Car insurance is one of the most important things to get once you get a car. When you have car insurance, you do not have to worry as much about the cost of repairs if you get into an accident, but your car insurance rate may not always stay the same.
If you noticed your car insurance keeps going up, you probably want to know why. We did some research, and here is what we learned about the matter!
Why Does My Car Insurance Keep Going Up?
Car insurance rates usually go up depending on your credit score and previous convictions, as they will show people if you are a high-risk client. Plus, becoming a senior citizen can make your car insurance more expensive. Also, being uninsured for long periods or making frequent comprehensive claims can increase your car insurance rate.
Do you want to find out what other factors affect your car insurance rates? We compiled a list of reasons below, so read on!
1. Previous Convictions
Having a previous conviction or violation of the law, especially traffic law, will make your car insurance more expensive.
Usually, insurance rates are decided based on how likely you are to get into an accident.
For instance, having a clean driving record with no previous accidents will likely give you a very good price for car insurance.
However, committing a traffic violation, such as speeding or drinking under the influence, can make the insurance company raise your car insurance premium.
That said, this is because people who have committed traffic violations will be more likely to get into an accident, so the insurance company will charge you more to cover their losses.
Normally, insurance companies call this type of increase a surcharge, and the price may stay high until you have proven that you are a good and safe driver.
Also, if you want to try to prove that you are a capable driver, you can add accident forgiveness to your insurance coverage.
2. No More Discounts
As stated earlier, committing a traffic violation can make insurance companies raise your premium, but it can also appear higher because you lost your discounts.
Therefore, some insurers will offer their clients discounts for having a clean driving record. So, once your record has a violation, the discounts will be removed.
Additionally, your insurer is likely going to make your car insurance more expensive while charging you for the accident.
3. Long Period Of Being Uninsured
If you are trying to get car insurance after a long time of not having any car insurance, it can make your premium more expensive than it would normally cost.
Normally, this is referred to as a “lapse in insurance,” which means you will have to start a new car insurance policy, which is more expensive than continually paying for one.
4. Your Age
Teenagers have costlier car insurance premiums because they are more likely to get into an accident, but the rate goes down as they get older.
Unfortunately, once you reach 60 years old and above, your insurance rates will continually increase.
While some insurers may offer senior discounts, most insurance rates for senior citizens are more expensive because they are seen as teenage drivers.
5. Claims History
While you are meant to use your insurance to make claims for accidents, having too many claims could also make your car insurance more expensive.
Generally, your insurance provider will see you as a high-risk client if you were the one at fault for the accident.
However, the insurance provider may also deem you high-risk if you have been in several accidents, even if you did not cause the accidents.
Lastly, frequently filing various comprehensive claims, such as weather damage or broken windshields, can increase your car insurance.
6. Your Credit Score
One of the biggest factors in deciding what your car insurance rate will cost is your credit score.
With that, credit scores tell other companies how good or bad you are at making payments, which is important for car insurance companies.
Typically, having a low credit score can easily double your car insurance rate because you are deemed a risky customer who may not pay for their car insurance.
On the other hand, good credit scores may have up to 25% cheaper rates than people with normal credit scores.
As such, if your credit score recently went down, your car insurance rates will likely go up.
7. Adding Drivers And Cars
Occasionally, you can add more cars and drivers to your car insurance policy, but doing so will surely increase your car insurance premium.
For example, when you add more drivers and cars to your coverage, you can easily double your rate depending on how many premiums you add.
Also, adding high-risk drivers, such as teenagers, into your premium will greatly drive up your rate.
8. Claims Within Your Area
While this may seem unfair, people who make a lot of claims within your area (even if you have not made a claim) will make your car insurance more expensive.
Further, when there are more claims in an area, it will make your area an accident-prone place, which will affect your car insurance rate.
9. Moving
In rare cases, moving to a new place can increase your car insurance rate depending on where you move.
That said, if you are within the same state but in a new zip code, your car insurance rate can go up, especially if your new zip code has more high-risk drivers.
However, people moving to a new state usually need a new insurance policy, and it costs more to start a new one.
To know more, you can also read our posts on why Michigan car insurance is so expensive, why car insurance is so expensive for seniors, and why you need car insurance.
Conclusion
While car insurance can save you a lot of money in the future, your car insurance rates will not always stay the same.
That said, your car insurance premium can increase depending on your credit score, zip code, age, and more.