CompanysCarInsurance

The car insurance industry has got really competitive in the last few years, so prices haven’t really changed much. There are now over 100 car insurers to choose from, so there are some very good deals out there for those who are prepared to shop around. 23% of motorists still choose to insure with the same company as the year before, but they could undoubtedly save money if they did check out some other companies.

Motorists could be forgiven for not getting other quotes, it used to be a very laborious exercise involving long waits while getting routed through the call centre, and boring repetition of facts to sales advisors. Now, thanks to the internet, it’s all a lot more simple. Car insurers also offer extra discounts to people who buy online.

However, you need to consider the quality of the policy, not just the price:

Check that your low quotation is not due to an extremely high excess.

Check that you will get a courtesy car if your car needs to be taken in for repairs.

Check that legal insurance cover is included, if you want it, and automatic windscreen replacement.

Find out if there is an accident help line in case of an emergency.

It’s a good idea to ring the insurer direct to talk through the policy in detail before signing up online.

Money saving tips recommended!

You can get a quote with over 40 car insurers if you input your details into a good car insurance broker’s website. You’ll only need to give your details once. Call the insurer with the quotation to check exactly what is and isn’t covered.

If you have a garage, then you’ll save by keeping your car there overnight. You’ll also make savings if you can keep your car on a driveway. This is because there is more chance your car being broken into or vandalised if it’s kept on the road.

Give your insurer an accurate picture of how many miles you do each year you will save if you travel less.

Some occupations, like being a landlord, journalist or professional footballer (if only) attract higher premiums. You can save money if you work in finance or the civil service.

Get married! Men under 30 pay more if they’re not married it’s just the excuse your girlfriend is looking for!

Under 25’s pay more, but you can get lower premiums if can put a driver over the age of 25 with a good driving record on your policy as a named driver. That person must be under 60 though, as premiums rise again at that age.

Agreeing to higher excess (the average cost is 100) will help lower your premiums.

If your car is not of a high value, you could get third party cover and make quite a saving compared to fully comprehensive insurance.

Pay as you go insurance is a new option for 18-21 year olds. It’s a recent development introduced by Norwich Union, in which you pay a unit cost per mile. The cost per mile is more between 11pm and 6am. You pay an initial fee of 199 to have a Global Positioning System fitted to your car, and then it transmits details of your mileage direct to Norwich Union. They send you a monthly invoice and you pay for the miles you’ve done!

Taking Pass Plus lessons to improve your driving abilities could save you around a third on your premiums. They cost 15 – 30 an hour and cover driving at night, in busy rush hour jams and fast motorway driving. You can find out more at www.passplus.org.uk . You can also improve your driving skills and make insurance savings with the Institute of Advanced Motorists ( www.iam.org.uk ).

Find out the insurance group of a car before you make the purchase. There are twenty insurance groups the slower and less desirable the car (to criminals) then the lower the rating. You could make considerable savings by choosing a car in a lower insurance group.

If you want a high spec or performance car then you can expect to pay a lot more on your insurance. They’re a lot more likely to be stolen or involved in an accident. Making the sensible choice might be a bit boring, but it will be a lot cheaper.

Watch your speed. Most insurance companies will let you get away with a single fixed penalty fine but if you repeat the offence then your premiums will rocket.

Protect your no claims discount as soon as you can (usually after four years). It costs a bit extra but it’s well worth it.

Satellite navigation in your car will lower your premiums. Insurers have found that people concentrate more on their driving and less on trying to find their way, which means less chance of having an accident.

It’s a good idea to have an engine immobiliser or alarm fitted not just because it could help you keep hold of your car, it will also make you a saving of 5-8%.

If there’s two or more cars in the household, get them on the same policy to get a good discount.

During the last few years, the average car insurance premium has virtually been at a stand still. The reason is price competition. There are now over 100 car insurance companies fighting for your business and competition is fierce. There are always bargains to be found as companies cut their premiums to attract motorists in the hope you’ll remain loyal and stick with them in following years. Indeed, every year, 23% of us renew our motor insurance with our existing insurer.

But in recent years the Internet has created a revolution in the marketing of car insurance. It makes shopping around so easy without the need to make loads of phone calls and without spending time threading yourself through the automated phone systems beloved by so many call centres.

But you’d be wise to remember that the lowest premium is not always the best. For example, some insurers have recently pushed up the level of claims excess they want you to pay as this helps them provide you with a much lower quote. You should also check out whether a courtesy car is provided if your car is in for repair. You might also feel you want legal insurance cover and automatic windscreen replacement. An accident helpline can also very useful in the middle of an emergency! You’ll need to phone the broker or insurance company you’re thinking of dealing with in order to check out these points.

17 Top Tips

for cheaper car insurance

Get your online quotes through car insurance brokers. Their computer systems will search for the best quotes from 40 or more car insurers and save you lots of time. When you’ve got their cheapest quote, phone them to discuss the relative merits of the cheapest quotes they found.

Garage your car at night. Insurance companies know that a car left on the road at night is much more vulnerable to theft and damage. If you don’t have a garage, if possible keep it on your drive.

Update the estimate of your mileage each year. If you’ve moved home or changed your job you may have shorter commuting journeys. If so, your premiums should be less.

Your premium can be influenced by your job. Landlords, journalists, and professional footballers to name but a few, all pay more! Go for a job that’s a bit more boring! Accountants and civil servants pay less!

Getting married could save money on your car insurance, particularly if you’re male and under 30.

If you’re under 25, add an older experienced driver with a good riving record onto your policy as a named driver. But don’t let him be too old! premiums start rising again after age 60!

Consider paying a higher accident excess. The average excess is about 100. If you are prepared to increase you claims excess, your premium will fall significantly.

If you have cheap or old car, consider buying just 3 rd Party cover. Get quotes for 3 rd Party and comprehensive insurance and weigh up the savings.

Are you aged between 18 and 21? Then consider pay as you go insurance. Norwich Union has recently introduced the first pay as you go insurance policy, which charges you exactly for the miles you drive. It also charges more for the miles you drive between 11 and 6 at night. The system works through a Global Positioning System which is fitted to your car for a one off fee of 199. The GPS black box tells Norwich Union how many miles the car’s been driven and they send you an monthly invoice.

A new driver? Spruce up your driving technique by taking some more driving lessons. New drivers can slash their insurance costs by as much as 35% by taking Pass Plus lessons. These give you extra training for driving in rush hour traffic, motorway driving and night driving. Lessons cost between 15 and 30 per hour. (www.passplus.org.uk). You can also reduce your premium if you’ve taken a course with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (www.iam.org.uk).

Buying a new car? Then check out the insurance group before you buy. Cars fall into one of 20 insurance groups with 1 being the cheapest and 20 the most expensive. If the proposed insurance premium is too high, chose a car that’s in a lower group.

High spec and performance cars attract thieves and are more expensive to repair – so they always cost more to insure. Consider something with a little less voroom!

It’s hard we know, but try hard not to speed! Most insurance companies will ignore one fixed penalty fine but get more and your premium will rise.

Got 4 or more years no claims discount? Pay the extra get the discount protected.

Fit a satellite navigation system. Some insurance companies have noticed that sat nav cuts the accident rate by letting drivers concentrate on the road. Insurers will soon be giving discounts if you have it fitted.

Get a engine immobiliser or alarm fitted. It could save you between 5-8%.

Got more than one car in the home? Some insurers will give a discount for insuring them all in one policy.

Car Insurance. Optional Legal Expense Cover Is Well Worth The Extra.

Peter, our freelance journalists doesn’t take kindly to people driving into his beloved car. No, he doesn’t use his fourteen stone of gym-honed muscle to exact retribution nor is he into road rage. Of course he’s got his car comprehensively insured but he’s also covered another way. He’s got legal insurance. He included in his car insurance as an optional extra. This extra cover allows him to claim for costs and losses excluded covered from normal comprehensive and third party policies. So four months ago when his car was whacked from behind at the traffic lights, the legal profession swung into action! Not for free you understand, after all who’s heard of a solicitor labouring for free? No, but it was free to Peter his insurance company paid all his legal costs.

Whilst the garage appointed by his insurer made a beautiful job repairing his bent MX5, his comprehensive policy didn’t normally cover claims for personal injury or loss of earnings. So the extra 2 a month Peter forked out for legal expense cover,became money well spent. He’s already received compensation for the broken wrist he suffered and negotiations for his loss of earnings are well advanced. One-handed journalists aren’t much use in our office so he took a month off!

Legal expense insurance assists policyholders to claim back losses and compensation where the accident wasn’t their fault. The losses can include the cost of hiring a replacement car whilst yours is in the garage and, for those not comprehensively insured, the costs of having your car repaired. As in Peter’s case, legal expense insurance will also fund claims for personal injury and loss of earnings.

Cover for legal expense is one of those insurances that’s under rated until it’s called on. The insurer will run the claim for you and sends the settlement cheque at the end of the process. All you have to do is record the facts on the legal expense claim form, speak to the solicitor nominated by your insurer, be prepared to answer a few follow-up questions, and sit back. If the case goes to court, they’ll represent you and fight your corner although you may also have to attend.

Most car insurance policies sold on the Internet don’t automatically include legal expense cover it’s normally an optional extra. That’s because price competition on the net is so fierce that the insurers prefer to keep their headline premiums down as low as possible.

You’ll find that the optional cost of legal expense cover does vary from insurer to insurer. For example, More Than comes in at 17.85 per year, Direct Line 19.95, Churchill 21 and Budget 24 per year. Just a few insurance companies such as Admiral, include some legal expense cover for free.

So make sure you don’t forget legal expense cover when you buy car insurance. Complicated claims for compensation can drag on your years especially if severe injury is involved, and final settlements can end up in millions.