We've discussed this before and we will, undoubtedly, discuss it again because it is of major concern to our clients. Generally, we often don't understand why our rates go up (1) just because I moved, or (2) just because I got older, or (3) because I got a job further from my home, etc., etc., etc.  It can be frustrating for you and for us because the number of factors that influence rates are many and every company applies different weights to the various factors.  Here are some of the major factors that can influence insurance premiums:

1. Your driving record and claims history. Insurance companies order 2 different reports on you and all licensed operators in your household to determine your driving/claims record. The first is your motor vehicle report (MVR) and the 2^nd is your C.L.U.E. report. The MVR shows your tickets – all companies charge you for the tickets you have received in the past 3 years and most are charging for 5 years now. The C.L.U.E. report shows all claims that have been paid for you or anyone in your household – even your towing or glass repair claims. Of course, the more tickets or claims found on your records, the higher your insurance rate because the company has to consider the risk.
2. Your gender and age. Women have fewer accidents than men, so their rates are usually lower. Youthful operators have absolutely the worst records and are charged accordingly. The 2^nd highest rates after youthful operators are drivers over 75 years old. Because of technology, youthful operators rates will begin decreasing after their first 3 years of driving and they often get “age breaks” every 2-3 years until they are 25.
3. Your geographic territory (zip code). We often refer to this category as your “garaging address”. Basically it’s where you live and park your car at night. Insurance companies have statistics on claims by zip code – so the zip codes with the highest claims will have the highest rates and vice versa. This is also why people who live in rural areas have considerably lower rates than those who live in urban areas. If you move from Las Vegas to Boulder City or Searchlight, I guarantee your rates will decrease.
4. Your marital status. Married people have lower rates of claims and, therefore, have lower insurance rates. This category is more geared toward males. Unmarried males, when younger, have more accidents than married males, so unmarried males have to pay more for their auto insurance. The marital discount is a fairly large one if you get married young. It is a smaller difference when marrying later in life.
5. Prior insurance coverage. Every company we deal with gives you credit for having continuous insurance. Many preferred companies will not even write your insurance if you try to get a rate with them and do not currently have auto coverage. Once you establish prior insurance for 6 months – 1 year, we can shop you again with all our carriers.
6. Make and model of your vehicle. Luxury and sports cars average a higher number of claims and, therefore, pay a higher rate. The newer the vehicle, the more it usually cost to insure; however, newer vehicles often have more safety features so replacing your current car with a newer car does not always increase the premium or the increase is surprisingly small. 
7. Vehicle use. Most companies use 4 rating categories for usage. If you drive your car (or any car on your policy) for pleasure only or to/from work less than 3 miles one way, this vehicle will get the lowest rates. If you drive to/from work 3-15 miles one way, you pay a little more. If your work is more than 15 miles one way, they will uprate you a bit more and finally if you use your car in business (realtors, doctors, sales reps, etc) you will pay even more. The difference between pleasure use and business use is often about 20%.
8. Miles driven each year. The less you drive, the less likely you are to cost your auto carrier in claims. Some companies rates on annual mileage and some don’t. You may get a questionnaire every year or two from your carrier asking for your odometer reading.
9. Your credit rating. The use of credit scoring/rating in car insurance premiums is standard in the industry and  it is used in more than 45 states. Many nationwide studies have been done over the past 20 years and they all statistically prove that the better a person’s credit, the fewer claims and losses they have. Not everyone with great credit is clean and not everyone with poor credit has claims – this is based on measuring the claims of millions of people in every credit tier.  Statistically sound, but not always fair.

If you have specific questions, please call us.  We've been here for you since 1996 and we intend to stay here.  You always come first at Sage Insurance.