Know why the number is the number.
A rate is not a verdict on you. It is the sum of a handful of factors, most of them written down and some of them within your control. Here is how they add up.
Walkthrough
Four steps to reading your own rate.
- 1
Separate the cover from the price
Two quotes are only comparable if they describe the same cover. Line up the limits, the deductibles and the optional extras first — a cheaper quote is often a smaller promise rather than a better deal.
- 2
Find the factors you cannot change
Vehicle, location, how far you drive and how long you have been licensed do most of the work. These are not negotiable in the short term, and knowing that saves effort spent in the wrong place.
- 3
Then find the ones you can
Deductible level, optional cover you no longer need, how the policy is paid, and discounts that go unclaimed because nobody asked. This is the part of the number that actually moves.
- 4
Re-check when something changes
A move, a different car, a change in mileage or a birthday can all shift the calculation. A rate set two years ago was set for circumstances you may no longer be in.
Being straight with you
What this site does not do.
- No promised savingsNobody can tell you in advance what you will pay. Anyone who does is guessing.
- No universal adviceRating rules differ by insurer and by where you live. Treat everything here as a starting point, not a ruling.
- No pressureUnderstanding your rate is useful even if you change nothing at all.
If a step here does not match what you are seeing on your own quote, that is worth knowing about. Tell us and we will look at it.
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