El precio del seguro de coche puede parecer alto, pero es probable que haya una razón para ello. He aquí por qué su seguro de coche es tan alto y los pasos que puede tomar para bajarlo.
Parece que las tasas de seguros de automóviles se vuelven cada vez más y más alto.
Y por una buena razón: son.
Los datos de 2016 muestran que las tasas de seguros de automóviles están aumentando a un ritmo más rápido en 13 años.
¿Pero por qué?
En este artículo, te voy a mostrar lo que determina su tasa de seguro de auto, por las que su tasa es tan alta, y lo que puede hacer para reducirlo.
¿Qué factores determinan el costo de mi seguro de coche?
Hay muchos factores que determinan la prima que tendrá que pagar un seguro de coche. De hecho, State Farm Insurance describe siete factores principales que buscan la hora de determinar la prima de su seguro de automóvil:
- Your driving record—Insurance companies are going to want to know your complete history of driving before giving you a policy. This includes any and all accidents you’ve had in the past, as well as traffic violations, such as speeding tickets.
- Your driving patterns (how far and how often)—Plain and simple, you (and thus, the insurance company) are more at risk the further you drive and more often you are on the road.
- Your credit history—That’s right, believe it or not, insurance companies want to see your credit history. This includes all your debts as well as any tax liens, personal judgments, and medical bills.
- Where you live—This is often beyond your control (unless you move), but many insurance premiums are dictated by where you live. A number of factors go into this, such as the history of accidents in the area, the population demographic, and any other major considerations such as weather patterns. My parents live in Florida, for example, and their insurance rates doubled when they moved from Ohio.
- Your sex, marital status, and age—Again, not really something you can control, but insurance companies will look at historical averages of accidents based on your demographic and factor that into your premium.
- The type of car you drive—This is one thing that’s well within your control. Insurance companies will want to know if you’re driving a safe, boring car or a souped-up speedster that tends to get in a lot of accidents or gets stolen a lot.
- The policy you select (including deductibles)—Finally, the policy you end up selecting will be a huge determining factor in what you pay. Think of it like picking a health insurance plan. If you choose the plan with all the bells and whistles (or in the case of auto insurance, the coverage amounts you select), you’re going to pay more. Deductibles are also a big factor. The deductible is what you pay out of pocket when you get into an accident, for example.
Why is your car insurance so high?
Now that you know the factors that go into your car insurance premium, let’s look at why your car insurance might seem like it’s costing you a fortune.
Your driving record is terrible
If you have even a handful of accidents (even if they aren’t all recent), you’re going to pay a higher premium. Same goes for traffic violations. If you’re accumulating points faster than LeBron James, you’re in trouble. LeBron is rewarded for getting points – you’re not.
You have a history of big claims
Even if you’ve only had a couple of accidents, the payout resulting from those accidents will impact your premium. Someone who’s had a couple of minor fender benders is a much lower risk than someone who has totaled three cars.
You drive super long distances, and you drive a lot
If your commute to work is long, you may not be bothered by it because you can just listen to podcasts to pass the time. The problem is, you’re paying a higher premium because of it.
Your insurance company wants to know where you live and where you work, and trust me, they know how far you drive.
Your credit history is questionable
If you have no credit history or your credit report is less than stellar, you’ll pay more for car insurance.
It’s not to say that insurance companies care how much debt you have, but they’re looking for patterns of delinquency, liens against you, or taxes you’ve refused to pay.
Insurance companies are all about reducing their risk, and if you appear risky, they’ll make you pay for it.
You’ve had auto insurance canceled in the past
If you don’t get the required documentation to your insurer, or simply don’t pay your premium, they’ll fire you. Meaning – no insurance. If there’s a pattern of this happening, the insurer will raise your rate or turn you down entirely.
You live in a high-premium area
There are just certain areas of the country that charge a higher insurance premium. I mentioned what happened to my parents in Florida, but there are other areas of the country that have this problem, too.
If you live in a neighborhood that has a lot of theft, for instance, your premiums will be higher.
You’re a guy, you’re young, and you’re not married
Sorry fellas. Like State Farm said, they look at your gender, marital status, and age. Guys just get the short end of the stick when it comes to car insurance, especially early on in their driving careers, because of historic averages with accidents and traffic violations.
You have a child on your insurance
If you have a teenager on your policy, they’ll be considered a “youthful operator” and your premiums will go up.
You’re driving an “unsafe” car
It doesn’t matter how safe you feel in your car. If you’ve chosen a car that the insurance companies deem risky, you’ll pay for it. Many times, smaller, sportier cars get the brunt of this.
Also, the rumor about a car being red costing more in insurance is completely false. According to Esurance, “the year, make, model, body style, and the age of your vehicle” are what matter when it comes to the car you drive.
Your deductible is too low, or your coverage is too high
If your policy has a low deductible (typically under $1,000) your premiums are going to be much higher. While this may cost you less at the time of the accident, you’ll pay more in your monthly or annual car insurance premium.
Also, if you have chosen a coverage that’s higher than you need, you’ll pay extra. Note: before adjusting coverage levels, I’d definitely recommend talking to an insurance professional.
You’re not bundling
Perhaps you found a better deal by getting your auto, home, and motorcycle insurance at three different companies. While each one might be lower than if you were to individually sign up at one company, you’re missing out on a bundled discount.
Nearly every insurance company will give you a discount if you bring all of your business to them.
How to lower your car insurance premium
If you’ve read this far, you now know exactly how your rates are determined and why your current rate might be higher than you’d like.
You can reverse many of these factors by doing the opposite of what’s causing the rate to be high. But for good measure, here are a few more tips to cut your premium:
Find as many discounts as you possibly can, and take advantage of them
Every insurance company has several discount programs—such as military, student, good driver (no accidents or tickets), and much more. Check out your insurance company’s website to see what type of discounts they offer.
A simple Google search will tell you which discounts your company offers. If you find that you’re missing out on discounts, call your insurance company right away to make sure they give it to you.
A great example that many people overlook is low mileage discounts. If you have a long commute to work, but you carpool or take public transportation often, your insurance company needs to know–and should be giving you a discount for that.
Another common example is group insurance discounts. Many companies have relationships with auto insurers and, just like getting a discount on your cell phone, you can get a discount on your auto insurance just for working for a certain company.
Compare insurance costs before buying a car
This is so often overlooked. Many times when we buy a car, we know what we want. Whether it’s a specific model or just the cheapest car available (if you’re like me). What we often forget to do, though, is determine what it will cost to insure each of these cars.
Here’s an example. If you’ve narrowed your search down to two cars—Car A at $20,000 and Car B at $25,000—you might choose the cheaper option, all things being equal.
But in doing some research you might find that Car A costs double the amount to insure. As long as you have the car, you’ll be paying this premium.
Think about these things before purchasing a new or used vehicle. Your current insurance company will be more than happy to give you a quote on a few vehicles you’re comparing, so you know exactly what to expect.
Get a higher deductible
This is pretty much common sense, but if you raise your deductible, your premiums will go down. If you have a good driving record, you probably don’t need a low deductible anyway.
The odds of you getting into an accident are lower, so you should save money on a monthly basis by raising the deductible as high as you’re comfortable with.
Shop around and find a new, lower cost insurance provider
Esta es mi primera recomendación . Si usted está pagando demasiado por los seguros, muchas veces el mejor lugar para empezar es por compras.
Resumen
Es fácil ver por qué las tarifas de seguros de automóviles podrían estar por las nubes. Pero ahora que usted tiene el conocimiento necesario para identificar dónde se está perdiendo el potencial de ahorro, romper con los medios de comunicación social para una noche y pasar algún tiempo conseguir los descuentos que se merece!
Ahmad Faishal is now a full-time writer and former Analyst of BPD DIY Bank. He’s Risk Management Certified. Specializing in writing about financial literacy, Faishal acknowledges the need for a world filled with education and understanding of various financial areas including topics related to managing personal finance, money and investing and considers investoguru as the best place for his knowledge and experience to come together.
