Readers Question

What are some criteria for deciding what your insurance premiums will cost?

Chris

Lawton, Ok

Excellent Question Chris,

When insurance companies look at auto insurance rates for an individual, there is some criteria that is not based on their driving habits or their place of residence. Many insurance company’s review a person’s credit history to determine if they are the type that will pay the premiums regularly or will they have to chase them down every month to keep their coverage up to date.

A lapse in coverage can also cause car insurance rates to go up, if the person is required to carry what is termed in many states as an SR-22. This indicates that for some reason the person’s license has been suspended, usually due to lack of insurance coverage, and the insurance company has to keep the state notified of any change in coverage for that person. This additional work will cost the company money, resulting in auto insurance rates to obtain and keep coverage, typically for a three-year period.

Some of the obvious factors affecting car insurance rates are speeding tickets, accidents and convictions for driving under the influence. Many insurance companies interpret these convictions as placing the driver on the high risk list and will charge them more for their coverage