The state Department of Insurance launched an investigation into the factors used to calculate rates. The California auto insurance industry may soon be changing the way its rates are calculated in order to reduce discrimination against drivers from minority neighborhoods. The California Department of Insurance launched an investigation into the practices of eight auto policy providers in the state. The investigation is meant to decide whether the insurers are discriminating against people in minority neighborhoods. The California auto insurance rate investigation was launched in response to an article published on…
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New York auto insurance rate calculation factors may soon drastically change
A new proposed rule would stop education and employment from affecting a policyholder’s premiums. State Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo proposed a change to the New York auto insurance rate calculations. The change would stop insurance companies from using a motorist’s education level or job from being used as a factor in determining that driver’s rates. The only exception is if the insurance company can prove the job status or education level directly affects driving. The proposed New York auto insurance rules change would only allow insurers to continue using…
Read MoreAre car insurance rates higher in urban minority neighborhoods
A recent study suggests that they are, but the research report has been accused of producing flawed findings. A new car insurance rates study has been published by ProPublica and Consumer Reports. It suggests urban neighborhoods populated primarily by minorities pay higher auto insurance premiums than comparable communities of lower minority populations. However, an insurance industry group has accused the report’s findings of being flawed and misleading. The study used car insurance rates data from California, Texas, Missouri and Illinois. The data was broken down by ZIP code and claims…
Read MoreMichigan auto insurance headed even higher with no-fault fee hike
Drivers in the state are already paying some of the highest premiums in the country and that price is rising. Michigan auto insurance is going to be even more expensive as the no-fault fee increases this summer. Drivers in the state will be paying $10 more to insure their vehicles. The purpose of the no-fault law in Michigan is to make sure that people involved in a collision will have coverage for catastrophic injuries no matter who is at fault. The no-fault law in the state says that a person…
Read MoreAllstate auto insurance rates are going up for Illinois drivers
The insurer has increased premiums in the state by an average of 6 percent, following a statewide trend. Allstate auto insurance customers are about to face an increase in the rates they’re paying for their policies. This announcement was made only 6 months after a similar one was made State Farm, the largest car insurance company in the state. The average increase for drivers in the state with Allstate coverage will be about 6 percent. The original filing to increase Allstate auto insurance rates was made in January. An Illinois…
Read MoreState Farm auto insurance losses are higher than ever before
The insurer lost more money on car policies throughout 2016 than it has in its almost century-long existence. State Farm auto insurance lost more money providing drivers with coverage in 2016 than they have in any other year since its creation 95 years ago. All told, the insurance company lost about $7 billion within the vehicle coverage segment of its business. State Farm auto insurance is by far the biggest vehicle insurer in the United States. It received $35.8 billion in claims and adjustment expenses in 2016. That total, in…
Read MoreAuto insurance premiums head skywards due to smartphone use
The Washington Insurance Commissioner’s Office has blamed mobile device use for a 5.9 percent rate increase. Consumers wondering why they’re paying higher auto insurance premiums may not have to look any further than their smartphones. The Insurance Commissioner’s Office in Washington State said the top 20 insurance companies hiked rates by 5.9 percent last year. That said, the insurance rate for motorists has been on its way up across the country. Across the country, the average amount drivers are paying in auto insurance premiums reached $926 in 2016. Throughout the…
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