I've been told more than once that if you stay with an insurance company for a few years, then even if you haven't submitted any claims, eventually they'll increase your premiums significantly, assuming that you'd rather just pay the difference than go to the trouble of shopping around. Apparently that's true, because when I opened the new quotes for my car, condo, and umbrella policies (which are bundled) for the coming year, I discovered my car insurance premium has gone up by a whopping 44%. I spent the next 20 minutes entering specifics about my driving habits and coverage and shopping around online to see what other companies would charge me if I were to switch, all of which convinced me I should contact my current company to protest this unwarranted increase.
I also spent some time looking up things that can affect your insurance rate other than accidents or tickets, including age, number of miles driven per year, and credit rating. Today, with all my ducks in a row, I called my agent and reported:
· I drive under 4,000 miles per year, which can be confirmed by checking the odometer readings on my annual inspection reports
· I've never submitted a single claim to this company on any of my policies
· No moving violations EVER and not so much as a parking ticket
· My credit score is 824
· I’m 73, so 2 years younger than the age of 75, at which age I’m aware some companies increase the premiums
I also said I’m not paying the 44% increase on my policy, because I’ve already checked around online and know I can get the same coverage that I have right now for the same price I’m currently paying. It’s been assigned to someone named Mike who will provide a requote. Fingers crossed.
