SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias released a new study showing that auto insurance companies use non driving factors that can significantly increase costs for Illinois drivers, based on an independent analysis by O’Neil Risk Consulting and Algorithmic Auditing and nearly 2,000 resident responses collected through the office’s Driving Change campaign. The study found that factors such as credit score, age, and ZIP code can sharply raise premiums even when driving records are clean, including cases where drivers with poor credit pay more than 2.7 times higher rates than those with excellent credit, seniors face higher costs after age 65, and residents in certain ZIP codes pay more than 2.5 times higher premiums than others for similar coverage.
Officials said these factors can compound, leading to much higher costs when multiple conditions apply, and noted that Illinois auto insurance rates increased 18 percent in 2024. Giannoulias said the findings highlight concerns about fairness and transparency, while state lawmakers said the results support proposed reforms under Senate Bill 1486 that would increase oversight of insurance pricing and restrict discriminatory rate practices.