How much you pay for your auto insurance depends on a lot of factors. If you thought just getting state minimum auto insurance would be enough, think again. When you ask for a quote for auto insurance there are a lot of factors that come into play. The insurance provider will require a lot of information from you to be able to determine the amount of coverage that you will need.

What affects the cost of auto insurance depends a lot on your lifestyle, the kind of car you use, the distance you drive for, your driving records and the like. Let us consider one factor at a time.

• Age: If you are over 25 years of age then you are at lesser risk of getting involved in an accident. This means that you will be considered as a responsible driver and this might make your insurance rate drop. Drivers usually between the age of 50 and 65 are considered safe drivers.

• Gender: Statistics have proved that women have better driving records than men. Women are keen observers and careful while driving and more alert too. However, with increase in the number of women drivers, there has also been an increase in the number of accidents they get involved in. Hence the driving records also play an important factor in auto insurance quote.

• Marital status: Being married automatically makes one cautious of the way he is driving. This also automatically influences the auto insurance quote.

• The kind of car: The more expensive car you drive the more premium you have to pay.

• Where you drive: Urban drivers end up paying more than rural drivers. This difference is due to the higher rate of theft, accidents and vandalism in the urban areas.

• How much is driven: If you drive your car for long distances and use it for business purposes you may have to cough up a big price as premium.

• Credit history: There are many insurance companies who take credit history into consideration when determining your auto insurance quote.

If you are planning to buy a car keep in mind the factors about what affects the cost of auto insurance. Your choice of car is a big factor that affects the quotation your insurance company will give you. Don’t forget to ask about discounts though and if you have been a good student or are insuring more than one vehicle. You may be lucky to get a good discount. However, all of these factors are subject to the auto insurance laws as directed by different states.