Tyrone Courier - Features - Car insurance: 5 things to remember

Features

Car insurance: 5 things to remember

Thursday, 12 January 2012

With the inevitable expense of Christmas and winter energy bills soaring, you may be looking for ways to make savings, and using an online comparison site to find your car insurance policy could be the solution.

Insurance premiums have rocketed in recent years and many people are struggling to afford the monthly payments on top of increasing rent, mortgage fees and living costs. There are also so many policies and providers out there that it can seem impossible to choose the best policy. If you're looking to renew your car insurance or find insurance for a new vehicle, here are some tips to help you find the perfect plan:

1. Compare prices and policies

Shopping around for car insurance may seem like an arduous task, but it could potentially save you hundreds of pounds per year and with the help of an online comparison site, you can view seemingly endless lists of plans and costs in a matter of seconds.

All you have to do is log on, enter your vehicle details and your personal information, sit back, relax and see what you can get for your money. You can tailor your search to include additional options and extras and change the excess to suit your needs and preferences.

2. Play to your strengths

Most insurance providers reward careful drivers so make sure you have a policy that recognises your driving skills. If you have several years of no claims and you are not receiving incentives for this, contact your provider or shop around for quotes from other companies.

You should be paying less if you have not made a claim within a set period of time and it is well worth spending a few minutes looking for new deals, instead of taking the easy option and renewing your current policy.

3. Search for specific policies

Some insurers offer special deals for certain groups of drivers, including senior citizens and young drivers. According to the AA, insurance premiums for young males aged between 17 and 22 rose by around 46 per cent between October 2009 and October 2010 and many young drivers have been forced to put off taking lessons or buying a new car as a result of soaring costs.

If you have received an outlandish quote from one firm, do not assume that all providers will charge the Earth; use a comparison site or telephone a few companies to get an idea of the prices on offer. If you're a young driver, consider adding an older driver with a good driving record as a named driver on your policy.

4. Secure your car

Securing your car will lower your premium, so make sure you provide information about additional locks and security systems fitted to your car and tell your provider if the vehicle is kept in a locked garage.

5. Choose an appropriate level of cover

When looking for an insurance policy it is important that you choose a plan that offers a suitable level of cover; most providers offer three types of policy, which are: third party, third party fire and theft and comprehensive.

As a general rule, the more you pay, the better the cover but this is not always the case and it is worth exploring different options. If you have an expensive car it is advisable to go for comprehensive cover.

The insurance industry has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently, as premiums have soared; however, there are ways to save money and ensure that you choose the right policy, so spending just a few minutes doing some research could pay dividends in the future.