Home insurance rates are going up — and these groups are getting gouged

Thankfully, there’s something you can do about both problems. Here’s how to find out whether you’re paying too much for homeowners insurance and lock in a better rate.

The high cost of a low credit score

In the study, Matic found homeowners with low or middling credit scores were facing much higher premiums and much higher price hikes.

Those with the lowest scores paid an average of $300 per year more than people with great credit and saw an average hike of $85 this year.

What’s the connection? Many insurers rely on credit data to set the premiums you pay, as research suggests the factors that lower your credit score (debt, late payments, collections and bankruptcies) also increase your risk of filing an insurance claim.

While a few states don’t allow companies to use an applicant’s credit score when calculating their premiums, your insurer might still be allowed to tally up an “insurance score” based on similar data in your credit report.

If you don’t know your credit score — and you should, if you want to get a decent loan or save money by refinancing your mortgage — you can check it online for free.

You have a few options to boost a lackluster score, but the biggest factors are your payment history and outstanding debt.