Are Your Car Insurance Rates based on Education and Occupation?

When you get insurance, a variety of factors go into determining how much your premiums will cost. Some companies, however, include your education level and work status and may charge you more for it.

According to a recent report, companies like GEICO, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers will charge you more if you only have a high school degree or do more “blue collar” work. As the report states:

GEICO often charges a factory worker with a high school degree far higher annual premiums than a plant supervisor with a college degree – 45% more in Seattle ($870 vs. $599), 40% more in Hartford ($1299 vs. $926), 33% more in Oakland ($922 vs. $693), 23% more in Louisville ($2200 vs. $1791), 21% more in Chicago ($1013 vs. $840), and 20% more in Baltimore ($1971 vs. $1647).

The report also shows that some companies—including State Farm, Allstate, USAA, and Travelers—don’t use education or work status in their premium calculations at all. Of course, you may not be able to just ask your insurance company if they’re charging you extra because you don’t have a degree, but if you’re in one of these positions, be sure to shop around more to make extra sure you get the best deal possible. Consumer Federation of America Report (PDF) | via Life Hacker

As an independent insurance agent, we can shop your car insurance rates with many different carriers. Call us today for a El Paso car insurance quote at 888-726-3380.