Why did my car insurance go up when I had no claims?

Your premium can increase even without claims due to statewide rate changes, higher vehicle repair costs, increased local claim activity, changes in credit-based insurance scores where permitted, lost discounts, address changes, or updates to your vehicle's risk rating.

Can insurance raise rates without telling me?

Insurance companies generally provide renewal notices that show your new premium before the next policy term begins. Notification requirements vary by state, so it is important to review all renewal documents before your payment due date.

Does credit affect car insurance?

In many states, insurers may use credit-based insurance scores as part of underwriting and rating decisions. Some states restrict or prohibit the use of credit information. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), most auto and homeowners insurers use credit-related data where permitted by law.

Will my rate go down if I stay with the same company?

Possibly, but staying with the same insurer does not guarantee lower premiums. Your rate can change because of company-wide pricing adjustments, claims trends, available discounts, driver information, vehicle factors, and coverage selections.

Is it better to lower coverage to save money?

Reducing coverage can lower your premium, but it may also increase your financial risk after an accident. Before reducing liability limits or vehicle protection coverage, consider reviewing deductible options, available discounts, and alternative ways to reduce costs.

How often should I compare car insurance quotes?

It is generally recommended to compare auto insurance quotes at least once a year. You should also shop for new quotes after major life changes such as moving, adding a driver, purchasing a vehicle, or receiving a significant premium increase at renewal.

Car Insurance for Military Members and Deployment

Reviewed by the AtozInsuranceusa editorial team.

Military members can keep regular car insurance, request a storage discount, reduce certain coverages, or arrange overseas insurance during deployment. The right choice depends on who will drive the car, where you keep it, and whether you have a loan or lease.

If your spouse or another family member will drive, keep the coverage they need. If no one will use the car, ask your insurer about storage terms. Check your state’s registration rules and your lender’s terms before you remove coverage.

Canceling the policy may seem like a quick way to cut bills. Yet it can leave you paying for theft, fire, or storm damage yourself. It may also create a coverage gap that affects future quotes. An approved storage arrangement can offer a more suitable option.

A military discount and a storage discount serve different needs. One rewards eligible service members. The other reflects a car’s lack of use and may restrict driving.

Start with three questions:

Will anyone drive the car while I am away?
What coverage must I keep under state rules and my loan?
How will I restore normal coverage before I drive again?

The Texas Department of Insurance military guide supports reviewing these needs before deployment. Its legal guidance applies to Texas. Laws and policy terms vary across states.

What Car Insurance Options Can Military Members Choose?

Use this table to frame your discussion with a licensed agent.

Your situation	Option to discuss	Main point to confirm
Your spouse will drive	Keep an active driving policy	List drivers and report current use
No one will drive	Storage discount or reduced coverage	Confirm driving restrictions
You have a loan or lease	Keep required vehicle protection	Get approval before making changes
You will take the car overseas	Arrange destination coverage	Check local law and shipping protection
You will sell the car	Remove it after the sale	Complete title and registration steps
You will return on leave	Restore driving coverage	Confirm the exact start date and time

Ask for a written quote for each option that fits. Compare both the price during deployment and the steps you must take when you return.

What does storage coverage mean?

“Storage coverage” describes an arrangement for a car that no one drives. Insurers do not all use the same terms or offer the same protection.

One company may reduce premiums through a storage endorsement. Another may allow you to remove certain coverages. Neither approach automatically means that all damage has protection.

Ask the agent to list which losses the policy still covers. Then ask which coverages stop.

For instance, keeping protection for theft and fire does not give a family member permission to drive without liability coverage. Our guide to pausing car insurance explains the basic choices.

Which Insurers Offer Military or Deployment Benefits?

USAA and GEICO advertise military benefits. Other insurers may offer suitable rates or helpful rules for deployment gaps. Compare actual quotes rather than choosing solely by the size of a discount.

What military benefits does USAA offer?

USAA advertises storage savings of up to 60%, with restrictions. Its military page limits that reduction to the premium for damage other than collision. In California, the reduction also applies to collision coverage.

Do not assume that the discount cuts your entire bill by 60%.

USAA’s support guidance requires secure storage for at least 30 consecutive days with no driving. It excludes the storage discount in North Carolina and Virginia. Membership and policy eligibility also apply.

Check the USAA military insurance terms and vehicle storage requirements before relying on the advertised percentage.

What military benefits does GEICO offer?

GEICO advertises a military discount of up to 15%. Its eligibility list includes active duty members, veterans, National Guard members, and reservists.

GEICO also offers an emergency deployment discount with separate conditions. Do not assume that all deployment orders qualify. Ask its military team to check your orders, destination, and storage plan.

Availability varies by state and company. Review GEICO’s military discounts for current terms.

Should you compare other insurers?

Yes. Ask your current insurer and other licensed companies for quotes with matching coverage.

Also compare their treatment of deployment gaps. For example, Progressive says customers can retain its Continuous Insurance Discount after a gap caused by overseas deployment. That benefit does not provide coverage during the gap.

See Progressive’s deployment gap guidance.

Can You Suspend Car Insurance During Deployment?

You may have that option, but your insurer and state determine what you can change.

A suspension, a storage endorsement, and a cancellation have different effects. Ask the agent to explain the exact arrangement. Avoid relying on a phrase such as “we will pause it.”

Progressive, for example, says it does not offer a formal suspension option. Customers may instead reduce coverage or cancel, subject to their needs and state rules. See its coverage suspension guidance.

Before making a change, request answers to these questions:

Does the policy remain active?
Which claims can I still file?
Must I surrender plates or change registration status?
Does my lender accept the change?
Can anyone move or drive the car?
What must I do before taking it out of storage?

Save the agent’s response with your policy records. A clear written record helps your family follow the same plan.

What Coverage Should You Keep on a Stored Car?

Focus on the losses you could not afford to pay yourself.

A locked garage reduces some risks, but it does not remove all risks. Ask about protection for theft, fire, hail, flood, vandalism, and falling objects. Check exclusions and the deductible for each type of loss.

Also ask what happens if another vehicle hits your parked car. Do not assume that a storage package covers that loss.

Use the declarations page, which lists your coverages and limits, alongside the policy wording. The declarations page alone may not explain storage restrictions.

How should you choose a deductible?

Choose an amount you could pay while deployed.

Consider this hypothetical example: A covered storm causes $3,000 in damage. With a $500 deductible, you pay $500 and the insurer pays $2,500, assuming no other limits apply.

A higher deductible may lower the premium, but request the actual savings first. Saving a small sum each month may not justify an extra $1,000 out of pocket.

USAA explains coverage types and deductibles in its auto policy support guide.

What If Your Spouse or Family Will Keep Driving?

Keep an active policy that fits the drivers and the car’s use.

Your deployment does not turn a family car into a stored car. Tell the insurer who will drive, where the car will stay, and roughly how far that person expects to travel.

Ask whether the company can change your driver status while you are away. Do not remove yourself or another driver without checking the effect on the household policy.

Consider this example: You leave for nine months, but your spouse drives to work each day. Requesting storage status would conflict with that use. A review of mileage, driver status, and available discounts makes more sense.

For a household with two cars, discuss each vehicle separately. Your family may keep driving one while storing the other.

Our guide to spouse coverage rules covers questions to raise with your agent.

How Do Loans and Leases Affect Your Choices?

A loan or lease can limit how much coverage you remove.

Lenders usually require collision protection and protection against theft and other vehicle damage. Those terms can still apply while the car sits in storage. The Texas insurance guide highlights this requirement.

Ask your lender for written approval before reducing coverage. Send the proposed policy details, including deductibles, rather than asking only whether “storage insurance” is acceptable.

Keep making loan payments unless your lender confirms a different arrangement. An insurance change does not change your payment schedule.

Our financed car coverage guide explains the link between loan terms and vehicle protection.

Can deployment help you end a car lease?

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act may allow early lease termination under qualifying orders. Certain deployments lasting 180 days or longer can qualify, as can some permanent changes of station.

You must follow the notice and vehicle return requirements. Other valid charges may remain.

Ask your military legal assistance office to review your lease and orders. Keep insurance in place until you confirm when your responsibility ends. The CFPB’s SCRA guide explains eligibility.

What State Rules Should You Check Before Leaving?

Check with both your state insurance department and motor vehicle agency.

An insurer may approve reduced coverage while the motor vehicle agency still requires liability insurance for active registration. Resolve both requirements before changing the policy.

New York provides a useful example. Its DMV says deployed service members must maintain continuous coverage or surrender plates before deployment. It also describes a process for seeking relief from administrative action when a service member could not comply.

That process requires documents. It does not create blanket permission to stop paying premiums.

Review New York’s military vehicle guidance if you hold New York registration.

For any state, ask:

Can I keep active registration without liability coverage?
Must I surrender plates or file a form?
Does military service change the process?
What documents must I keep?
How do I restore registration before driving?

Get the correct sequence of steps. Completing a form after canceling may leave a gap between the two dates.

What If You Take Your Car Overseas?

Check insurance for the destination before you arrange shipment.

Do not assume that a US policy follows your car across all countries. Ask about local liability rules, registration needs, and the countries where your new policy applies.

Also check protection during shipment. Ask the carrier and insurer who handles damage at each stage, from drop off to collection.

GEICO offers overseas insurance services, while noting that coverage depends on location. Review its overseas insurance information and consult your installation’s transportation office.

Prepare a short list of questions:

When does the overseas policy start?
Does it cover the vehicle during transit?
What proof do local authorities require?
Can my spouse drive under the policy?
What happens when I return to the United States?

If your family keeps another car at home, maintain a separate plan for that vehicle. An overseas policy does not automatically solve its coverage needs.

How Can You Compare Costs Without Cutting Needed Protection?

Request at least three quotes using the same facts.

Give each insurer the same storage dates, address, drivers, limits, and deductibles. Ask each company to show the total cost for the expected deployment period.

A lower monthly payment can reflect less coverage or a larger deductible. Compare the policy details before comparing the final price.

Quote detail	What to compare
Liability limits	The same limits for each driving vehicle
Vehicle damage protection	Covered losses and exclusions
Deductibles	Your cost when filing a covered claim
Storage terms	Minimum duration and driving limits
Return process	Notice, documents, and start time
Total price	Premium plus any payment fees

For a tight budget, ask about payment fees and the next renewal date. Avoid choosing a deductible that would force you to borrow money after a loss.

For a young driver or someone with past claims, disclose the full driving record. Ask for a quote based on accurate details, not an estimate that may change after review.

Verify the agent’s license through your state insurance department before buying.

What Should You Do Before Deployment and After Returning?

Create one folder that your household can access. Include your policy, storage terms, lender approval, registration records, and insurer contact details.

Before you leave

Tell the insurer your expected departure and return dates.
Report the storage address and who may access the car.
Confirm lender and registration requirements.
Request written proof of all policy changes.
Set up payments and check the renewal date.
Ask how a trusted person can manage urgent policy tasks.
Photograph the car and record its condition.
Tell anyone holding the keys about driving restrictions.

Ask whether the insurer needs an authorization form or power of attorney. Do not assume that a relative can change coverage because they have your policy number.

Before you drive again

Contact the insurer before taking the car out of storage. Confirm the date and time when driving coverage starts.

Restore any required registration, obtain current proof of insurance, and update the car’s location and use. Ask whether a return on leave requires temporary changes.

Check tires, brakes, fluids, and the battery before your first trip. Arrange an inspection if the car’s condition raises concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can military members cancel car insurance while deployed?

Sometimes, but first check registration rules, loan terms, and storage risks. Cancellation ends the protection the policy provided. Ask whether reduced coverage would fit better. Never cancel a family policy while another household member still needs it for driving.

Does the military provide free personal car insurance?

Do not assume that military benefits insure your personal vehicle. Arrange the coverage your situation requires through a licensed insurer. A military discount reduces an eligible premium; it does not create free insurance. Check any separate government claims process with your installation if relevant.

Can a friend drive my car while it has storage status?

Do not allow driving until the insurer confirms that the policy permits it. Storage terms may prohibit all driving. Contact the company before even a short trip for fuel, maintenance, or a battery check, and arrange any required coverage changes first.

Will I pay more after a deployment coverage gap?

The answer depends on state rules and the insurer. Ask how the company records an approved deployment gap and what proof it needs. Progressive’s stated exception preserves its Continuous Insurance Discount for overseas deployment gaps, but it does not guarantee the same total premium.

Can National Guard members and reservists get military discounts?

Yes, some insurers include them. GEICO lists National Guard and Reserve members among eligible groups. A general military discount and an emergency deployment discount can have different rules. Confirm which benefit applies to your service status and policy.

What if my deployment lasts longer than expected?

Contact the insurer when your dates change. Check the storage arrangement, renewal, payments, and any planned restart date. Also update the person caring for the vehicle. Keep driving coverage off only while the approved restrictions and legal requirements still fit your circumstances.

What Is the Right Plan for Your Deployment?

Match coverage to actual vehicle use. Keep a driving policy for family members, check storage options for unused cars, and secure lender approval before reducing protection. Set a clear return plan before you leave.

Compare costs alongside coverage terms, with help from a licensed agent where needed. Use AtozInsuranceusa to explore your car insurance choices and prepare questions, then confirm the final policy details with the insurer before making a change.