STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Now let's talk about the business of car insurance. It's getting more competitive but that does not necessarily mean consumers end up saving.
NPR's Sonari Glinton reports.
SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: In real estate the mantra is Location. Location. Location.
JOHN EGAN: That same mantra can be applied to car insurance because geography does play a role in how much you pay for car insurance even down to the zip code level.
GLINTON: John Egan is with CarInsuranceQuotes.com. He says the cheapest states for car insurance are Hawaii, North Carolina and Massachusetts. The most expensive? The car capital of the U.S. - Michigan.
EGAN: In the Detroit area in particularly, there are a lot of uninsured drivers. And when you've got more uninsured drivers, that tends to drive up the cost for everybody who does have car insurance.
GLINTON: Egan says the cost are also high because Michigan doesn't cap lifetime payouts for personal injury.
There are some things that consumers can do to lower their car insurance. Drive safer, first of all. And...
EGAN: You can call them and tell them, hey, I'm looking at other car insurance companies. What kind of deal can you give me to keep me as customer?
GLINTON: Done. And done. I just tried it and I saved 20 bucks a month, with one phone call. What are you waiting for?
Sonari Glinton, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
