10 Factors that Affect Auto Insurance Quotes

Auto insurance quotes seem like a really great way to get good insurance for the least amount of money on the vehicles and drivers in your home. It seems so simple; you get online, you input some personal information, some vehicle information and some other information and you wait a few minutes for a dozen auto insurance companies to get back to you with quotes so that you are able to see what is best for you, pay the premium and get on with your life fully insured and comfortable with the options that have been provided to you. But it’s just not that simple. There are so many things that might affect your car insurance quotes after they’ve been given to you, so the price you see when you choose which company you’re going with is not always the price you’re going to end up paying. With that said, we thought we’d do a little digging so that we can share with you which factors might affect your car insurance quotes so that you are able to have an idea ahead of time whether or not the auto insurance quote you receive might change drastically based on your current situation.

Age

Believe it or not, your age has a huge impact on the price you pay for auto insurance. For example, if you are younger than 25, you can expect to pay far higher prices than you would if you were over 25. Insurance companies apparently believe that as you age you mature and that you become a much better driver. We probably agree if we stop a think about it for a moment.

Marital Status

Your marital status also has a huge impact on your driving ability. Typically, single people are considered more reckless in terms of their driving abilities than those who are married. So, if you are in the market for a good reason to get married, go ahead and consider the fact that you might be able to lower your insurance premiums by doing so.

Location

This is so vast. Wherever you live affects the price you pay for insurance. You might live somewhere in which more accidents tend to occur or you might live somewhere that’s considered very safe and not very accident-prone, and your rates might be lower there. Do a little research to find out whether or not your location is a high-insurance location or a low one to see if you will pay more because of your address.

Credit Score

Some car insurance companies run a credit check before they give you insurance. They will see if your ability to keep your financial life in order is on par with their idea of your driving abilities. These companies want to make sure that your credit shows responsibility, because that will help them determine whether or not you are someone with whom they want to work. Your credit score gives them a little bit of insight as to who you are.

Gender

Oh yes, ladies, you are welcome. As a whole, car insurance companies feel that women are far superior drivers. As a woman, I can say that I know plenty of women who drive much better than men, and I know plenty of men that drive much better than women. I don’t think that gender matters all that much in real life, but in general it does. And insurance companies are very happy to offer women lower rates than they do men.

Age of Your Car

This is not something many people think about when applying for car insurance, but it’s very important. The age of your car does matter significantly in the grand scheme of life. You will find that your car is something that you have to drive every day, and insurers want to know if they have to insure something that offers more safety features or if they are insuring something that does not offer many at all.

Car Safety Rating

The safer your car, the less you will pay to insure it. It really does make perfect sense when you think about it. If you drive a safe car, insurance companies know that your chances of being kept safe in a collision are much higher. This means they will have to pay less to you in case you are in an accident, and that’s exactly what it is that they are looking for when you are driving and paying them to insure you.

Theft Factor

Some cars are just more desirable to thieves than others, and care insurance companies look for this kind of thing when they insure you. If you drive a car that is often stolen, you will pay more for your insurance since the chances of it being taken from you are much higher. If you drive a car that is not stolen all that much (think minivans), you won’t have to pay premiums that are quite so high and ridiculous.

Size of Car

Size does matter, ladies and gentlemen; especially when it comes to the amount of money you will pay to insure a car. And guess what? Bigger is usually better; even though it might seem as if you would pay less to insure a small car, you usually will not. There is just more damage, more potential disaster that could happen to a small car and passengers in an accident than there is in a big car. So that’s why you will get a lower rate if you drive something larger.

Number of Drivers

Everyone in your household with a license counts as a driver that has to be insured on your plan, and that will affect your rates. You will have to consider their own age, their own driving abilities, their own cars and everything that we already mentioned on this list; and you will have to consider that as many times as there are drivers in your house. It can make a major difference in the price that you pay to insure your vehicle.

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