Questions about car insurance prices

No. Guardbrook is an independent educational site about car insurance prices. It is not an insurer, agency or broker, and it doesn't sell, quote, bind or recommend policies; see about us.

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No. They are state averages from public data, two to three years old when published, and say nothing about your own price. Only an insurer can quote you; see our methodology.

The NAIC's latest state data put the U.S. average expenditure at $1,282 per insured car in 2023. A car carrying liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,438. See every state on the cost by state map.

Prices follow what claims cost where cars are kept, and state law decides what every policy must include, such as PIP in no-fault states. In 2023 the NAIC average ran from $808 in North Dakota to $1,864 in Florida; your state page shows the bill line by line.

The NAIC average expenditure rose about 14%, from $1,124 in 2022 to $1,282 in 2023, and prices kept climbing into 2024. Our guide to why your premium went up separates the market-wide causes from the ones on your own record.

On average, yes: the Bureau of Labor Statistics price index for car insurance fell below its year-earlier level with May 2026 data and was 5.0% lower in September 2026 than a year before. Your own renewal can still rise if your record, car or address changed; dated changes are on rate news.

They are NAIC figures for 2023, the latest year the NAIC has published by state, released in February 2026. The methodology page explains how we use them.

Get quotes from several insurers for exactly the coverage you have now, because prices for the same driver differ widely. Our guide to comparing quotes line by line has a worksheet.

Ask about bundling with home or renters insurance, safe-driver and good-student discounts, a defensive driving course, safety and anti-theft equipment, and group memberships. Each is covered under ways to save.

It lowers the collision and comprehensive premium, but only pays off if you go long enough without a claim and can cover the deductible from savings. The deductible break-even calculator shows the number of years.

Usually. Monthly plans can add installment fees and lose a paid-in-full discount; work out your plan's cost with the monthly vs. pay-in-full calculator.

It can, if you drive little or gently, but some programs can also raise the price, depending on the insurer and the state. See telematics and usage-based insurance and the pay-per-mile calculator.

Your driving record and claims, age and years licensed, where the car is kept, the car itself, how much you drive, the coverage and deductibles you choose and, where state law allows, your credit. Each is explained under price factors.

In most states it can. California, Hawaii and Massachusetts don't allow credit in auto pricing, and Michigan bars credit scores from auto rates; see credit-based insurance scores.

Usually for a set number of years, often three to five, depending on the insurer and the state. North Carolina, for example, surcharges convictions carrying four or more points for five years since July 2025; see driving record.

Insurers price by rating territory, so a new ZIP code can mean a different base rate even with the same car and record. See location and ZIP code.

Yes. Repair costs, theft rates and how well the car protects people in a crash all feed into collision, comprehensive and injury coverages; see vehicle make and model.

Three to four weeks before renewal, and whenever something on the policy changes: a move, a new car, marriage, a ticket aging off your record or a teen starting to drive. See when to shop.

No. Insurers check credit with soft inquiries, which don't lower your score; see credit-based insurance scores.

Start the new policy first, then cancel the old one in writing for the same date, tell your lender, and ask for any refund of unused premium. The steps are in switching without a gap.

Every state has a residual market, usually an assigned risk plan, that sells the coverage the law requires to drivers turned down elsewhere. See assigned risk plans and state low-cost programs.

Ask the insurer in writing for the reasons, then contact your state insurance department if the answer doesn't hold up. Our guide to complaining about a rate increase shows how to read the insurer's rate filing too.