt> Human: You guys are amazing, Ive learned so much here. While cutting costs, I realized that Im probably paying for things I dont need on my old car. Deductibles aside, how do I find out what I need to cover my butt?  <response>: I am a licensed insurance agent, but keep in mind this is general advice. I dont know what state you live in so keep in mind that insurance varies slightly from one state to another, the basic coverages are the same but sometimes have different names or slightly different effects.Liability coverage is the most important, this pays for damage you do to someone else, this protects you from being sued if you total someones new Mercedes or break their arm. I would reccomend bodily injury limits of at least 100,000300,000 meaning each person you hurt can collect up to 100,000 to cover medical expenses but a max of 300,000 will be paid out no matter how many people get hurt. And at least 50,000 for property damage, that will replace most cars and repair all but the most expensive. Most of the time you will have uninsured motorist coverage that matches what you pick for liability to protect you if someone else is at fault and cant pay.Next is Medical Payments coverage, or Personal Injury Protection PIP, or First Party Benefits depending on what your state calls this coverage. These coverages are usually called no fault coverages because they can pay out no matter who caused the accident. They cover you and your passengers for medical expenses, and sometimes have options for loss of wages, death benefits, and things like that. Usually a good rule of thumb is to have at least enough coverage to pay your maximum out of pocket on your health insurance, that way you dont have to worry about medical bills if something happens. These coverages are not available in every state.Next you have comprehensive and collision, these are the coverages most people are refering to when they say full coverage. If you have a loan or a lease you generally are required by your bank to carry both of these coverages, and most banks like to see deductables of 500 or less but some are more flexible. Collision is exactly what it sounds like it pays to repair or replace your car if you are at fault in an accident. Comprehensive pays to repair or replace your car if it is damaged by things out of your control like theft, vandalism, fire, acts of nature, or hitting an animal. Both of these coverages have deductibles you have to pay to get your car fixed, higher deducitbles means lower payments, 500 is about average. Figure out how much you could come up with if your car was totaled, make sure your deductible is less than that amount.There is rental coverage which will provide you a car to drive if your car is being fixed due to a comprehensive or collision claim. If you have a spare car or live in a town with good mass transit drop this to save money, if you would have a hard time surviving for a week without a car get this. There are different levels, unless you need a full sized rental car get the cheapest level offered to save a few , who really cares if their rental is tiny its only for a few days.Emergency road side service is either a really good deal or a huge rip off depending on your situation and insurance company. If you have a new car usually you have free ers from your dealer for 1-5 years so you dont need this. Some insurance companies have crazy low coverage like 5 miles for a tow, and some make you pay first and just reimburse. Others will tow as far as needed and have the tow truck bill them. Just ask for details and see if you need this depending on your exact situation.Gap coverage is sometimes available through your insurance company, sometime through your bank, and sometimes through your car dealer. This again is either a great idea or a rip off depending on your situation. You should only think about this coverage if your car is worth less than what you owe, like if you bought a brand new car with nothing down. If your car is totaled your insurance company will pay what your car is worth not what you owe, gap coverage pays the difference. If you dont have much money in the bank and are upside down in your loan get this, if not skip it. Also check with the dealer, bank, and your insurance to get prices and go with the cheapest.There are a bunch of other coverages but thay are not as common and tend to be state specific. 