by Robin Ercole

Created on: March 11, 2010

Haven't we been punished enough?

Hasn't every way to make more money off of those who are already in a bad financial state been made? Banks, credit card companies and mortgage companies are already punishing those who are struggling to begin with, making more money in outrageous interest rates off of those who suffer financially to begin with. And then, a few years back, the auto insurance companies said - "hey, everyone else are doing it, why not us"?

I am a wife and a mother. My parents and grandmother live with my husband and me. Surviving has been tough and been only getting tougher. After my husband was hurt in a job accident, we found ourselves without income, as he has been unemployed due to his injury since July 2009. So, like so many other Americans, I did the only thing I could; I started putting everything on my credit cards; food shopping, gas, electric bill, gas bill, phone bill, car payments, even my mortgage payment once or twice, clothes for the kids.... And of course, soon, I found my self with my credit cards maxed, and my credit in the toilette.

I am not a bad person. Like so many other Americans, I pay my taxes, I take my children to the park, I'm a member of the PTO, I volunteer  at my son's school book fair and plant sale; I take him to cub scouts. I am your average law abiding citizen. I make a full stop at all the stop signs - even the ones in parking lots; I never run thorough red lights; I always use my signal when changing lanes and making turns; I don't cut off other drivers; I don't speed; I am a good driver, trying to set up a good example to my young children. I am a responsible driver - keeping my passengers, as well as other drivers and their passengers safe on the roads. I do not have as much as an unpaid parking ticket on my record for the past 6 years.

So why did my auto insurance company hike my insurance premium by almost 300% during the last months? The answer is simple - because they could. Because apparently my Insurance rate, has nothing to do anymore with my driving. Apparently, it has everything to do with my credit score.

I mean, If my credit score is bad, it means I'm a bad driver, right? It means I am a danger to myself as well as others on the road, right? It means the Insurance company is taking a risk insuring me, as my driving record obviously proves, right?

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN. 

Who gave the Auto Insurance companies the right to punish good drivers for having bad credit? Who gave

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