Does Paying Car Insurance Build Credit?

Car insurance companies typically do not report your premium payments to the credit bureaus, so your policy won’t appear on your credit reports. However, you can get credit for on-time auto insurance payments on your Experian credit report by adding your insurance bills to Experian Boost®.

Experian Boost is a free feature that allows you to add certain monthly bills, including eligible utility, internet, streaming, rent, insurance, and other payments, to your Experian credit file. Adding these on-time payments could help improve your FICO® Score based on your Experian credit report.

Does Not Paying Car Insurance Affect Your Credit?

Just as on-time payments don’t get reported to the credit bureaus, the same is true for not paying your policy premium. However, an insurance agency may send an unpaid premium to collections if it fails to collect payment on its own. At that point, the collection agency can report the debt to the credit bureaus, ultimately hurting your credit score.

What Happens if You Don’t Pay Your Insurance Bill?

If you miss an auto insurance payment, insurers typically offer a grace period before canceling your policy. Depending on the insurer and your state of residence, this period can be as long as 30 days. Your insurance company will notify you 10 to 20 days by mail or email before canceling your policy.

If you can’t pay and don’t cancel the policy on your own, the policy will lapse, resulting in several potential consequences, including:

• Loss of Protection: You won’t have any financial protection in the event of an accident or vehicle damage.
• Legal Violations: State laws require a minimum amount of liability coverage. Failure to meet this requirement could result in fines and a suspension of your driver’s license.
• Difficulty in Getting New Coverage: Going a single day without car insurance can result in higher rates on a new policy.
• Vehicle Repossession: If you have an outstanding auto loan or lease, your lender likely requires collision and comprehensive coverage. Failure to maintain this coverage could lead to repossession.

Does Canceling Car Insurance Affect Your Credit?

As long as you don’t have any unpaid premiums that could be sent to collections, canceling your auto insurance policy won’t impact your credit score. However, you may face other consequences if you don’t replace the canceled policy with a new one. Even if you’re selling your car with no plans to buy a new one, it’s recommended that you obtain non-owner car insurance to avoid potential rate increases in the future due to not having continuous coverage.

Does Your Credit Affect Your Insurance Rates?

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 95% of auto insurance carriers use a credit-based insurance score to calculate premiums in states where the practice is allowed. The score is based on your credit history but isn’t the same as the traditional FICO® Score that lenders use, though it considers many of the same factors.

States that prohibit or limit the practice of using credit information in insurance include California, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Additionally, Utah and Oregon have prohibited using credit histories for setting rates in certain situations.

Even in states where there aren’t such limitations, insurance companies typically can’t use a credit-based insurance score as the sole basis for increasing rates or for denying, canceling, or refusing to renew a policy. So, while a low credit score alone may not be enough to cause a premium hike, it can have that effect if there are other factors at play.

The Bottom Line

While auto insurance companies don’t report on-time payments to the credit bureaus, you could get credit for your premiums with Experian Boost. If you’ve missed an auto insurance premium, it’s important to pay the bill as quickly as possible or reach out to your insurer to avoid having the bill sent to collections.

At the same time, it’s important to build and maintain a good credit history to take advantage of lower rates on your auto insurance. Check your credit score and review your credit report to evaluate your credit health and determine whether you can make improvements.