Could where you live actually drive up your auto insurance premiums? Apparently the answer is yes as your zip code can have a bearing on how much you’ll pay to provide coverage for your vehicle. The difference in what you pay for car insurance from one zip code to the next can actually be quite substantial. Fox News has this story which can be seen by clicking here. This seems unfair but probably won’t change as insurers may see certain areas more riskier to the health of a vehicle. This could even be a consideration that people may want to consider when searching for a home as the wrong zip code may lead to a higher auto expense.
Law makers in some states think that their should be laws that give insurers less of a voice in where their policy holders take their vechicles after they’ve been in an accident. The PCI (Property Casualty Insurers Association of America) is opposed to such rules for good reasons which can be seen in the story here. I would have to agree with the PCI as having auto insurance companies involved in helping customers in recommeding repair shops or being involved in keeping repair expenses down makes sense. Ultimately having them involved should help keep premium costs down for their customer base.
Sometimes filing a claim can be a daunting task and with as many cars on the road today many people will go through this process. With this in mind the Consumer Federation of America has published a detailed guide that should be quite useful and can be viewed here. There is mountain of useful tips and pertinent info availabe in this document like how to get the auto “insurance company to address your concerns”. In fact it may be worth printing out and keeping a copy handy.