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Gap insurance is worth the money whenever you owe more on your car loan or lease than the car is worth. For example, if you paid a small down payment on your car, your loan term is 4-5 years or your car will depreciate quickly, you should consider getting gap insurance.
Gap insurance is never mandated by state law, and few lenders or lessors require it, so the decision to buy it depends on personal circumstances.
Gap Insurance Is Worth It When:
- You don’t have the savings to pay off your loan or lease if the car is totaled or stolen.
- Your down payment is less than 20% of the car’s value.
- Your loan will last four years or more.
- You drive more miles than average, which reduces the car’s value faster.
- Your car is a make and model that depreciates especially fast, like a luxury sedan or electric vehicle.
- You are a single-car household and need a car to get around.
- Your loan includes negative equity from your last car.
Since gap insurance covers the difference between the car’s actual cash value and the amount you owe, researching these two numbers will be a key deciding factor in whether gap insurance is worth it.
Why Getting Gap Insurance Is Worth It
For example, say you buy a car for $20,000 and your down payment is $2,000. This small down payment suggests that gap insurance might be worth it, but it’s still a good idea to check the car’s anticipated value after a year to determine if there will be a gap. If the car is worth $12,000 after a year but you’ll still owe $15,000, gap insurance could be a smart investment. If you don’t buy gap insurance and this car is totaled after a year, you’ll still owe $3,000 even though you can no longer drive it.
On the other hand, if your down payment is large enough or the car’s resale value is high enough that you’ll never owe more than the car is worth, gap insurance is unnecessary. Similarly, if you do owe more than the car is worth but you have the resources to pay the difference if the worst happens, it might be worth taking the risk.
People also ask
How do I get a gap insurance refund?
You can get a gap insurance refund for unused premiums if you paid for coverage up front and then canceled it early. If you are cancelling within 30 days after the policy’s start date, you might be able to get a full refund, minus any cancellation fees. In other cases, only a partial refund may be possible. The details will depend on your policy and your state’s laws.
When You Can Get a Gap...
read full answerHow do I know if I have gap insurance?
To find out whether you have gap insurance, check your existing car insurance policy and the terms of your loan or lease. Drivers can get gap insurance through their insurance company as an add-on or separately through their auto lender, so it’s important to look for gap coverage in the list of coverages provided by both.
How To Know If You Have Gap Insurance
1. Check with your car insurance company.
You...
read full answerDo I need gap insurance if I have full coverage?
Yes, you need gap insurance if you have full coverage and still owe money on a car loan or lease. Gap insurance is needed even if you have full coverage because full coverage does not cover the difference between what you owe on a loan/lease and the car’s actual cash value, like gap insurance does.
When You Need Gap Insurance If You Have Full Coverage
- You’re financing/leasing a new vehicle for a...
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