It’s time for your car insurance to renew and you realize that your rate has gone up a bit. There are many factors that may impact your insurance rate, here are some to consider before switching insurance companies.
Speeding Tickets and Other Moving Violations
Have you had a speed since the last time your insurance renewed? Speeding tickets can make rates go up because the more violations you have, the higher your risk to file a claim.
Accidents – Both At-Fault and Not-At-Fault
Yes, even accidents that you did not cause can affect your insurance rate.
Comprehensive Claims
Comprehensive claims include theft, vandalism, hitting an animal, fire, or glass breakage. Some insurance companies do not use comprehensive claims against you, but it depends on the company and state you live in.
Adding Drivers and Vehicles
If you’ve added drivers or more vehicles in the last year, that could be another reason why your rate is higher. Teenagers or young drivers can be very pricy to add to your policy.
Claims in Your Area
Even though it seems unfair, sometimes your policy’s rate will increase because of insurance data in your zip code. If your city has a high rate of theft, accident and/or weather related claims, it becomes riskier for an insurance company to cover drivers in your area. This will lead to a higher insurance rate even if you have a perfect driving record.
Moving
Have you changed your address in the last year? Changing the address where your car is “garaged” is a rare instance where your rate could increase mid-policy without making changes to your coverages, vehicles or covered drivers. Rate’s can change depending on your zip code.
Changes in Your Credit Score
Have you noticed a ding in your credit score lately? If your credit score has gone down, there is a good possibility your insurance rate will go up.
Age
Some companies offer senior discounts but in most cases, once you turn 70 years old, rates increase in many states. Many insurance companies view senior drivers the same way they do teen drivers.
A Lapse In Insurance
If you let your insurance lapse and have been uninsured, you are typically going to pay more for insurance.
Loss of Discounts
There are many discounts available such as being ticket or accident free, getting good grades in school, multi-policy discounts, and going paperless. If you’ve gotten a ticket or been in an accident, you might have loss that discount. If you have cancelled your home policy that was in a bundle with your auto, you will lose the multi-policy discount on your auto.
These are just some reasons why your insurance rates have gone up. If you still have questions, the best thing to do is to contact your insurance agent and they will try their best to find the reason for you.Reference – https://www.progressive.com/answers/why-insurance-rates-go-up/