Insurance Scores &
Other Consumer Reports

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How Central Uses Insurance Scores

The Central Companies use an insurance score code derived from a consumer credit report in underwriting and rating personal insurance policies upon authority granted by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. We use this information to develop your insurance premium, but it is only one of many factors considered. The insurance scores we use in underwriting and rating your insurance policy are provided to us by ChoicePoint Inc. More information about this company is available at www.choicepoint.com.

How the credit scoring process works

Upon receiving a request from Central, ChoicePoint runs your consumer credit report through its mathematical scoring model CP Attract, which assigns a numerical score based on the model's analysis of the information contained in the report. Next, the score is converted to an alphabetical Score Code ranging from A to Y. The Score Code is representative of the likelihood of future loss activity, with an A Score Code representing the least likelihood of future loss potential and a Y Score Code representing the greatest likelihood of future loss potential. Policies where an insurance score cannot be determined are assigned a Z Score Code, a neutral designation.

The score's just one factor that's used

The Insurance Score Code is used to underwrite or rate the policy, but is only one of many different factors that are considered. For example, your driving record, coverage limits, vehicle type, and years of driving experience (along with several other factors) are evaluated along with your Insurance Score Code in determining your auto insurance rate. In determining your homeowners rate, we review not only your Insurance Score Code, but also factors such as your prior loss history, the value of the home, the construction type and age of the home, the fire district's protection classification, and if the home has security features installed like smoke detectors, deadbolt locks and alarm systems.

Central Insurance Companies complies with all state and federal laws that regulate the use of insurance scoring in underwriting and rating personal insurance policies.

Features of the CP Attract Homeowners Model

The credit characteristics evaluated in the CP Attract model cover three broad areas of the credit report: public records, account information and inquiries. In all, over 50 characteristics are evaluated.

  • The public records section evaluates collection items, foreclosures and judgments.
  • The account information section evaluates active and inactive account information.
  • The inquiry section evaluates credit inquiries initiated by the consumer.
Variables not used include information such as age, address, race, employment history, income, national origin, sex, marital status and non-consumer initiated inquiries (pre-approved credit card offers that you did not solicit, etc).

How to improve your score

ChoicePoint provides these tips on improving your score:

  • Pay bills on time.
  • Maintain low balances on unsecured debt.
  • Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed.
  • Close unneeded accounts.
  • Be patient -- as adverse information ages, credit scores can improve.
Need more assistance?

Central does not have the ability to look at an actual credit report and give you any guidance on how your CP Attract score was developed. In fact, ChoicePoint only sends us the numerical score along with the four most significant reason codes that affected the score. However ChoicePoint, as the developer of the CP Attract scoring model, has material available on its website that explains the various reason codes used by the CP Attract model in developing your score. This site is linked below. http://www.choicetrust.com/servlet/com.kx.cs.servlets.CsServlet?channel=affected&subchannel=creditreport

If you've been adversely affected because of our use of a consumer credit report, you are entitled to a free copy of your consumer report from ChoicePoint within 60 days of receiving the notice of adverse action. You also have the right to dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information in the report. You can contact ChoicePoint to obtain your free copy or dispute information on your report by writing to them at ChoicePoint Consumer Center, PO Box 105108, Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5108, phoning them at 1-800-456-6004, or via their consumer disclosure site at http://www.choicetrust.com/servlet/com.kx.cs.servlets.CsServlet?usertype=a.

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C.L.U.E. Reports

What's a C.L.U.E.?

A C.L.U.E. Report is a Fair Credit Reporting Act-regulated consumer report based on data that resides in the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, an insurance industry database developed in the late 1980s. The C.L.U.E. database, developed and maintained by consumer report provider ChoicePoint Asset Company, provides the industry with historical automobile and property claims information that is needed to properly evaluate and rate personal insurance policies. Most insurance companies contribute claims information to the C.L.U.E. database. In fact, only companies who contribute data to the database may acquire a C.L.U.E. auto or property report on new applicants.
Where Can I Get a C.L.U.E.?
ChoicePoint has begun making C.L.U.E. reports available to the general public. By accessing ChoicePoint's consumer website at www.choicetrust.com, consumers can order their own claim history report as well as other consumer reports such as insurance scores.

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