Whether you're new to the whole concept of auto insurance or have had
dozens of policies on your hands, the factors affecting your quotes may
still seem like a mystery. There are many things that will affect your
auto insurance quotes, some apparent some not very, and it's very
important to have at least general understanding of these forces if you
want to get insurance for an adequate price. Things get even more
complicated when you find out that each insurer may use the factors in a
completely different way, giving more weight to one factor and making
another less important. That's the reason why there are always
fluctuations in auto insurance quotes from different companies. But
regardless of how the companies treat each factor, the following
variables will always affect your insurance rates:
Types and amounts of coverage
One of the most important factors that will affect your rates is the
composition of your policy. The types of coverage you choose and the
limits for each of these factors will have a significant influence on
the quotes you'll get from the company in the first place. The general
rule is the more you get the more you pay. But in order to understand
how altering each coverage option will affect your rates you will have
to spend some time comparing auto insurance quotes.
Personal data
This is a rather general term that defines an entire set of factors
such as your age, sex, marital status, education, employment and so one.
While this may seem like irrelevant information, insurance experts will
tell you otherwise: each of these factors can be linked to the
probability of the person filing an insurance claim. So if you are a
male younger than 25 and single you will always get higher auto insurance quotes compared to a 45-year-old married woman with higher education.
Place of residence
Another important factor considered by insurers is where you live.
Depending on the place you reside in your quotes may vary greatly, and
even two nearby towns divided by a state border can have a significant
difference in average rates. That is explained by an entire set of
causes, such as state regulations, local business activity, auto theft
rates, traffic intensity, insurance competition and so on. The general
rule is that large cities have higher rates than small towns, and safer
neighborhoods are cheaper to insure your car in than in places with high
crime rates. As for the state regulations - the only way to escape
expensive auto insurance quotes is moving to another state.
Driving record
The driving record reflects your entire history of being a driver,
most notably all the traffic violations and tickets you've received
since getting your driver's license. Obviously, the cleaner the record
the safer you are considered by the insurance company and the lower your
auto insurance quotes will be. But a completely clean record is
something you won't easily find these days. If you have too many entries
in the document inquire with your traffic police department about the
options you have to improve it. It's very likely that you will be
suggested a defensive or advanced driving course that will get some
penalty points off your record.
The car
The car you're trying to insure should obviously have some effect on
the rates you get as well. But its weight is not as prominent as most
people might think. Still, the type of the vehicle, its engine volume,
power, top speed, safety ratings, theft rates and repair costs will
certainly have a strong influence on how expensive the insurance will
turn out. The general rule is that larger cars such as trucks and SUVs
will cost more to insure, as well as sports and muscle cars. But the
middle class and family vehicles may also be rather expensive in terms
of insurance depending on car make and model. So choose your vehicle
carefully and get auto insurance quotes in advance in order to get an
insurance-friendly vehicle right from the start.
