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Who hasn’t heard a myth or two when it comes to the rates for car insurance premiums? There is so much information to sort through when it comes to choosing car insurance coverage; it can be difficult to figure out what is fact and what is fiction.

Here is a list of common falsehoods regarding car insurance:

No Accidents – No Insurance Needs

There are some who believe just because they have never had an accident-free past, they do not need to be insured. Quite simply, any responsible driver, regardless of a clean sheet, should be properly insured against the unexpected. Otherwise, in the event of an accident, they can face huge liability issues and astronomical expenses, especially if the accident is their fault. Additionally, in many places, there is a legal requirement to have auto insurance coverage on any vehicle used on the road. Failure to do so and get caught can mean big fines and potential legal trouble.

No Fault Insurance Means: I Didn’t Do It

No-Fault insurance coverage actually means that your insurance policy will cover the cost of damages from any accident, regardless of who was at fault.

Credit Scores Do Not Influence Insurance Rates

Most insurance companies rely on a credit history when it comes to determining premium rates. A good credit history indicates responsibility, whereas a person with poor credit is viewed as a higher risk when it comes to filing claims.

No Comprehensive Insurance, No Problem

Some people will hold only the most basic of insurance requirements to be “legal”. However, without fully comprehensive insurance, the vehicle will not be covered in the event of fire, vandalism, crashes and collisions that are not the fault of another (insured) party.

Car Color Does Not Raise Rates

It is not uncommon for people to have heard this rumor but the reality is the color of your car has not effect on your premium rate. Vehicle factors that do influence your cost are the make, model, and engine size.

Anyone Can Drive Your Car

If you lend your car to a family member or friend not living in your household and they are involved in an accident, your insurance will be responsible for paying, even if you were not there. Many people wrongly assume the insurance company for the person driving the car would be the responsible party for paying damages.

Personal Insurance Works for Business Too

If you use your vehicle for any reason related to work, you need to modify your insurance policy so that it can include work-related coverage. If you own a business and your employees use their own cars for business travel, it would be wise to extend your business insurance by adding a non-owned car policy to protect yourself and your staff.

Under 25 Years Old Pays the Most

While it is true that some male drivers under the age of 25 will pay more than their female counterparts, in general averages both the young and old will pay the highest rates for insurance due to the statistics. Young drivers and senior drivers are most likely to be involved in road traffic incidents.

As the economy continues its rough ride, the fallout from mortgage and credit card late payments and delinquencies has dropped the credit scores of consumers across the country. As credit scores take a higher profile from news reports to conversation at cocktail parties, more consumers are taking interest in their credit reports. The problem with all the information and chatter is that much of it doesn’t accurately reflect what is important regarding credit scores and what is not.
Take this true/false test to see where you stand:

1) You should check your report on occasion whether your are applying for a loan or not

2) Checking your own report can hurt your score

3) Closing a credit card account you are not using can hurt your credit score

4) All credit scores are not the same

5) Paying off outstanding balances is a great way to boost your score immediately

6) A credit score is the same as a credit report

7) Comparing loans can hurt a credit score

Debt relief options hurt more than they help

…and the answers are:

1) True – Reporting errors don’t happen every day but they do happen. Checking your report can save you from being surprised when you apply for a loan or a credit card. You can visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ for a free, no-obligation copy of your report.

2) False – Checking your own reports does not damage your score. Employer and landlord checks will not damage a score either.

3) True – One of the factors in calculating a credit score is the amount of unused but available credit, specifically on credit lines and credit cards. Closing these unused accounts can actually lower your credit by removing available credit from the report.

4) True – Between the three reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) the scores will most likely be similar but not identical as each agency receives and compiles data in different ways.

5) False – Credit scores reflect an extended time frame so the sudden paying off of manageable balances won’t add much immediately. In fact, depleting cash balances to these pay off might hurt the overall review of you as a borrower.

6) False – A credit report is a history of your debts, payments, available balances, and open/closed accounts. The credit score is based on a formula that takes all that information and calculates a number between 300 and 850.

7)  False (and true) – Hard loan inquiries for mortgages that come in over a span of about two weeks will not hurt a credit as agencies accept that loans might shopped generating multiple inquiries. Multiple credit card inquiries can hurt a score.  

False – For consumers in trouble debt relief options can provide viable solutions to insurmountable debt. While these options will temporarily decrease credit scores, credit counseling, debt settlement and bankruptcy each have long term advantages for getting out of debt. Debt settlement is rapidly increasing in popularity due to the immediate reduction, usually around 50%, of monthly principle payments and the reduction in principle owed by 40 to 60%. Additionally, the timeline for getting out of debt is shorter than credit counseling and filing bankruptcy. Credit counseling can help to manage bills, and lower interest rates and monthly payments to creditors when debt issues are still manageable. Bankruptcy, an even more serious alternative, should be considered a last resort and discussed with a bankruptcy attorney.

Credit scores are more important ever. Knowing what affects them and what doesn’t could make a huge difference in whether you get the loan you want or get it at all. Prior to doing anything that might hurt or help your score, be certain that your actions will help your financial picture.

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