Insurance Cost Average

How much is car insurance going to cost you? It’s not an easy question to answer. The quote you receive could be painfully high or comfortably low based on a number of different factors. But for what it’s worth, the average amount spent to insure a car in the U.S. was $815 a year in 2012, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

However, as anyone who pays much less — or more — than $815 a year can tell you, there are a lot of variables that affect your car insurance rates.

Some factors, including where you live and what kind of car you drive, can be tough to change. Others, such as your driving habits and the level of coverage you choose, are a bit easier to tweak. I’ll break down these factors and discuss what (if anything) you can do to save a dime on your car insurance.