Long the subject of moral debate is the use of credit scores to be part of the formula insurers use to determine your car insurance rates. Now insurers are not legally obligated to tell you if your high car insurance rates are caused by a bad credit score. The U.S. Supreme Court recently declared it in a ruling while deciding a pair of lawsuits against GEICO and Safeco.

Car insurance rates are determined by a set of factors including your driving history, age, location of residence and credit score. Insurers, through the performance of risk analysis, have established a set of tiers depending on a driver's risk. A bad credit score reflects how responsible a person is in general from how well he pays bills on time and uses credit responsibly.

With this new Supreme Court ruling you will not be able to find out from your insurer if your bad credit score is a factor in your high car insurance rates. For those of us who strive to lower our car insurance rates, we should monitor our credit report periodically for errors or other blemishes we can repair. Improving your credit score can help improve your standing with lenders, lessors, and CEO, as well as lower your car insurance rates.