How will filing bankruptcy affect auto insurance rates?
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010Bankruptcy has a close relation with your financial as well as mental well being. But sometimes you may have to file bankruptcy for no fault of yours. How is this possible? Many people manage their finances well but due to certain incidents that are beyond their control lose their financial stability.
Bankruptcy affects your eligibility for enjoying better rates on mortgage, auto insurance etc. As far as low cost auto insurance is concerned, credit score is not the single factor that affects your auto insurance premium. Several other factors determine auto insurance rates. These may include – the type of car you are driving, whether you have made claims before, your driving record, number of speeding tickets to your credit etc.
Whether you file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it remains in your credit report for a period of 10 and 7 years respectively.
Not all insurance carriers are the same. You may come across auto insurance carriers who refuse to work with you since you are considered “risky” to deal with. Why is it so? This is because filing bankruptcy reflects your financially irresponsible behavior, which the insurance carriers fear, may get manifested in the way you make payments for the premium.
An important aspect that you should keep in mind is that you have to be prepared to pay premium as per higher rates if you have filed bankruptcy. So, getting auto insurance rate that is suitable for your wallet is a bit difficult with a bankruptcy in your credit report. But majority of the states make it mandatory for individuals to have a minimum auto insurance coverage. Therefore, you cannot compromise with your safety. It is a wise move to curtail your other expenses so that you can use that cash to pay for your auto insurance premium.
In order to enjoy better rates on your auto insurance, it is best to improve your credit rating as fast as you can and make yourself a favorite of an auto insurance carrier.