Here’s the cheat sheet nobody gives you when you first start paying for insurance. Keep it bookmarked, trust me.

Premium – What you actually pay (monthly or every 6 months) to keep the policy alive. Miss it and everything else stops mattering.

Deductible – The cash you cough up first before insurance pays on collision or comprehensive claims. Higher = cheaper premium, remember?

Claim – When you tell the insurance “hey, something bad happened, pay for it.” Too many claims = higher rates later.

Liability – Covers damage YOU cause to other people or their stuff. Does NOT fix your car.

Bodily Injury (BI) – Part of liability that pays for other people’s doctor bills, rehab, lost wages, even lawsuits if they sue you.

Property Damage (PD) – The other half of liability. Pays to fix the other guy’s bumper, fence, or Lamborghini.

Collision – Fixes your car after you crash into something (or get hit), no matter who’s wrong.

Comprehensive – The “everything weird” coverage: theft, fire, hail, deer, falling trees, cracked windshield from a rock, etc.

Endorsement / Rider – Fancy word for adding or changing something on your policy. Like adding roadside assistance or rental car coverage.

Exclusion – Stuff your policy flat-out won’t pay for. Using your car for Uber without telling them? Usually excluded.

SR-22 – Not insurance, just a form your company files with the state to prove you actually have coverage. Usually needed after DUI, too many tickets, or driving without insurance.

FR-44 – SR-22’s angry big brother. Some states (Florida, Virginia) want it after really bad stuff, and it forces you to carry way higher liability limits.

Umbrella Policy – Extra liability that kicks in after your regular auto/home limits run out. Million-dollar protection for not much money.

GAP Insurance – Covers the “gap” if your car gets totaled and you owe more on the loan than the car is worth. New cars drop value fast.

Declared Value / Agreed Value – For classic or modified cars. You and the company agree upfront what it’s worth so there’s no fight if it gets totaled.

There, now when your agent starts throwing words around you won’t feel like they’re speaking alien. Print it, screenshot it, tattoo it on your arm, whatever works. You’re welcome.