A rate is the cost of the policy or of the cover that a person has to pay to have the car covered. The underwriters decide upon the rate. The rate is the value of the policy without considering any discounts and surcharges.

A car insurance rate can be found by visiting the Web sites of most of the companies. A person has to key in his cars information and can instantly receive an estimate of how much it will cost to cover the vehicle. This is known as a quote. It is possible to get these quotes online or by calling the respective companys customer service number.

The rates vary from company to company, car to car and also from area to area. For example, if a high performance car is put in a garage in a high-risk area, like, say, a hurricane prone area as Florida, then the premium will be considerably higher than any average performance car parked in a medium or low risk area.

The major factors that influence the rates are, the type of car, driver/drivers of the car, driving history of the individual, place where the car is put in a garage overnight and claims history of the person. It is necessary to inform the insurance company whenever anyone other than the listed drivers is going to drive the car or else he or she will not be covered, in case of a loss.

Additional drivers other than the insured may affect the premium, as their driving history will also be considered. The make and model of the car also influence the rate, as risk will be directly related to it.

Car insurance companies have their own policies and their own team of underwriters who evaluate the risks. Therefore, a quote provided by one company may vary from the same provided by some other company.

Car insurance rates depend upon a lot of factors. It is always good to obtain a quote from as many companies and then go with the one that provides the best service, coverage and price.