Massachusetts insurers banned from using credit score to price auto insurance, according to new law

A new law has passed in Massachusetts that will ban insurers from pricing auto insurance based upon socioeconomic factors. Governor Deval Patrick signed the associated bill into law this week and believes that it will afford consumers with more protections against insurers constantly on the lookout for extra money. The ban was already enacted in the state some months ago but existed only as an administrative regulation. The bill’s passage comes after months of legislative struggle and conflict between consumer advocacy groups and insurance companies. Insurers opposing the measure claim…

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MAIA proposes 2012 referendum ballot to stop socioeconomic factors from impacting auto insurance premiums

The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA), a group based in Milford, has put forth a proposal for the 2012 election for a ballot referendum that would stop auto insurers from becoming able to use socioeconomic factors to underwrite their insurance. This practice is already banned by the state, but the MAIA is seeking to continue making it illegal to use information such as a person’s education, job type, and credit score for determining an individual’s auto insurance premiums. That said, organizations that represent auto insurers are arguing for the…

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