What's the deal with car insurance when leasing?

When you lease, your vehicle belongs to the lease company. They want to make sure that their investment is covered should you have an accident that damages or destroys the vehicle, or if the vehicle is stolen. They may also want you to have sufficient liability coverage in case you are at fault in causing an accident. This not only protects you from financial disaster, but it also protects the lease company if they should be held partly responsible.

Of course, having sufficient car insurance coverage is smart whether you are leasing or not. Many people attempt to get by with minimum coverage required by law but it's a big risk since there's so much to lose. Accidents do happen. Large lawsuits are common. If you have insufficient car insurance coverage, you can be personally sued for additional money after your insurance has been paid. Many smart consumers add additional coverage with "umbrella" policies.