Does car insurance go down when you turn 25

Q: At what age is car insurance cheapest?

Age 25 is when youll see the biggest drop in car insurance rates. Car insurance tends to cost more for male drivers, but both male and female drivers will see their rates go down when they turn 25.

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Do your car insurance rates really fall when you turn 25?

My husband and I are both turning 25 soon. I've always heard that when you turn 25, your rates are lower. Is this always true, or is it dependent on other factors?

“While your car insurance rates can start to fall when you turn 25, there are other factors that impact your rate more. The length of time you’ve been licensed and whether you have a clean driving record tend to impact your rate more than just your age alone.

If you have accidents and tickets on your record, your rate isn’t guaranteed to drop at 25. However, if you have a clean record, have been driving since the age of 16, and have had insurance continuously, you may see a drop in your rate.

Should you turn 25 and not notice a rate change with your current insurance company, it may be worthwhile to do some comparison shopping with other carriers. Gathering car insurance quotes online is a great way to see if you can score a lower rate. “

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In the world of car insurance, there are a ton of factors that auto insurance companies use to judge the risk of insuring a given driver and their vehicle. This can be something as basic as your age or something more specific like your car’s make and model depending on the insurers.

As such, everyone’s car insurance premium rates or what they pay on a monthly basis are different, and the averages on which they are based are very loose.

The older and more experienced a driver gets, the more their premium rates will decrease is the standard practice.

The question a lot of people have is at what age do we begin to see those car insurance premium decreases?

The short answer is around the age of 25. But why the quarter-century mark? This post explores everything related to the correlation between auto insurance rates and drivers 25 or older.

What Factors Typically Determine Auto Insurance Premium Rates?

The keyword here is “risk.” Several personal and auto factors tie into your overall risk, which a car insurance company will use to set your vehicle insurance premium rates. This could mean the chances of you filing a claim are higher according to car insurers.

Car Insurance companies will determine your risk based on:

Driving record - First and foremost, how is your driving? If your record shows more markups due to collisions, that tells the car insurance company that you are more likely to file a claim while holding a policy with them. Cleaner records are proven to result in lower premiums. At the same time, teenagers and new drivers who have just received their license may not have a driving record yet. This leaves auto insurance companies with no other option but to assume that their risk is higher than the average driver.
Place of residence - Something as simple as your zip code can tell car insurance companies a lot. If you live in an area with a significant crime rate, this can increase your odds of filing an auto claim for theft or vandalism according to most insurers. That in itself can require additional car insurance coverage like comprehensive insurance.
Car make and model - The car you drive is major in determining how much you will be paying for auto insurance. A sports car will naturally cost more to insure than a sedan. Costs of repairs and mechanical parts are taken into consideration by insurers, along with the safety feature rating. Ask yourself how much you spent on your car and how safe it is; those may be key in determining your auto insurance premium rates.
Sex - While some states don’t base their auto insurance premium rates on sex or gender, the majority of them do. There are statistics that support this practice -women have been found to get in fewer accidents than men. Because of this, women typically pay lower auto insurance premiums with most insurers. This is the most personal factor auto insurers use to set premiums. To do so with race or religion would be illegal.
Age - As the highlight of this post, age is a significant factor in determining auto insurance premium rates. Age often signifies a driver’s experience. These drivers, age 25 and younger, are drivers with the highest car insurance premiums out of anyone. This piece focuses on how much car insurance premium rates will drop by the time the driver turns 25. The results may surprise you.
Credit - You have a credit score for your car insurance premium which is based on how likely you are to file a claim. Note that this is not the same credit score that reflects delinquency or with a card company. However, some states do look at traditional credit card scores, so it helps to always pay your bills on time as you do with your auto insurance premiums.

Why Are Car Insurance Premiums so High For Teenagers and Drivers Under 25?

It’s typical that when a teen prepares for their driving certification test, their parents prepare for a hike in auto insurance premium rates.

As previously stated, teenagers and new drivers are subject to the highest auto rates due to their lack of driving history or record. This can even apply to drivers over 25 who never took their driving test and got their license. Even so, a new older driver will still have slightly lower rates than new younger drivers, especially those under 25, according to most car insurers.

This is also based on statistics and facts. The Insurance Information Institute did a study in 2018 that found that drivers aged 16-20 died in more traffic fatalities than any other age group. This is largely due to inexperience, alcohol consumption, unworn seatbelts, speeding, and texting while driving. During the same year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 2,121 fatalities related to teen drivers.

How Much Does Car Insurance Cost For Teens and Those Under 25?

The average cost for auto insurance premiums varies across the board. It depends on the state and how much coverage the policyholder buys.

For the sake of simplicity, we’ll talk about car insurance basic coverage, which nearly every state requires its drivers to carry. The average annual premium rate for car insurance is anywhere from $1,300 to $1,800. That is around $144-$138 a month. This assumes that the driver has been licensed for a considerable amount of time and has a tangible driving record with little to no markups at the time of the insurance review.

Now, let’s look at the numbers associated with teen drivers. Let’s say that an 18-year-old driver is insured with auto insurance basic coverage. The monthly premium rate for a driver that young would be around $598 for an annual premium of $7,179. Already, you can see how this age group is considered to be the most expensive to insure according to insurers.

At age 19, the young driver will then see a car insurance annual premium of $6,021 -given that they practice safe driving and file no claims within that year. At 20, the auto insurance premium decreases by 11% to about $5,333. If no claims are filed, or accidents are reported, then by the age of 25, the driver will have their car insurance annual premium set to $3,207 after the insurance review. This is the average rate for drivers 25 and older.

Do Teenagers and Drivers Under 25 Have Basic or Full Car Insurance?

Firstly, basic car insurance coverage refers to having only the liability coverage your state requires. 48 out of 50 states have their own car insurance coverage limits for how much their drivers should carry. This auto insurance coverage pays for injuries you cause to another driver while out on the road -a pretty legal practice.

Full car insurance refers to the addition of a collision and comprehensive policy. Collision covers damage to your own car while comprehensive does the same, but only when the car isn’t being used.

In the case of an average car driver, full car insurance costs up to $200 a month or a $2,399 annual premium -at least $700 more than a standard car insurance coverage with most insurers. From that alone, you may have an idea of how expensive it can be for teens and new drivers under 25. Because of this, many teenagers and new drivers hold off full coverage until they have a couple more years of driving experience.

How Does Car Insurance For Young Males And Females 25 And Under Differ by Year?

As previously mentioned, women pay less for car insurance than men because they are seen as less risky to insure by most insurers. This is backed up by statistics wherein men are more likely to get involved in an auto collision. Now that we’ve seen the difference in car insurance premium rates an average driver would pay in comparison to a teenager and a new driver under 25, let’s talk about how those teens and drivers under 25 compare to each other based on sex.

Let’s take a look at the different younger age groups and see how the two sexes measure up in terms of auto insurance premium rates:

18-years-old - The average car insurance premium rate for men of 18 years is $7,561, while women see rates of $6,797 annually.
19-years-old - The average annual rate for 19-year-old men is $6,021, while women see annual rates of around $5,661.
20-years-old - The annual rate found among 20-year-old men is $5,590, while women have rates around $5,079.
21-years-old - By the time they turn the drinking age, men can pay annual auto insurance premium rates up to $4,980 while women pay up to $4,121.
22-years-old - Men of 22 years pay an annual rate of up to $4,243 for their car insurance, while women pay around $3,923
23-years-old - The annual rate for 23-year-old men is $3,965, while 23-year-old women have a premium of $3,716.
24-years-old - The yearly premium for 24-year-old men is $3,702, with women of the same age having a rate of $3,493.
25-years-old - By the age of 25, both male and female-orientated rates are closer in value, with men paying $3,247 and women paying $3,167.

So Car Insurance Goes Down at 25, but How Much Exactly Will Auto Insurance Premium Drop?

By now, you’ve seen that if all goes right and safe driving is practiced, a driver turning 25 can see their car insurance premium rates decrease by nearly $5,000 over the years with most insurers. Within three years, auto insurance premium rates can decrease as much as $700 dollars.

At the same time, you’ve probably noticed how the larger car insurance premium decreases when the driver is younger. Around the time they turn 21, the auto insurance premium rates do continue to decrease but in smaller amounts.

An example would be the 17% decrease from $5,333 to $4,453 when a driver turns 21 in comparison to the 7% decrease from $4,128 to $3,840 when a driver turns 23.

What Are Reasons Why Car Insurance Premiums Don’t Change or Increase?

There are also a number of reasons why your car insurance premiums don’t decrease by the time you turn 25. For the most part, a lot of the reasons are the opposite of the previously mentioned reasons for a rate decrease.

Reasons why your auto insurance premium rates don’t decrease:

Driver experience - Naturally, if you received your driver’s license at the age of 18 instead of 16, your auto insurance premium rates as a 25-year-old won’t be as low as someone who got certified at 16.
Driving history - If you received something as minor as a traffic ticket or something as major as a collision claim, there is more than likely going to be a markup on your driving history. When your car insurance company sees them, they may increase your auto insurance rates.
Credit history - A low credit score or delinquent payments can be noted by your car insurance company if the state allows it. Falling behind on your bills can result in auto insurance premium rates increasing or remaining the same with most insurers.
Location - Your zip code and location not only determine your car insurance premium rates but can also set your rates seriously high due to local criminal activity. While your car insurance premium rates may decrease, they may not be by much.

What Can You do to Decrease Your Auto Insurance Premium?

The best part of any guide is the tips and tricks, and this is the time when they are offered. Perhaps you want to know about some other ways to decrease your auto insurance premium rates that aren’t the passage of time.

Here are some ways to save on auto insurance premium rates for teenagers, young or new drivers with most insurers:

Purchase basic coverage - In other words, don’t spend too much money on car insurance policy add-ons. You should only buy comprehensive and collision car insurance if your vehicle has a high value; otherwise, it won’t be worth it.
Have your name on another’s car insurance policy - The question is who’s car insurance policy would that be? Typically, teenagers and young drivers are listed on their parents’ vehicle insurance policy which is much cheaper than opening their own auto insurance policy. Another way it can go is that younger spouses share a car insurance policy.
Good driver or student discounts - There are a few car insurance companies where teens or young drivers can earn discounts based on their safe driving habits and education. The way to find these auto insurance companies is to shop around and ask about their safe driver discounts.
Shop around for auto insurance deals - Relating to the previous tip about discounts, the best way to find car insurance deals is to shop around local and national names for the lowest auto insurance premium rates for new drivers under 25. You’ll find that a big car insurance company like Allstate charges $5,074 for a teen or a new driver, while smaller car insurance companies offer auto insurance premiums as low as $3,542.
Being accident-free - The best way to get a good driver discount is to steer clear of accidents. That is the most direct evidence of safe driving that compels car insurance companies to provide incentives.
Installing a telematics system - Having a telematics system installed on your vehicle allows your car insurance company to track your driving habits, which can directly lead to a decrease in car insurance premium rates.
Taking a defensive driving course - Car insurance premium rates can be reduced by up to 20% if the driver attends a defensive driving course. This may uniquely apply to drivers under 25 or senior citizens. A defensive course certificate shows your auto insurance company that you are actively trying to become a safer driver.
Drive infrequently - The more anyone drives, than more likely they are to get into an accident and thus riskier to insure one’s car. Drivers who don’t put too many miles on their vehicles receive lower car insurance premium rates for their infrequent driving with most insurers. If you don’t drive regularly, then pay-per-mile insurance will be more cost-effective than a standard auto insurance policy.
Bundle insurance coverage - Purchasing homeowners’ or renters’ insurance along with your auto insurance from the same insurance company can lead to them providing bundling discounts on your insurance premiums up to 25%.
E-payments - Electronic payment processing through a car insurance company’s app can lead to efficiency and discounts up to 10%.
Safety measures - Another factor that plays into determining auto insurance premium rates is the safety features of a vehicle. Car insurance companies regularly give discounts based on how many safety features like auto brakes a car has.

Where Should You go For The Best Auto Insurance Premiums For Teens and Drivers Under 25?

Nine major auto insurance companies have been named the best for teenagers and new drivers under 25 -Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Metromile, Esurance, Travelers, USAA, State Farm, and Geico. But sometimes, the best car insurance premium rates come from the smaller, localized names. Referring to the previous section, shop around for teenagers and new driver car insurance premiums. Auto insurance requires some comparing and contrasting as car insurance companies everywhere price their car insurance policies differently.

Shopping for better Car Insurance Premiums? Insurance Navy got what you need!

Insurance Navy provides excellent rates and coverage for all drivers. Get free car insurance quotes online or visit one of our convenient locations nationwide.

About the Author
Sam Rakestraw is a senior insurance analyst and content writer for Insurance Navy. His articles are all written with a deep familiarity and knowledge of all aspects of the insurance industry. Sam is also a freelance journalist for publications such as Off-Kilter Media, where he has a reputation for interviewing up-and-coming local musicians. Sam has a BA in Journalism from High Point University.

At what age is car insurance cheapest?

Age 25 is when you'll see the biggest drop in car insurance rates. Car insurance tends to cost more for male drivers, but both male and female drivers will see their rates go down when they turn 25.

Why is insurance cheaper at 25?

Why Car Insurance Can Get Cheaper at 25. Drivers under the age of 25 are statistically more likely to cause an accident and file an insurance claim, so insurance companies mitigate this risk by charging higher premiums.

Does car insurance go up at 26?

Once young drivers gain more experience and hit age 25, their car insurance costs drop about 33%. Costs continue to generally decline with each birthday. Once drivers reach age 50, they'll see their best rates. Around age 60, however, auto insurance costs begin to increase and compare to what drivers see in their 40s.

Do insurance rates go down at 26?

Drivers see their car insurance premiums start to go down around age 20, with a big drop coming around age 25. Rates tend to level out for decades beginning around age 35. Once you're past 65 years old, however, age tends to affect driving capability.