If your insurance pays purchase price for your car for a total loss and you are still paying off the finance of the car are you forced to buy a new car or risk having your insurance rates climb?

When a car gets totaled and it's paid off the lienholder gets paid first and you get whatever is left over. In California, your insurance cannot be raised until the end of the term. If the accident was your fault your insurance will rise. If it wasn't then the insurance will rise depending on the type of new car purchased.