3/21/08

Expect Car Insurance Rates to Drop at Age 25 - Lower Cost to Insure

Sixteen, 18, and 21 - all milestone birthdays. But alas, once you turn 22 you may feel as though you won’t reach another age-based turning point until your retirement at 65. Surprisingly enough, when it comes to car insurance, your 25th birthday is among the most important milestones of your life.

Insurance Agencies - The Ultimate Profilers

If you’re a person age 18-24 and you’ve ever tried to rent a car, you know that there is something special about your 25th birthday. What’s the big deal? Well, the reason that car rental rates are so much lower for people age 25 and over is that this is the age, statistically speaking, when drivers become much safer.

Insurance companies use every piece of available data to develop profiles of drivers. Where you live, what you do for a living, your age, your gender, the make and model of your vehicle, your credit history, and a multitude of other factors are compared against the profile of the perfect driver to determine how much of a risk you are to the insurance company. The more risk that you’ll get in an accident, file a claim, or cause someone else to file a claim against you, the more expensive your insurance premiums will be.

But Hey, I Turned 25 And My Rates Never Went Down!

Since drivers 25 and over are responsible for far fewer accidents and claims, most people see their insurance premiums drop when they turn 25. However, there are other factors to consider. For example, did you move? Did you switch vehicles? Have you been in an accident or filed a claim recently? These and other factors can prevent your rates from going down, even when you hit the ripe old age of 25.


A few other factors that cause insurance premiums to go up over time are inflation and health care. Inflation is the devaluation of money - you’ve heard your grandparents tell you about how a bottle of Coke was five cents back in their day; that’s inflation at play. Currently, inflation is running at about 3 percent per year, so all other things being equal, you could expect car insurance rates to go up by about that much.

But all other things aren’t equal. Since auto insurance pays for the medical care and hospitalization of people injured in car accidents, car insurance rates are somewhat tied to health insurance rates, and health care cost increases have been greatly outpacing inflation for decades. This means that auto insurance rates are bound to go up quite a bit more than the average product or service each year, though fortunately, not nearly as much as health insurance.

What To Do If You Feel That You’re Paying Too Much

If you’ve turned 25, have a clean driving record, and haven’t made any major changes regarding what or where you drive, then you probably deserve a discount on your auto insurance. If you haven’t received one, don’t be afraid to shop around for the best deal. Compare the prices and plans offered by several car insurance agents and companies, and find one that meets all of your needs. A good agent will ensure that you’re neither under-insured, nor over-insured, and will help you find a plan with premiums that you can afford

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