Why cheap car insurance is not always offered why some companies charge more
Insurance comes down to risk. In order to get cheap car insurance, you have to be a low risk for the insurer. Since insurance companies only profit when they have more money coming in from premiums than they have going out for claims, someone likely to get into an accident will have a higher premium to offset that risk. Insurance companies consider paying claims as lost profit. A customer who is low risk equates to pure profit from the insurance company and they can lower their premiums for that customer. Each insurance company analyzes those risks differently.
Companies rate risk by analyzing your gender, age, ethnicity, earnings, and zip code. A risk analyzer can place these factors together and predict the chances of a claim being made. The number of speeding tickets are just some factors that equate risk to insurance companies. Other factors, such as uninsured drivers, are out of a person's control. With the loss of jobs and the economy in recession, people are saving money and making necessary cuts in their budget. This means the number of uninsured drivers is increasing. With tougher economic times at hand, many people are opting to drive without car insurance, and the decision they're making is indirectly driving up everyone's premiums.
When an insurance company files a claim against an uninsured driver it costs the company more money. The insurance companies are insuring the general public to make profit, and the extra costs are put on the shoulders of consumers. Each company has different rates because of their clientele and their structure for accessing risk. A company who has a large amount of these cases has a higher base rate before assessing risk. Consumers pay a different price for insurance because each insurance company has a different amount of claims each quarter and each claim has varying factors that affect cost.
While the formula may seem complex, it all comes down to risk. Do you live in a low-risk area? Are you a good driver? Chances are, you can qualify for cheap car insurance. |