Dumb Question: New PA License + Insurance (Pittsburgh, Erie: car insurance, credit rating, loan)

[sprfrkr]

I moved to PA and will be getting a PA driver's license shortly. I will also be getting new car insurance with an entirely new insurance company. My question is, will I be marked as somehow being a new driver (35 y.o.) because I just got my PA license and therefore pay significantly higher rates?

[teachbeach]

No, you shouldn't. You might want to ask your present or former insurer to recommend someone or a policy for you. Many are able to write in other states if there is an office that carries that provider (Allstate, AAA, State Farm etc.). They would just transfer the information to a new policy at your new address, with PA registration.

[toobusytoday]

I agree with teachbeach. If you were satisfied with your old insurance company and the PA branch is convenient for you, you will probably get a better rate. We've had state farm through several moves in 5 different states and get some sort of long time policy owner discount. Of course, checking the prices at different places would probably be smart too.

[North Beach Person]

I agree with the folks who said to check out your current insurer first. This isn't exactly germane to your situation but when I moved from PA to MD in the early 80s I had to look hard to find an office for my insurance company (Erie). Found one and kept it.

[Honest Bob]

Part of the cost of a insurance policy is determined by your credit rating.
A lower number credit rating such as poor - defaulted on a loan, declaired bankruptcy etc will cost you more in the long run when it comes time to get a auto insurance policy - along with the number of moving violations and the number of accidents you have been in - in the last 10 years.

Don't let them kid you - where people say they only go back 3 or 4 years.
The insurance companies keeps records of everything for much longer then that.

The zone that you live in also determines the cost of the policy.
Pittsburgh might be cheaper then Erie and Erie might be cheaper then central PA.
It all has to do with the weather and the amount of collision damage they have to pay out for such things as deer damage, weather etc.

Two rules I learned when I was a kid - one was to never buy a policy from a company that had either STATE or FARM in it's name.
Those companies tends to have a cheap rate as long as you don't cost them anything.
Those companies also tends to drop people faster when there is a problem and you become a liability to them.

Traditionally Erie had the lowest rates in my area.
But they also have a black list and once you get on their black list - you might end up being on high risk for many years - for other companies - when they realize that you are not the most desirable person to insure.

I have only been in two minor auto accidents - fender benders in the past 18 years, yet because I have been the victim in two major automobile accidents in the past 13 years - I will be on high risk the rest of my life. 1 moving violation in the past 10 years.....

So anyone that tells you that a insurance company only goes back 4 years is lying to you.