How much you pay for auto insurance depends on several factors, including your age and marital status, where you live, and what you drive. You can't do anything about your age, and few people will move just to lower their insurance premium. You can, however, choose a vehicle that costs less to insure.
In this article, we'll give you all of the helpful tips you need when getting car insurance.
Insurance premiums are based partly on the price of the vehicle, which affects the replacement cost if it is stolen or "totaled" in an accident. How expensive the vehicle is to repair -- including parts and labor -- can also affect the cost. In addition, surcharges may apply to vehicles that are frequently stolen or involved in accidents.
Industry-wide information on injury claims, collision repair costs, and theft rates by vehicle model is available from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). You can write them at 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201. HLDI is affiliated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
According to HLDI, the lowest injury claims are from large vehicles -- cars, pickup trucks, and sport-utility vehicles. Small 2- and 4-door cars have the highest injury claims. Small cars also are among the highest in collision costs, along with sports cars.
If you have your heart set on a sporty vehicle, you'll probably pay dearly. Insuring a high-performance car can easily cost two or three times the insurance amount for an ordinary model.
Sport-utility vehicles, the hottest market segment, often have higher insurance rates than mid- and full-size cars, but some SUV models are relatively cheap to insure. SUVs are "hot" for other reasons: They are among the most frequently stolen vehicles, and they are more expensive than most cars. Cadillac's Escalade is currently thecar insurance most popular model sought by thieves, but it's followed by the Nissan Maxima sedan. SUVs also can cost more to fix after an accident if the 4-wheel-drive system is damaged.
However, insurance companies set rates based on their own experience. If Company A has more collision and theft claims for a particular car insurance then A will charge more for the same coverage. It all boils down to a company's actual experience with a particularcar insurance vehicle or category of drivers. That is why it pays to shop around for insurance.
Factors that you can least control may have the greatest impact on your insurance costs. Your age, gender, and driving record are key factors that affect your insurance premium.
Single males under the age of 25 pay the highest rates. Statistics show they are involved in the most accidents, so insurance companies charge young men higher premiums than women of the same age. Married men, who statistically have fewer accidents, pay less than single men. A handful of states do not allow rates based on sex or age, but that prohibition has tended to result in higher rates for women, not lower rates for men.
If you are convicted of moving traffic violations or of causing an accident, your premiums will likely go up, no matter what your age. Drivers with clean records -- no tickets, no accidents -- pay the lowest rates.
Where you live also plays a big role in how much you pay. Urban areas, with their greater population densities and heavier traffic, get higher rates than rural areas. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average insurance expenditure in mainly urban New Jersey -- traditionally the most expensive state -- in 2002 was more than double that of North Dakota, a rural state with the lowest average premiums. High costs in states such as Florida, Massachusetts and New York are attributed to growth in fraud and theft.
In most states, too, insurers set rates by zip codes. If you live in a major city like Chic
In this article, we'll give you all of the helpful tips you need when getting car insurance.
1. car insurance
What is your car insurance actually insuring? Although you're buying a single insurance policy covering a specific vehicle, a number of components make up the final cost:- Bodily injury liability: Covers injury and death claims against you, and legal costs, if your car injures or kills someone.
- Property damage liability: Covers claims for property that your car damages in an accident. Because liability coverage protects the other party, it is required in all but three states.
- Medical payments: Pays for injuries to yourself and to occupants of your car. This is optional in some states. In "no-fault" states, personal injury protection replaces medical payments as part of the basic coverage.
- Uninsured motorist protection: Covers injuries caused to you or the occupants of your car by uninsured or hit-and-run drivers. "Under-insured" coverage also is available, to cover claims you may make against a driver who has inadequate insurance. In some states, as many as 30 percent of drivers are uninsured.
- Collision coverage: Covers damage to your car up to its book value. Collision coverage carries a deductible, which is the amount per claim you have to pay before the insurance takes effect. The lower the deductible, the higher the premium. While it is legally optional, a lending institution or leasing company usually requires collision coverage.
- Comprehensive (physical damage): Covers damage to your car from theft, vandalism, fire, wind, flood, and other non-accident causes. Comprehensive also carries a deductible.
Your Car Affects Your insurance
You might want a sports car or a fancy SUV, car insurance but your insurance company may charge you more to protect you while driving it.Insurance premiums are based partly on the price of the vehicle, which affects the replacement cost if it is stolen or "totaled" in an accident. How expensive the vehicle is to repair -- including parts and labor -- can also affect the cost. In addition, surcharges may apply to vehicles that are frequently stolen or involved in accidents.
Industry-wide information on injury claims, collision repair costs, and theft rates by vehicle model is available from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). You can write them at 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201. HLDI is affiliated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
According to HLDI, the lowest injury claims are from large vehicles -- cars, pickup trucks, and sport-utility vehicles. Small 2- and 4-door cars have the highest injury claims. Small cars also are among the highest in collision costs, along with sports cars.
If you have your heart set on a sporty vehicle, you'll probably pay dearly. Insuring a high-performance car can easily cost two or three times the insurance amount for an ordinary model.
Sport-utility vehicles, the hottest market segment, often have higher insurance rates than mid- and full-size cars, but some SUV models are relatively cheap to insure. SUVs are "hot" for other reasons: They are among the most frequently stolen vehicles, and they are more expensive than most cars. Cadillac's Escalade is currently thecar insurance most popular model sought by thieves, but it's followed by the Nissan Maxima sedan. SUVs also can cost more to fix after an accident if the 4-wheel-drive system is damaged.
However, insurance companies set rates based on their own experience. If Company A has more collision and theft claims for a particular car insurance then A will charge more for the same coverage. It all boils down to a company's actual experience with a particularcar insurance vehicle or category of drivers. That is why it pays to shop around for insurance.
Factors that you can least control may have the greatest impact on your insurance costs. Your age, gender, and driving record are key factors that affect your insurance premium.
Single males under the age of 25 pay the highest rates. Statistics show they are involved in the most accidents, so insurance companies charge young men higher premiums than women of the same age. Married men, who statistically have fewer accidents, pay less than single men. A handful of states do not allow rates based on sex or age, but that prohibition has tended to result in higher rates for women, not lower rates for men.
If you are convicted of moving traffic violations or of causing an accident, your premiums will likely go up, no matter what your age. Drivers with clean records -- no tickets, no accidents -- pay the lowest rates.
Where you live also plays a big role in how much you pay. Urban areas, with their greater population densities and heavier traffic, get higher rates than rural areas. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average insurance expenditure in mainly urban New Jersey -- traditionally the most expensive state -- in 2002 was more than double that of North Dakota, a rural state with the lowest average premiums. High costs in states such as Florida, Massachusetts and New York are attributed to growth in fraud and theft.
In most states, too, insurers set rates by zip codes. If you live in a major city like Chic