Vehicle Insurance Soars

Car insurance premiums are rising more than many other consumer costs, according to a recent Consumer Price Index report, adding to car buyers’ already heavy purchase burden.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that motor vehicle insurance jumped 20.3% last year, far outpacing other segments’ increases.

Meanwhile, vehicle maintenance and repair costs rose 7%.

The bureau didn’t include analysis on the factors in the increases, but they parallel the surge over the past three years since the pandemic’s onset in vehicle prices and car accidents, along with rising vehicle theft.

Inflation brought on by the pandemic has left consumers with much higher vehicle purchase prices already, though those have started to come down and incentives have returned. At the same time, interest rates soared last year as the Federal Reserve has worked to cool inflation.

Still, new-vehicle affordability improved in November to its best point in two years as consumer incomes and vehicle incentives grew, Cox Automotive said. And the Fed has stopped raising rates as it waits to see if inflation falls to its 2% target.