Posts Tagged ‘Insurance Costs’


24.08.2010

How To Lower Your Car Insurance Costs Once And For

posted by admin

in Car Insurance

How To Lower Your Car Insurance Costs Once And For All!

With fuel costs escalating out of control these days, car running costs are becoming a serious burden for the average family, especially families with more than one car. Because of this reason more and more people are looking for ways to control the costs associated with their family transport.

One such cost is the cost of car insurance. Below are 7 tips for lowering your car insurance costs:

1. Drive carefully. It may sound obvious but as insurance premiums are related to risk then your manner of driving is related to your insurance premiums. Safer driver equals lower premiums. It may not seem so at the time but those traffic violations or speeding fines reflect in your bill.

2. Have a look at other insurance policies you have with other companies. Many insurers offer discounts for combining all your family insurance with their company. Find out who they are and get a quote on all your policies combined.

3. Also note the differences in premiums you would be paying for the type of car you have. Different types of car attract different levels of premium because, in particular, different types of car are driven by different types of people, who may have different types of risk profile. Sports cars, for example, will usually show a higher rate of accidents than staid boring family cars.

4. Consider your deductible. This is the amount you pay first out of any claim, and the cost of your policy is directly related to the amount of your deductible. Higher deductible – lower premium. So consider carefully whether you could afford to pay a higher amount first from any accident and raise your deductible. If so, you will get lower premiums.

5. Safety and anti theft devices can reduce the insurance costs for a car. Talk to your insurance company and find out if there are any safety or anti theft devices that you can install to reduce your premium. Then consider installing them making sure that you notify your insurance company once you have done so. And why not ring up your company and make sure that they are aware of any safety and anti theft devices you already have, if they aren’t you may get a reduction.

6. Always look online for a competitive quote from other companies. Most of the major players and brokers are represented online and it is extremely competitive. Be sure to take advantage of this fact.

7. Don’t just pay your premium blindly without checking if you can do better. Car insurance rates vary all the time and so even if it was the best rate last year it may not be this year. Every year shop around to see if you can do better, you may be surprised.

Follow the above tips and advice and youll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can save on your auto insurance.

27.07.2010

How To Cut Car Insurance Costs By More Than 10%

posted by admin

in Car Insurance

How To Cut Car Insurance Costs By More Than 10%

Fact: To drive legally in the UK, you are required to have car insurance to protect yourself and other drivers. It’s one of the unavoidable expenses of owning and driving a vehicle on the road.

Whilst car insurance is a fact of life, high premiums are not. There are many ways to control the cost of your motor insurance premiums and even reverse recent increases in some cases. Here are just a few tips that can save you well over 10% on your car insurance this year.

1. Search online for the best quotes.

Often, car dealers work with a specific insurer “for your convenience”. Before snatching the first motor insurance policy you find, do some research and shop around. Use a price comparison site to compare multiple policies side by side. Car insurance quotes can vary by hundreds of pounds for the exact same cover.

2. Buy online at the insurer’s site.

Many, if not most, insurance companies offer hefty discounts when you buy your cover online. Why? They save money on time and agent commissions that way. It’s standard to offer a 10% discount when you buy your car insurance online. While not everyone can buy online, there can be significant savings if you can and do.

3. Review when you renew.

Don’t simply renew you policy when the time rolls around. Go over it to make sure that it still meets your needs and circumstances – and then request a new quote. Insurers will nearly always offer a lower quote when you’re shopping around for policy than when they think they have you hooked.

4. Secure your car.

Since your premium is based on the risk of damage or loss of your car, every step you take to make your car more secure and safe will reduce your premium. Park it off street or in a garage, add a steering lock or an alarm and see your premiums go down.

5. Drive less.

The less you drive, the less your chance of being involved in an accident. If your mileage is lower than the norm, inform your insurer and find out if they offer a low mileage discount.

6. Be honest on your application.

While this technically will not lower your insurance premium, it can make a huge difference when you make a claim. It may be tempting to claim your auntie’s suburban address as your garaging site and knock a few pounds off your premium – but if you need to make a claim, the insurance company could find out. If they prove you misrepresented the facts on your application, your claim will be declined and may end up liable for any damages from the accident to boot.

7. Pay in full at the start of the policy.

Check with your insurer to find out if you’re charged more for paying in installments. In essence, when you pay in installments, you’re taking a loan from the insurance company for your premium, and paying them back – with interest.

8. Pay by direct debit.

If you do choose to pay in installments, find out if your insurer discounts your premium when you pay by direct debit. Since direct debit greatly decreases the likelihood of late and missed payments, most insurers are happy to knock a few quid off the premium when you pay that way.

9. Add an extra driver to your policy.

In some cases, adding an additional driver to your policy will lower your premium, especially if that driver is older, female and has a good driving record.

10. Take a defensive driving course.

Many insurance companies will discount your premium if you complete a course in safe or defensive driving. In general, anything that reduces your accident or loss risk may lower your car insurance premiums.

20.07.2010

Getting The Best Teen Car Insurance Rates,

posted by admin

in Car Insurance

Adding a teen driver to your auto policy can be a painful experience. One, you don’t want to let them drive your brand new car and two, your rate is about to double or triple. Yes, I did say triple. Especially with a new car. The newer your cars are the higher the rate increase.

Here are some tips to help you avoid this financial headache.

Do your kids have to have a brand new car?

This one surprises me all the time. Parents complain about how much insurance costs for a teen driver and then I ask them what kind of car they are looking at and it’s a brand new 2006 or maybe even a 2007 model. You say it’s loaded with all these new safety controls and has 12 airbags. Those safety features will protect you but they also cost a lot to fix and replace so that’s why the insurance is high. Cars are easy to replace, people are not.

There are many reliable late model cars out there that are just as safe as the brand new models and will cost less to insure. If your teen wants a newer model to look cool, tell them to start working for it.

Another benefit to having a late model car is you can choose not to put comprehensive and collision coverage on it. This will drastically reduce the cost of your premiums. Keep that in mind when shopping for a car.

Make sure you get all the discounts your teen driver is eligible for.

A ‘B’ or better average will usually qualify them for a Good Student Discount. Have your teen take a driver’s training course. These two discounts can take a nice chunk off the insurance. And they also encourage safe and responsible driving. Make sure you remind them that driving is a privilege not a right.

Two other discounts you may be eligible for are for when they go away to college or overseas to study abroad. Both of them give you a discount for limiting your teen’s access to your cars. The logic is they don’t have access to your vehicles so they should not affect your premium. You have to make your insurance company aware of these situations when they arise. Most companies are not going to be proactive about lowering your rates if they can help it. It’s up to you to make sure you get all the discounts you and your teen are eligible for.

Most states allow teens to have a permit. Use that to your advantage.

This one is a little sneaky but when you can save a few hundred pounds every 6 months every little bit helps. When your teen has a learner’s permit most insurance companies do not charge you for this. Only when they get their actual driver’s license do your rates go through the roof. The idea is to keep them with their permit for as long as possible. Understand that with a permit there are restrictions such as driving supervised and not driving at night. So as long as you don’t mind supervising your teen as they gain more experience by all means go ahead.

And once they do get their actual license you have to let the insurance company know about it or risk a claim they cause being denied.

Insuring a teen driver is expensive no matter how you slice it. Follow these tips and you can start getting the best teen car insurance rates available.