Premium Changes You Could See in 2012

The initial 2012 forecast for premium changes in the insurance industry is for premium increases and changes to discounts.

Depending on your state and insurance company your new premium changes may leave you happy or sad.

The world may or may not end this year (I personally am leaning to the may not). Which will really be funny because then the next generation of humans that are still babies right now, are going to have a lot of questions about the movie 2012. One thing that you can be sure about in 2012 though, is that a lot of people are going to be seeing premium changes to their car insurance policies.

These premium changes are going to come in the form the insurance companies increasing premiums for coverage. There are also going to be changes to the discounts that are given on some insurance policies.

Premium Changes from Premium Increases

It seems like it happens every time you open the renewal for your car insurance, there are premium changes. Usually not in your benefit either, because it is an increase in premium more often than a decrease. You haven’t had any accidents or made any changes to your policy, so why did you premium increase?

There are two reasons behind your premium increases. One, insurance companies lost money over the last year due to an increase in claims being paid. This last year, 2011, was a bad year for hurricanes, winter weather and especially tornadoes. Most of the news coverage for these disasters focused on the damages to the homes in the areas that were affected, but there were cars destroyed as well.

Two, insurance companies want to make more money. Simply put, insurance is a business. These companies did not begin because someone wanted to be benevolent and help people; they wanted to make money. Every now and then, they feel that they are not making enough money, and you are the one that gets pay more because they want more.

Premium Changes from Discount Changes

Every year different states tackle new insurance laws that will create premium changes for the residents in their state. For 2012, it is no different. States like California are currently working on passing legislation that will provide a longevity discount for drivers that insure their vehicle continuously for 5 years or longer.

Massachusetts is trying to end insurance companies being able to use your credit score as a factor when determining your premium. While this act is not an actual discount, it could potentially decrease the premium of people who have bad credit if it does pass. South Carolina has their hands full in trying to make insurance companies offer equal discounts across all age groups in that state.

When Could I Expect to See Any Premium Changes?

If you will be seeing an increase in your premium or any new discounts in your state for your insurance, it will show up on the declarations page for your next renewal. Insurance companies are not allowed to increase your premium in the middle of a term, unless you make changes to your policy.

If you do see a sudden spike in your insurance before your renewal, you need to contact your insurance company or agency and demand to know why there were premium changes.