| You probably grew up hearing that painting your | | | | check for whatever the Blue Book says it's |
| car red was going to be the death knell when you | | | | worth. They want to make sure they're getting |
| went shopping for auto insurance quotes. Because | | | | their money out of you first! |
| of that, you stuck to sedate greens, blues and | | | | If you can save them money, they'll save you |
| grays and drowned your envy when a cherry red | | | | money. On the other hand, if you're more likely to |
| convertible went flying down the road by | | | | have to file an insurance claim at some point |
| reminding yourself how much more they were | | | | before your car gives up the ghost (or you trade |
| paying for insurance than you were. | | | | it in for a younger, prettier model-whichever |
| Guess what? You could have had that tomato | | | | comes first) they're going to send the rates on |
| red paint job after all. The color of your car | | | | your auto insurance quotes flying through the |
| doesn't even come into play when companies are | | | | roof. Believe it or not, there actually is |
| calculating your insurance rates. | | | | somebody-in fact, there's a lot of |
| Of course, just because that cherry red | | | | somebodies-who sits around studying accident |
| convertible's paint job didn't affect its insurance | | | | data and compiling a list of the make and model |
| doesn't mean they weren't cutting fatter checks | | | | of every car in the country involved in an |
| to their insurance company each month than you | | | | accident, vandalized or stolen each year. |
| were. It just means they were doing it for a | | | | Certain cars show up over and over again. For |
| different reason. | | | | example, for five years running the Cadillac |
| Believe it or not, your car's make, model and | | | | Escalade has been the single most stolen car in |
| birthday have more to do with the price of your | | | | America. That means insurance companies are |
| insurance than a simple paint job ever will. | | | | paying out more theft-related claims for the |
| Insurance companies only have two things in mind | | | | Cadillac Escalade than for any other model. |
| when requests for auto insurance quotes show | | | | They're getting that back by raising the price on |
| up in the mail: Replacement cost and relative risk. | | | | their auto insurance quotes for anyone who |
| Let's start with the first. Unless you're sixteen and | | | | wants to insure one of these sleek SUVs. |
| buying your first car you already know that some | | | | Turns out the "untouchable" Cadillac Escalade isn't |
| cars cost more than others. That Saturn in the | | | | so untouchable after all. |
| corner only has a sticker price of $12,000, while | | | | The make and model of your car are either going |
| the Jaguar in the front lot is selling for $60,000 | | | | to help you or hurt you when the time comes to |
| (and up). If you buy the car and total it, the | | | | go shopping for auto insurance quotes. Which one |
| insurance company is going to have to cut you a | | | | it happens to be is entirely up to you. |