I went online to get an insurance quote for my car insurance, hoping to find a lower rate than the one I currently have.

I was surprised and shocked to find that I had to agree to the following disclosure process:

"To provide an accurate auto indurance quote...we will collect information from consumer reporting agencies....we will also review your credit report and use a credit-based insurance score based on information contained in that report....to help predict how often you are likely to file claims and how expensive those claims will be. Typical items...payment history, length of reported credit history, number of loans and accounts with current payment status, and number of inquiries....Future reports may be used to update or renew your insurance."

And I thought my auto insurance rates should be governed by my driving record, Mature Driver classes, distance driven every day, lack of previous accidents/tickets. But my credit rating?

I think the insurance company has just thought up another way to "redline" customers. Judging people by their credit history is another way to evaluate their economic level and hence their desirability as insured.