The more coverage you’re required to buy in your state and the more valuable your vehicle is, the more you’ll pay for car insurance. Teen drivers also tend to pay more in premiums than older, more experienced drivers.
However, that’s not all! Here are 10 factors that also affect your car insurance rates.
10 Factors That Affect Your Car Insurance Rates
1. State Requirements
2. Age
3. Car Make and Model
4. High-Risk Violations
5. Yearly Mileage
6. Credit History
7. Driving Record
8. Zip Code
9. Marital Status
10. Gender
Some of the factors that affect car insurance rates are within your control, such as your credit history and whether you’ve ever been convicted of drunk driving. Other factors are at least largely out of your control, like your city’s population density and your age.
Your Insurance Score – What’s that?
Also called an insurance credit score – is a numerical point system based on select credit report characteristics. There is no direct relationship to financial credit scores used in lending decisions, as insurance scores are not intended to measure creditworthiness, but rather to predict risk.
Insurance companies use insurance scores for underwriting decisions, and to partially determine charges for premiums. Insurance scores are applied in personal product lines, namely homeowners and private passenger automobile insurance, and typically not elsewhere.
Each carrier has their own criteria on how they score you. A insurance score is typically 1 part credit. 1 part claims history.
So there you have it. There are many different factors both in your control, and outside of your control that affect your rates. Just be sure to have a good understanding of what your coverages actually are! There are many people who just shop to get the cheapest rate. This is dangerous because you could be seriously limiting your own coverages.
Next time your renewal is up, make sure to reach out to your agent and learn yourself up on your coverages!