(WHTM)– All of us are feeling the pinch of rising auto insurance rates, with many policies up 25% or more in the past two years. But a new report says many lower-income drivers are seeing their rates rise even more.

TV commercials tell us safe drivers save money. But the Consumer Federation of America has some bad news: it says some of the largest auto insurers “frequently charge higher premiums to safe drivers than to those responsible for accidents.”

But why?

The report explains that accident history is just one factor that goes into your insurance premium and claims lower-income drivers often pay more.

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As of the end of 2023, the federation says drivers with excellent credit pay an average of $470 a year for state minimum insurance. Drivers with poor credit? An average of $1,012 which is more than double.

This leads us to the “Doesn’t that stink file.” The Consumer Federation says a 30-year-old single woman who rents an apartment and has no degree would pay a higher premium than a married woman with a degree and a house, even though the married woman had a chargeable accident on her record.

The Consumer Federation says many insurers use your job and education to predict your chance of an accident, and not just your driving record.

The Consumer Federation is asking states to ban the use of credit reports in setting auto insurance rates but so far that has not happened. As always, don’t waste your money.

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