Honestly, I’ve had the same thing happen—my GEICO premium jumped even though I haven’t changed anything about my routine. Like you said,
Last year, a neighbor’s car got hit in our parking lot, and the adjuster told me that stuff like that can raise rates for the whole zip code. It’s wild how you can be super careful and still get penalized. Makes me double-check my coverage every renewal just in case I’m paying for stuff I don’t need.“even if your area just has a few more fender-benders, everyone pays for it.”
It’s frustrating, but yeah, that’s how risk pools work—one person’s accident can impact everyone nearby. Even if you’re claim-free, the company recalculates based on local trends. I always tell people to review their deductibles and optional coverages at renewal. Sometimes you’re paying for extras you don’t even remember adding.
Honestly, reviewing deductibles and coverages is smart, but it’s not always the main culprit behind these jumps. I’ve seen plenty of folks with barebones policies still get hit with big increases. Sometimes it’s just the company’s loss ratio in your zip code or even statewide changes—stuff totally out of your hands. It’s not always about what you’re carrying on your policy.
