Car insurance is a vital outlay but can be costly. How can you ensure you are adequately insured without spending a fortune? The cheapest insurance can let you down or not pay out when you need it most - but there are ways to get it cheaper.
For many drivers, cheap car insurance is an absolute must-have, especially in recent years when the cost of living and petrol costs are continually on the rise. It can be very difficult to stay ahead of motoring costs, even regular MOT’s can cost a lot of money – and many people may struggle to keep on top of their car or vehicle-related finances.
To make the problem even worse, car insurance premiums are also rising, in part due to the growing number of uninsured drivers on UK roads, but also due to increasing numbers of accidents that involve young motorists.
It’s not just new or younger motorists who are being hit hard; recent surveys have indicated that older drivers are also being charged much more for their car insurance in recent years; with women drivers in the 60+ bracket being charged on average £80 more for their car cover than men in the same age bracket.
With the continued increase in whiplash claims and cash for crash, everyone is getting worried as costs continue to spiral for all but the safest drivers that live in the middle of no where with a garage!
So, how should you go about finding cheap car insurance that will cover you adequately?
First: Shop around. There is no reduction for loyalty, in fact if you're loyal you won't get the great deal that brand new insurers do when they sign up.
Second : Always check a couple of the comparison sites like Moneysupermarket.com or Confused.com. They consistently offer great deals on a wide range of insurance products - meaning you could save thousands over a 5 year period.
Third : Try a broker. Insurance brokers do still exist and can still secure you a great deal. In fact if you have specialist needs like a modified car for instance, you will probably have to go to someone like Adrian Flux anyway.
Fourth : Try Direct Line - they are not on the comparison sites and also have great deals like multi car discounts or even multiple insurance discounts available.
Fifth : Always know exactly when you're expiry date is and start looking about 3 weeks before it's due. That way you can shop around and look at the new deals designed to entice you in as a new customer. At the end of your year, simply start looking again for a new provider.
In an attempt to secure new business, many (just about all in fact!) insurance providers will offer you discounts and incentives if you take out one of their policies – remember, as competition within the insurance business is now very fierce, you are in the driving seat (as it were!).
Be prepared to bargain with companies when your renewal date comes around. Whatever you do, don’t accept the first quote that you get, shop around for better deals, and if possible, ask your existing insurance company whether or not they can match or beat other cheap car insurance deals that you have seen.
Many people may feel awkward about ‘bargaining’ with their car insurance provider, however, you should view it as per any other money transaction, if you’re prepared to haggle on the price, you could save yourself a lot of money in the long run. Also think about alternative ways of finding cheap car insurance; in recent years the internet has seen a massive boom, hundreds of cheap car insurance deals are now available online.
You can simply log on, browse a number of sites (or use a comparison site, making the process even easier) and then purchase your car insurance from the comfort of your own home. With a little time and research, you will find a great cheap car insurance deal.