When you call your car insurer for a quote, you give them permission to look into your background. This will help the insurer look into information about your driving history and financial stability.
The insurer will research various demographics to determine how much of a risk they take on by insuring you. This will help them determine your car insurance premiums.
One of the factors they might review is your auto insurance history. Here’s why it matters.
Car Insurance History
Most drivers have to carry car insurance from the time they get their driver’s licenses. Most states require all drivers to receive coverage under either a policy in their name or held by a family member. Over time, the policies you carry will become a record. They will show your history of claims, and also that you carried continuous coverage. Both factors can help your insurer determine how best they can offer you a policy and what it will cost.
Why Car Insurance History Matters
Both your history of carrying car insurance and your history of claims might influence the cost you pay for coverage. That’s because your history shows your risk. Risk is a term that insurers use to determine how likely they are to have to pay a claim on your policy. The higher your risk rating, the more money you will likely have to pay for your car insurance.
If you make a claim on your car insurance, then your insurer might have to pay for damage to your car or for other losses. So, by looking at your claim history, the insurer has proof that you might take more of an investment. As a result, your premiums might rise.
Additionally, your coverage history can show an insurer a lot about a driver’s habits as a client. Gaps might prove that the driver has continued to drive despite having no coverage. Drivers who have periods where they didn’t have car insurance are often high-risk. That is because when people drive uninsured, they pose significant driving risks to themselves and others.
Gaps in coverage might also show that a driver won’t pay their premium on time. This might make an insurer uncertain if they should offer you a policy. It is therefore always easier to maintain continuous car insurance coverage. This means paying your premiums on time and always updating your coverage if you move, buy a new car, change your name or make another significant life change. Your Cornerstone Insurance Services agent is happy to work with you to make the process easy.