Car Insurance: Find Out How Your Rate Quote Is Determined

If you are shopping for car insurance, there are many factors that will go into the pricing you find. There is no way to accurately know how much you can expect to pay for a premium, so it will be necessary to get quotes from various agencies. However, you can find out what influences the quotes you get.

The vehicle you are trying to get car insurance for will make a big difference. A minivan typically costs less to insure than a sports vehicle just based generally on comparing the number of accidents in each type of auto. Also, the year of the auto will make a difference, as well as the cost. Clearly, a more expensive automobile will cost more to replace than a cheaper one, so agencies will charge you more if you paid a lot for yours.

Most agencies will also ask the safety features you have in your vehicle. If you have several extras, such as side airbags, you will pay less than if you did not have those features. This is because you will likely be less injured in an accident with such safety features, which means lower hospital bills for an agency to pay.

Another feature that any agency will pay attention to is your driving history. If you have had several accidents, you will have to pay more, if you can get insured at all. Most agencies offer a discount for drivers with few or no accidents in their recent past.

Additionally, your address will be looked at to determine how often cars are stolen in your zip code, and even your gender and age will be thrown in the mix before you can get car insurance. Typically, older females have much cheaper rates than teen or young adult males, but of course it depends on the driver's individual history.

In general, your car insurance rates will depend on many different aspects. You can expect your car, age, gender, address, driving history, and much more to be scrutinized. If there are some factors you cannot change that end up with you paying a very high amount, try to alter those that you can.

For example, do not drive a brand new sports vehicle with few safety features in a neighborhood known for auto theft. Otherwise, you may end up with very expensive coverage or none at all. Also, ask about discounts available, such as student or good driving history discounts, in order to save money.