First, let's see what your renewal should look like

Why renewals change when nothing seems to

The whole market moves, in both directions. The government's consumer price index for car insurance rose 20.3% in 2023 and 11.3% in 2024 as repair and medical costs climbed. It has since turned: prices fell 5.1% in the year to August 2026. That index is the baseline we start from, so if your renewal went up this year while the market went down, it's worth asking why.

You get re-rated. At each renewal your insurer refreshes your driving record, claims, address, car and, where allowed, your credit-based insurance score. A ticket or claim usually shows up here, not mid-term.

Loyalty isn't always rewarded. Some insurers have priced renewals partly on how likely a customer is to shop around. Regulators in a number of states have banned this, but comparing quotes is still the reliable way to find out whether your price has drifted.

How we judge your number. The cut-offs are our own editorial call, not a published standard: up to 3 points above the top of your expected range reads as normal, up to 12 points above as more than expected, and anything beyond as steep. Changes we can't put a typical figure on, like a new address, are named in your result but left out of the math.