Louisiana Drivers With Bad Credit Pay Thousands More for Insurance

LOUISIANA - If your credit score has taken a hit, you may already be paying more for loans and credit cards. But here's one you may not expect: your car insurance bill.

READ MORE: State Farm is Sending $136 Million Back to Louisiana Auto Insurance Customers

According to a new analysis from LendingTree, drivers with poor credit pay a whopping 68.2% more for full coverage auto insurance than those with good credit. We're talking about an extra $1,553 a year, or more than $4,660 over just three years.

Where Credit Matters Most for Auto Insurance

Where you live plays a big role too. Some states actually limit or ban insurers from using credit scores to set rates, which means your ZIP code could make a huge difference in what you pay at renewal time.

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And, if you guessed that Louisiana drivers don't fare particularly well, you'd be right. The LendingTree research shows that drivers with poor credit in Louisiana pay significantly more for full coverage auto insurance than drivers with good credit.

How Much More Does Bad Credit Cost Louisiana Drivers?

Here are some of the findings regarding Louisiana drivers:

• Louisiana drivers with poor credit pay $2,666.50 more per year in annual auto insurance premiums compared to those with good credit. That's the fourth-largest dollar difference in the country and comes out to nearly $8,000 more over three years.
• Drivers with poor credit in Louisiana pay 66.6% more for annual full coverage auto insurance than drivers with good credit, the 30th-highest increase in the nation.

Why Does Credit Affect Car Insurance Rates?

"Insurance is offered and regulated at the state level. All the factors that insurance companies look at to set rates, including credit, vary by state. These differences suggest that bad credit drivers have more costly claims in some states than they do in others," said LendingTree's auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt.

How Drivers With Poor Credit Can Save Money

To view the complete LendingTree report, including ways drivers with poor credit can lower auto insurance rates, visit www.lendingtree.com/insurance/poor-credit-premiums-study/.