Article Topics:  How credit history affects your insurance
premiums  Your credit history not only influences how much
interest you pay on mortgages and car loans; it also can affect
the amount you pay for auto and home insurance. But an
improvement in your credit score doesn't automatically mean
you’ll be getting a break on your insurance rates.  Lenders use
credit scores to determine how likely you are to default on
loan. Insurers use a different type of rating system -- credit-
based insurance scores -- to determine how likely you are to
file insurance claims. Studies have shown that credit history is
a good indicator of a person’s likelihood of filing claims,
according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of
America, a trade group. One theory for this relationship is that
people who manage their credit carefully likely will be careful
about other areas of their lives.  A number of companies develop
formulas for determining credit-based insurance scores. While
each formula is unique, they all typica