RATING BY ZIP CODE STILL OKAY

Thanks to a decision made March 28 by the California State Supreme Court, insurers can continue adjusting rates based partially on the ZIP code of the driver. The decision to let the First District Court of Appeals ruling stand is good news for insurers and for good drivers, according to industry trade associations. Consumer activist groups, including Harvey Rosenfield’s Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, had protested that the practice of using ZIP codes in rating drivers violates Prop 103. Personal Insurance Federation of California President Dan Dunmoyer called the protest “a misguided request [that] could have drastically raised insurance rates for good drivers in 51 of the state’s 58 counties.”