UK Insurance Listed

Car Insurance – Buying Guide

Before you are able to legally drive on a UK road, along with a valid licence, TAX and MOT, you also require car insurance. Failure to comply with this can result in points on your licence, fines and in some cases – a jail sentence.

As vehicles can be incredibly costly to repair or replace, car insurance protects you against having to pay for any damages in the event of an accident.

The first part of applying for car insurance involves completing a proposal, which can either by done by post, over the phone or online. When filling out your proposal it’s important to be completely truthful, answering all questions to the best of your knowledge; if unsure about something, then its best to talk with the insurer.

If you need to make a claim down the line, and it becomes apparent that you haven’t been wholly truthful in your proposal, then the insurer could declare your insurance as null and voide, thus leaving you with a big bill on your hands.

It’s important to note that when processing a claim your insurance company will only pay out the current market value of the vehicle, which is almost always less than what you will have paid for it originally.

Also, any alternations or modifications you make to your vehicle should be passed by your insurer; again, failure to do this could leave you with invalid insurance.

As mentioned, insurance can be purchased in a number of ways, the quickest and easiest generally being online. As well as all the popular high street brokers having online facilities, there are a number of comparison websites, which allow you to find the most competitive quote.

You are likely to get the option of paying for your insurance in a lump sum or instalments. Although instalments may be more manageable, it’s generally more cost effective to pay upfront for a year or 6 months.

Car insurance is easily obtained, be it online or through an insurance broker and with it being such a competitive market, finding cheap car insurance has never been easier. As mentioned, making use of one of the many car insurance comparison websites is a good idea.

Young Drivers Can Also Try for Cheap Car Insurance

Teen drivers are considered a high risk driver group. This is not theory. Statistics also are not in favour of them. Young drivers near the age of 25 have been involved in more collisions than the more experienced drivers in the age group of 30 and 40. Looking at all this, it is not surprising why it is much more difficult for young drivers to find cheap car insurance.

The insurance companies, apart from the age group, also obviously look out for the driving record of the concerned driver. Needless to say, safer the driving profile, higher the chances of a cheap car insurance. Still there has to be a way to get lower rates of insurance for this high-risk group. Some tips should come in handy here:

Driving carefully is paramount. This helps build credibility for the driver. In fact, he might even find himself eligible for certain safe driver discounts. There are also clubs which promote safe driving such as a safe driving club. Joining these clubs can put a safety tip or two in the mind of the young driver as much as motivate him for mature driving. Driving at night requires special caution and the older drivers can guide the younger ones on the same. Research says that the majority of accidents happen during night time, the more precise time zone being somewhere around 9 to 2 am. Also, risky behaviour such as drinking and driving must be strictly avoided.

While taking all measures on your part, you can finally do more. Visit the Internet to seek knowledge about the various schemes available on car insurance. You can also collect quotes with something as quick as just filling out an online application form and then comparing the quotes to decide on the more suitable one for yourself, namely cheap car insurance. At the same time, however, besides the rate of premiums, it is ideal to go for a policy which is flexible and gives you good coverage.

Where To Find Cheap Car Insurance Online

Many people find car insurance confusing – and as a result end up paying more than they should in a very competitive market. The monthly payments – or premiums – depend on several things – your level of cover, the company insuring you and how much of a risk the insurance company deems you to be.

The popularity of the internet has made it easier than ever to find, compare and choose car insurance on line. Most companies can give you a quote fairly quickly – in general, it will take from between ten to twenty minutes to enter the required information into one of the online application forms. There’s also usually a free number to ring if you want to talk to a person.

Comparing car insurance quotes online

Obtaining car insurance quotes online is fairly straightforward – although there are some things you should keep in mind. Not all insurance companies will provide an instant quote on the screen in front of you; some companies may email the quote to you or ring you at a later date.

Some car owners don’t realise that even if their current policy isn’t up for renewal just yet, most insurance companies will allow a customer to cancel the policy, if they decide to switch insurance companies. In this case, you are generally entitled to a proportionate amount as a refund.

One way to easily compare car insurance rates and products is to use one of several web sites which offer comparison shopping. Two of the better sites are the aptly named
confused.com and moneysupermarket.com. Most sites compare the UK’s top insurance companies, including AA, Norwich Union and First Direct.

How to keep your premiums down

There are several ways you can reduce the cost of car insurance. Premiums are lower if you keep your car locked up in a garage overnight – over 50% of cars are stolen at night. Otherwise, try to park in your driveway, rather than on the street – this will also decrease the chance of vandalism.

Make sure you accurately report the mileage that you drive in a year – don’t pay for too much mileage. A change in employment or lifestyle may mean less mileage – many people don’t bother to change their car insurance details when this happens.

Having a car alarm or immobiliser installed in your car will also usually result in lower payments. An additional driver using the car may mean increased premiums. And of course, your past driving record also has a significant effect on the cost of your car insurance.

Basic car insurance policies

A recent – and welcome – innovation in car insurance is the concept of so-called basic coverage, as offered by both Tesco and Norwich Union, in an effort to simplify the often confusing process. Basic coverage also allows car owners to take out adequate insurance without paying more than they need to.

Norwich Union’s product is appropriately named Simple Cover and is available online only. The product also eliminates some of the unnecessary extras that customers tend to unknowingly pay for. Another big difference is that the premium is payable in a yearly lump sum, rather than monthly.

Tesco value car insurance is also available online only – even the application form is simpler – and Tesco has taken some of the unnecessary extras out, which can increase the cost of premiums. For example, Tesco value car insurance doesn’t offer a replacement car for use during repairs, or cover a broken windscreen.

Shopping for car insurance online shouldn’t be difficult. With a little bit of research and the right list of web addresses, choosing the right car insurance can be easy and stress-free.