Buying auto insurance is like driving blindfolded. If you send your data to a dozen of insurers, you can end up with a dozen different quotes, some twice as expensive as others. Let's see how to save money on car insurance and everything else what you need to know about your car insurance.

Insurer's base premiums on many factors, including age, driving history, and type of car. But when Consumer Reports looked at more than $ 2.7 billion in bonuses, most of the US auto insurance market, we also identified some factors you might not even know, such as credit history and education, that have nothing to do with it. See how you drive. We also learned that because each insurer has its own pricing formula, penalizing or rewarding factors differently, consumers can save money by comparing prices.

Do you know how to lower your auto insurance rate without sacrificing service or coverage in the process?

It ran for Donna Greene of Greenburgh, New York, Geico's client for over 20 years. She saved $ 793 in auto coverage and $ 390 in home insurance by moving to Amica, a Rhode Island-based insurer. " Do not assume that being a good customer for years, you're going to have some benefit," he says. "Insurers take advantage of your inertia."

In the following pages, we explain how the events of your life can affect rates and how to use that information to save.

What causes your car insurance to go up or down

A bad credit rating makes prices soar

A couple of two vehicles with poor credit will pay an additional $ 2090, on average, compared to a family with excellent credit. That's more than it usually costs to add a teen driver or even two penalties for driving intoxicated.

CR Board: Compare prices.
For example, an Illinois driver with poor credit could save around $ 1700 using a rural rather than an urban insurer. Also, improve your credit by paying credit card bills on time and by monitoring your records to avoid errors and fraud. To get free copies of your credit reports, visit annualcreditreport.com. (California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts prohibit insurers from using credit ratings when setting rates).

Is not the accident your fault? It will still cost you money

A family with two cars with a single guilt-free accident over a three-year period typically pays around $ 270 more per year. And if you are responsible, the penalty can be more than double.

Tip of CR: Comparing before you buy can generate significant savings. In Pennsylvania, a driver with an accident with guilt with Allstate can save more than $ 1,050 by signing up with Erie Insurance Group, Nationwide or State Farm. In New York, a driver with a traffic violation can save around $ 800 with Progressive, compared to Liberty Mutual.

Events that can modify auto insurance rates, for better or worse

This chart shows the average annual rates of insurance during the lifetime of a single driver in the United States. In general, the 20's pay more because of their lack of experience, while those over 60 pay more for a greater risk of small accidents. But the different events in your life can turn into savings or sanctions. This is what you can do to take advantage of the former and avoid the latter.

25 years old: Get that diploma

Twenty-year drivers are penalized for lack of driving experience.

CR Council:  Telling your insurer about your education can help a little. College graduates, on average, save about $ 90 per year compared to those who never finished high school. Not much, maybe, but over time you can add up. Even advanced degrees helpless: about $ 20 for a doctorate and $ 15 for mastery.

30 years old: Getting married

Insurers now consider you experienced, so premiums start to decline, making it a good time to buy. And getting married can help, too. Two people in their 30s who get married and combine policies can save an average of about $ 525 per year compared to what they would pay as bachelors.

CR Board: This benefit is higher in some states and with some insurers. In Texas, for example, getting married amounts to about $ 780, on average, with Geico but only $ 360 with State Farm.

35 years old: Having a baby on board
Changing a Honda Civic EX for a Honda Odyssey EX minivan can really help you save: an average of about $ 240 per year for a couple of two teenage cars. In some states, the differences may be even greater. In Florida, that family would save about $ 375, on average.

CR Board: Look for additional savings by communicating with other companies. A Florida driver who trades the Civic for an Odyssey could save, on average, $ 600 when signing up with Progressive instead of Allstate, for example.

40 years old: Buying a house
Simply by owning a home, a couple with two cars can save around $ 110.

CR Council: Grouping your car coverage with home insurance can save even more: about $ 240, on average, for a couple of two vehicles. Comparing prices also helps. In California, a driver combining home insurance with car insurance could save about $ 1,900, on average, by signing up with Geico compared to Nationwide.

50 years: Give the vehicle to your children

Adding a teenage boy will cost a married couple about $ 1,740; A teenage woman, about $ 1455.

CR Tip: Compare when you buy can help. In Pennsylvania, enrolling with Erie Insurance Group instead of Progressive can save you, on average, about $ 2,300. But do not intentionally exclude your teen from the policy to save money. Lying to your insurer is fraud, and grounds for being revoked. Instead, take advantage of the good student discount if you can. That saves a family with two cars and a teen driver an average of about $ 350. The good student discount in some states may be even higher: over $ 700 in Delaware, Louisiana, and Rhode Island.

60 years: Getting a Mercedes during the crisis of middle age

Moving from a family car to a sports car or luxury car can make you feel young, but it also costs you: $ 450 for a Mercedes-Benz E350, $ 440 for a Chevrolet Corvette, and $ 250 for a Porsche Boxster, on average.

CR Board: Once you have chosen that luxury car, compare the covers. An Ohio resident who ensures a Mercedes E350, for example, can save an average of about $ 900 with Farmers instead of Allstate.

70 years: Finally, you retire

In the long run, insurers for retirees begin to raise rates after age 60, in some places in particular. In Texas, rates for a single driver increased much more after age 60 with Geico than with State Farm.

CR Board: Enrolling for a senior management class can save a single driver around $ 50, which offsets some of the costs that come with age. Almost everywhere, joining the AARP will not help much. One notable exception: In California, if you register with The Hartford and belong to the AARP, you could save $ 500.

How much will it cost to insure your new car?

We compared each of the cars exhibited with a Camry LE (the Camry was the most popular car in the country in 2016). Some other cars will cost less to insure; Others, more.

LESS COST
Honda Odyssey
Save $ 145

AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM
Toyota Camry LE
About $ 1,200

Auto base
MORE COST
Porsche Boxter
Spends $ 250