What Impacts Your Auto Insurance Premiums?
As a responsible motorist, you likely understand and appreciate the importance of adequate auto insurance.
However, you may not always enjoy your rates. Fortunately, by understanding the various factors that affect your premiums, you may be better positioned to maximize the cost-effectiveness of your payments.
5 Factors Affecting Your Auto Insurance Coverage Costs
When insurance carriers assess you as a customer, they may need to adjust their quotes based on several criteria. While the exact weight given to various circumstances may vary, you can generally expect the following to be considered:
- Location—Where you live and drive can majorly impact your costs. For example, if you live in a high-traffic area or those with higher crime rates, insurance companies may consider you to be a greater risk and, therefore, charge more.
- Vehicle specifications—The make, model, age and details of the vehicle you seek to insure are important. Generally, you can expect more expensive cars to cost more to insure, although newer models may also help you secure lower rates due to advanced security and safety features.
- Driver details—The ages, genders, and records of those you list on your policy can significantly influence your premiums. For instance, if you have a history of accidents, traffic violations, or a teenage driver in your household, you may need to pay more for coverage.
- Previous claims—Carriers generally consider those who have made claims against their policies in the past to be more risky to insure. With this in mind, you may want to refrain from filing claims for minor incidents.
- Deductible—This is the amount you must pay out of pocket following a covered incident before your insurer will begin to provide aid. Increasing your deductible can typically help you secure cheaper premiums, but you’ll need to pay more following covered incidents.
We’re Here to Help
At Martinez Insurance Services, we’re ready to help you secure the right coverage. Contact us today to compare personalized quotes.
