Knowing what is in this report can help lower your rates. To get a copy of your report, simply request one from ChoiceTrust/ChoicePoint.

Here is a actual report, all personal information has been removed. The names and addresses have been changed. Note how every claim is documented, even though every claim has a zero or near zero payout.
Claim 1 is a minor fender bender resulting in approximately $3,300 damage. The individual's girlfriend/common law wife was driving the vehicle with four passengers, all under age 13. She was struck by another vehicle driven by a 16 year old on a learner's permit who appeared to have run a stop sign. The other driver may have fled, but that vehicle was pinned by the accident. Fortunately, no one was injured. The other driver was cited by the local police. The other insurance company paid $2700 to the owner.
Claim 2 was a trip to an auto glass repair shop. The 'no cost to you' claim is false. While no cash was transferred from the owner to the shop, there is a cost for this service. Another insurance company will see this as a claim which may affect his rates.
Claim 3 was a claim started after a stereo head unit theft. The individual did not have the receipt for the head unit, so the value of the stereo was not included in the estimate. The monetary damage done was less than the deductible, so a zero payout resulted.
Claim 4 the driver hit a deer. This caused $600 more damage than the insurance company's estimation. However, the work was performed by the owner to repair the vehicle, once the error was realized it was too late to re-file the claim. Also note how the name of the policy holder is incorrect. While this has little effect on the premium rating system, it shows how inaccuracies easily occur.

Note how the individual was not at fault for any of the above claims, yet these are prominently displayed in his report with no explanation or indication to fault. These claims will result in an increase in premiums. The individual may have difficulty obtaining insurance with a report like this.

There are several claims that were removed prior to generating this report, because the time since the incidents to the request of the report is too long.

All of these were in the possibly related claims category. We could not get any specific information as to what happened. However, no one involved was on this individual's policies, or driving this individual's vehicles. Between the claims that were filed, and the 'possibly related claims', this individual had only one insurance company that would accept him as a policy holder, and he was forced to pay $2200 a year for basic coverage for the 2004 calendar year. Keep this from happening to you.

How to minimize what's in your report:

• Pay for auto glass dings and chips out of pocket. The $80 saved for this individual will be paid back many times over in increased premiums.
• If you are involved in an accident and the vehicles can be moved, move to the side of the road. You are much less likely to be hurt or killed and less likely to involve another motorist if your vehicles are out of the way of other traffic.
• File a police report for thefts/vandalism first. Then get an estimate from a reputable repair shop for unoccupied vehicle damage before calling your insurance company. Be sure to get the estimate as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours. Waiting can cost you money. If the estimate is lower than or close to your deductible, you will pay for most of the repair bill anyway, so you may as well pay the extra $100 or so instead of filing a claim. In the case of the above individual, he did not have a receipt for the head unit, as a result, it is not an insurable claim, as if he never purchased the item. Do not figure the cost of repairing or replacing an aftermarket item if you do not have receipts for that item.
• Avoid calling the insurance company for minor fender benders with no medical concerns. By all means, if you are hurt in any way, seek medical attention immediately. If the vehicles can not be driven, call the police and the insurance company, this is why you purchased insurance, but if you do not need to don't.
• If you are involved in an accident, regardless of fault, write down the other person's license plate and driver's license number. Do not accept a copy written by the other person without verifying the information first. You may have been struck by an unscrupulous individual who wants to avoid penalties resulting from the accident by giving you false information. Take names and phone numbers of witnesses who stop after the accident. You may need their version of events should the claim go to court, even if the other driver files the review by the court.
• If you strike another unattended vehicle in a parking lot, leave a note for the person to call you. Be sure to write the date and time on the note. We have seen one case where the damage to the vehicle was minor, a small paint scratch, but the owner of the unoccupied vehicle kept the note. Two years later, a claim was filed against the first owner for damage that nearly totaled the other vehicle. A date and time written on the note could have helped clear up the fact that the second owner was trying to pull 'a fast one'.
• Keep tabs on your C.L.U.E. report. It takes about two minutes to request one online.