Life Insurance Credit Score Affects Your Premiums

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Your life insurance credit score plays a significant role in determining your premiums. This is because insurance companies use credit scores to assess your financial responsibility.

A good credit score can lead to lower premiums, while a poor credit score may result in higher premiums. For example, a credit score of 700 or higher can qualify you for lower premiums.

Insurance companies view people with good credit scores as lower-risk applicants. This is because they are more likely to pay their premiums on time and make timely claims.

On a similar theme: Understanding Credit Scores

How Life Insurance Companies Use Credit Scores

Life insurance companies use credit scores to predict the risk of doing business with you. They consider factors like outstanding debts, credit history, and late payment histories to determine your credit score.

Your credit score can range from 300 to 850, with higher numbers indicating a better credit score. A good credit score means you're likely a lower financial risk customer.

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Credit scores are used to assess the risk of taking you on as a policyholder. This is because credit scores tend to correlate with financial responsibility.

Here's how FICO defines different credit score ranges:

  • 800 — 850: Exceptional
  • 740 — 799: Very Good
  • 670 — 739: Good
  • 580 — 669: Fair
  • 300 — 579: Very Poor 

A good credit score can save you money on life insurance premiums. It's worth checking your credit score to see where you stand and making any necessary improvements.

Understanding Credit Score Factors

Your credit-based insurance score is made up of five key factors, and understanding these can help you make informed decisions about your financial situation.

Payment history accounts for 40% of your credit-based insurance score, and it looks at how well you've made payments on your outstanding debt in the past. This includes both the timeliness and accuracy of your payments.

Outstanding debt makes up 30% of your credit-based insurance score, and it considers how much total debt you currently hold.

Credit history length is worth 15% of your credit-based insurance score, and it looks at the length of time you've held a line of credit.

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Pursuit of new credit accounts for 10% of your credit-based insurance score, and it factors in if you've recently applied for lines of credit.

Credit mix is worth 5% of your credit-based insurance score, and it considers all the different types of credit you have, such as auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages.

Here's a breakdown of the five factors that make up your credit-based insurance score:

Data Collection and Verification

Life insurance companies collect and verify data to predict the risk of doing business with you. This is done through credit scores, which range between 300 to 850.

A good credit score means you're likely a lower financial risk customer, while a bad credit score means you could be a higher-financial risk customer. Credit scores tend to correlate with financial responsibility.

Here's a breakdown of FICO credit scores, which are widely used in the industry:

  • 800 — 850: Exceptional
  • 740 — 799: Very Good
  • 670 — 739: Good
  • 580 — 669: Fair
  • 300 — 579: Very Poor

Data Collection by Companies

Companies collect data on us for various reasons, and one of those reasons is to assess financial risk.

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This is especially true for life insurance companies, which use credit scores to predict the likelihood of you making payments on your policy. Credit scores range between 300 to 850, with higher numbers indicating a lower financial risk.

A good credit score can mean you're considered a lower financial risk customer, while a bad credit score can indicate a higher financial risk. The FICO standard breaks down credit scores into five categories: Exceptional (800-850), Very Good (740-799), Good (670-739), Fair (580-669), and Very Poor (300-579).

Life insurance companies don't use personal information to determine your credit score, which is a relief. Here's a list of what they can't use:

  • Race, color, national origin
  • Religion
  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Age
  • Income, occupation or employment history
  • Location of residence
  • Any interest rate being charged
  • Child/family support obligations or rental agreements
  • Certain types of inquiries on your credit report
  • Whether a consumer is participating in credit counseling

Besides Reports, Something Else Is Important

Besides credit reports, something else is important: your credit score. It's a single number that summarizes your entire credit history into an overall rating.

A credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, such as how likely you are to pay a loan back on time, based on information from your credit reports. This number ranges from 300 to 850.

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The major credit bureaus use different models to analyze your credit history data and then calculate a personal score, so your credit score will likely vary somewhat between the three bureaus.

Insurance companies use your credit score, along with other factors, to help underwrite and price policies, typically for personal lines such as homeowners and personal automobile insurance. They want to know how well you manage your money.

Shopping for Life Insurance

Shopping for life insurance can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure where to start. Insurers consider multiple factors, including your age, gender, medical history, family health history, and smoking status.

Your age plays a significant role in determining life insurance rates, with older age often leading to higher premiums. A poor credit score is just one of the many factors taken into consideration with a life insurance application.

You can apply for affordable term life coverage in as little as 5 minutes with companies like Bestow.

Shopping Essentials

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Shopping for life insurance can be a daunting task, but understanding the basics can make it more manageable.

Your credit history and score are just one of the factors taken into consideration with a life insurance application.

Insurers consider multiple factors when determining life insurance rates, including your age, gender, medical history, family health history, and smoking status.

Older age, poor health, and smoking can lead to a higher premium.

You can apply for affordable term life coverage in as little as 5 minutes with companies like Bestow.

Even if your credit is less than stellar, you might be surprised at just how budget-friendly your rates can be.

Getting a free quote in seconds can give you a better idea of the cost of term life insurance.

Are the Same?

Insurance scores and credit scores are not the same thing. A credit score is based on your ability to repay borrowed amounts, but an insurance score predicts your likelihood of being involved in a future accident or insurance claim.

Insurance scores don't consider your income or job history, unlike credit scores. This means your insurance score won't affect your ability to get a life insurance policy.

Key Concepts and Differences

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A credit-based insurance score is a three-digit number based on information from your credit reports, sourced from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It's not the same as your regular credit score, which lenders use to predict your likelihood of repaying a creditor.

Lenders rely on credit scores to predict whether you'll become at least 90 days late on a payment within the next 24 months.

A credit-based insurance score is made up of five factors: payment history (40%), outstanding debt (30%), credit history length (15%), pursuit of new credit (10%), and credit mix (5%).

Here's a breakdown of the five factors that make up a credit-based insurance score:

The type of credit pull life insurance companies use is called a "soft pull", and it doesn't affect your credit score.

Eric Hintz

Lead Assigning Editor

Eric Hintz is a seasoned Assigning Editor with a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling. With a background in journalism, Eric has honed his skills in selecting and assigning compelling articles that captivate readers. As a seasoned editor, Eric has a proven track record of identifying emerging trends and topics, including the inner workings of major financial institutions, such as "Banking Headquarters".

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