How To Reevaluate Your Car Insurance Needs When Moving Out Of State
So, you’re moving out of state and of course your car is coming with you. It’s important that you consider many of the factors that will determine the price of your new out of state car insurance.
One vital aspect in securing car insurance rates is the cost of paying for accidents, as well as the costs that go along with settling them. Some state laws require car owners to either buy a minimum amount of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance or to provide financial responsibility before the vehicle can be legally driven on the road.
Believe it or not, determining your out of state car insurance may also be reflected by your credit score. Companies use this information to create your “insurance risk score.” There have been some studies showing that your credit and the likelihood that you’d file a claim, have some correlation.
Keep in mind your geographical location. Urban dwellers are usually given higher car insurance quotes because the risk of theft and getting into an accident is statistically higher, but you may wind up paying higher premiums for living in a rural area where hospitals are less accessible and weather conditions are more unstable.
Your vehicle will be evaluated on many levels: color, make/model, i.e. Toyota Matrix XR vs. Toyota Matrix XRS (the “S” may render the car a ‘sports’ edition, making it more of a risk to insure). All of these factors will affect your premium, so make sure when determining your new insurance policy that you are getting all of the discounts to which you are entitled. Emphasize your vehicle’s safety features: airbags, anti-lock brakes, automatic daytime running lights and other passenger restraints, and make available your vehicle’s maintenance records that show you have had regular oil changes and the car is in good condition.
If you have a teen driver on your policy, inquire about “good grade” discounts through your insurer and also look into a “forgive the first accident” policy, which will prevent your premiums from rising 40% (an industry standard) should your at-risk-teen driver encounter their first at-fault accident.
Lastly, consider paying your new policy in full rather than breaking up the payments in monthly installations, for which you will be charged an administrative fee. This is one way car insurance buyers can proactively lower their car insurance quotes.
You won’t be able to control all aspects of your new insurance policy, but the more knowledgeable and educated you are about the many facets involved in ascertaining car insurance quotes the better chance you have to determine your rates instead of your rates determining you.
