Bad credit raises cost of insuring car, home

Natalie Roman was an insurance agent’s dream customer, a driver without violations or accidents who hadn’t filed auto-damage claims in more than a decade.

Yet her monthly car-insurance rate doubled to about $ 80 late last year after her insurance company raised its overall rates and checked Roman’s credit score.

The Grandview Heights woman had a decent credit score, but it had dipped somewhat after she moved out on her own and struggled to pay some bills on time.

Roman’s credit score is improving now, but she had no idea that the past stain on her credit history could cause her to pay more.

“I felt a little betrayed, because I had a perfect driving record and I’ve been with the same company for 12 years,” said Roman, 32, a program assistant at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital. “ It didn’t seem right that my credit score was being used to ju……………. continues on Columbus Dispatch