What Determines a Car Insurance Rate?

Answer 1

Car insurance is required for anyone with a driver’s license wishing to operate a motor vehicle in the United States and most westernized countries. When car insurance rate is determined, there are several factors companies will take into consideration include driving record, credit history and length of uninterrupted time covered by auto insurance.

Driving Record and Car Insurance Rate

When applying for car insurance, rate will be dependent upon previous driving record. This includes length of time the driver has been licensed to operate a vehicle, age when license was issued and violations – both moving and accident. Operators with longer good driving histories tend to earn a lower car insurance rate. Older drivers also typically qualify for lower prices. If a driver has a history of moving violations or accidents, car insurance rate can be significantly higher and driver’s can be placed in the high risk category.

Credit History and Car Insurance Rate

Recently, insurance companies have started using credit scores to weed through car insurance applications. Applicants with higher credit scores tend to be more apt to pay bills on time and have a better control on finances which could equate to more control on the road. Bad credit scores may raise car insurance rate amounts or disqualify a driver from coverage.

Length of Time Covered by Uninterrupted Auto Insurance

If a driver has kept continuous auto insurance without any lapses in coverage, the car insurance rate will most likely reflect this as a lower rate. Lapses in auto insurance coverage could mean the driver chose to operate a motor vehicle without coverage which is against the law. Insurance companies have access to all previous insurance policies approved for a given driver’s license or applicant and thus lying on the car insurance application could lead to higher rates or refusal for coverage.

Lowering a High Car Insurance Rate

If drivers wish to lower a car insurance rate, they will need to work on the problem that caused the higher rate in the first place. If the rate is higher due to credit problems, fixing those problems and raising credit score could impact car insurance rate. If violations or accidents are the reason, over time these will disappear from driver records and no longer be an issue when a car insurance rate is figured.