Why is my car insurance score so low?

Most consumers begin to realize that their credit score can essentially dictate their financial future when they hit 18.

It’s stressed that you need credit to secure an auto loan, to qualify for a mortgage, and even to get a good job, but not many parents and professors stress that your credit score can also affect your ability to find affordable car insurance.

Credit-based insurance scoring is becoming more of a common practice in the industry, but it isn’t used in all states or by all companies.

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Is it legal for car insurance companies to use your credit score to calculate rates?

Insurance companies must follow the rules that are set by the Federal government and by the State Department of Insurance when setting rates and underwriting policies.

Unfortunately, since auto insurance is an industry that’s typically regulated by the state and hardly ever regulated on a Federal level, some insurers are able to legally use credit and others aren’t.

Credit-based insurance scoring is a very popular way to rate policies, but some states do believe it’s an unfair discriminatory practice.

This is why insurance companies selling products in California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii officials all prohibit auto insurance companies from accessing credit information for insurance purposes.

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Do consumers have to be notified if their credit is being used?

If you were shocked to learn that your credit was even a risk factor for auto insurance, you should pay close attention to the documents you’re signing and the notifications you receive at policy inception.

You’ll be asked to give permission for the company to access your credit for a quote to be calculated. After this, you’ll receive a letter that explains how credit is used.

Is a credit score the same thing as a car insurance score?

Many assume that the credit score and the insurance score are two different names for the same thing. In actuality, they are similar but different.

Insurance scores are based off information that’s found on the policyholder’s credit file through one of the three credit reporting bureaus.

In addition to the relevant information that’s found on your credit, insurers will also use your past insurance history to assign a score to your policy.

Who calculates a car insurance score?

Today, there are two companies that offer insurance scoring services. These two companies are the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) and Choicepoint.

The numbers that are calculated by either company will be 3 digit numbers much like your credit score.

The numbers are highly predictive on how likely a household is to file a claim and how much future claims costs will add up to.

Combined with claims information provided by LexisNexis, insurers can get the picture as to who might be a good risk and who might not.

While the algorithms used for scoring is the same between the companies, sometimes they are different because of the reporting agencies used to gather the information.

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What information on the credit reports can be used by insurers?

Not everything filed on your credit report is fair game when insurers are reviewing it. Only some of the details will shed light on a household’s risk factor.

If you aren’t quite familiar with what’s used for your credit report, here’s a breakdown of what’s used:

• Outstanding Debt
• Payment History
• Credit History Length
• Applications for New Credit
• Credit Mix and Types

What can’t be used to calculate an insurance score?

The use of credit scoring is limited when auto insurance companies are underwriting and rating a new or existing policy. This is because some of the details that are found in credit reports are believed to be irrelevant when it comes to assessing risk.

Here is personal information that companies and scoring can’t use:

• Race and national origin
• Gender and marital status
• Religion
• Location
• Income
• Employment history
• Interest rates being charged
• Inquiries on credit for employment

Do companies have to tell you your insurance score?

Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, any user who is reviewing credit reports must send an Adverse Action Notification when their report leads to higher premiums or policy denial.

In this notification, the insurer must give you four different reasons as to why the policy premiums were negatively affected by credit.

The notice might not give your numerical score, but if rates have gone up because of credit this will go out. If you don’t get an Adverse Action Notice, you’ll probably just be told if your credit is in an average, good or excellent range.

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What is the common range for insurance scores?

The insurance scores calculated by the Fair Isaac Corporation range between 300 and 900. The scores that are issued by ChoicePoint range between 300 and 997.

It’s believed that scores above 700 are in the good range and scores above 800 are great. Some companies issue discounts at 700 and others won’t until a score reaches 800.

How can you improve your car insurance score?

If you want to improve your insurance score, the first step is to review your free credit report. Reporting errors is important, but if there aren’t errors, there are still ways to improve your score.

You can pay down balances on your cards and avoid filing small claims against your policy that you could pay on your own.

Credit is something that will follow you around throughout your entire life. If you don’t want to be hit with high-interest rates and high insurance premiums, you need to know how credit is used.

Once you find out how scores are calculated, you can start to compare rates. Use an online rate comparison tool to compare rates and then you can see how your credit can benefit or hinder you as you shop around.

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Case Studies: Understanding Low Car Insurance Scores

Case Study 1: Bad Credit History

David recently checked his car insurance score and discovered that it was lower than he expected. Upon reviewing his credit history, he found several negative marks, including missed payments and high credit utilization. These factors negatively affected his car insurance score, resulting in higher premiums. David realized that improving his credit habits could help him raise his car insurance score in the future.

Case Study 2: Poor Driving Record

Emily has a history of traffic violations and accidents, which led to a low car insurance score. Her driving record includes multiple speeding tickets and at-fault accidents. Insurance companies consider these incidents as indicators of higher risk, resulting in lower scores. Emily understood the importance of practicing safe driving habits to improve her car insurance score over time.

Case Study 3: Multiple Past Car Insurance Claims

Michael filed several car insurance claims in the past due to various accidents and incidents. This history of claims affected his car insurance score negatively, as insurers view individuals with frequent claims as higher risk. Michael realized that taking steps to prevent accidents and being more cautious on the road could help him avoid future claims and improve his car insurance score.

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