Auto insurance is a fact of life. If you plan to drive a car then you will need to be insured. What many people don’t know is how the cost of their premium is affected by so many things. Some of which are totally out of your control.
Knowing why your premium costs as much as it does is a good way to figure out areas where you can actually save on your insurance. The more you know the more power you have over your insurance. In this article, we will go over what some of those factors are that affect your insurance.
1 – Where you live
Driving a new car off of a Volvo dealer Phoenix AZ lot is going to cost more or less than somebody driving off of another in some other part of the country.
Geography is one of the main factors as to how much you are going to pay. One of the reasons is that there are different regulations that cover auto insurance from state to state.
Even besides what state you live in, there are different prices for the area, too. For instance, some cities that have a high theft rate mean that you are going to pay a higher premium than someplace rural with little chance of your car being stolen.
Where you park your car will impact the cost of your insurance. If it is street parked then this will raise the cost as it is prone to be in an accident or stolen. Garaged cars will cost less to insure as they are protected from theft and accidents.
2 – How you drive
Your driving record from the past may come back to haunt you when shopping for a new policy. Accidents and speeding tickets go on your driving record and are accessible by your auto insurance company. There are penalties that will follow you around for some years after your infraction or accident.
Even when you have a clean record, your driving habits will affect the cost. Insurance agents will look into how far you drive to get to work and what the route is like. Commuters with long drives in high accident areas will pay more for insurance than those that work from home.
3 – Type of coverage
The coverage that you need is one of the biggest factors and is not the same for everybody. For instance, you may be financing a new car and the financier requires that you get full coverage including fire and theft. This is going to be an expensive policy and there isn’t much wiggle room on the price of the premium.
Once you are done paying off the loan, then you are free to pick and choose the coverage you need. Many people find that they are overpaying for insurance because they are overcovered for their needs and car.
For instance, you may find that having theft coverage for an old car makes little sense since it is not a target for thieves. Or, being covered in the event of a flood when you live in a city that has a high elevation is not necessary.
Make sure that your coverage is only for things that you actually need and you will save a lot.