Buying car insurance can be a minefield. If you take the first price you’re quoted then you’re more than likely going to be losing out on a great insurance deal.
Our top tips for getting the best deals for car insurance are:
- Don’t Be Loyal
If you’ve got a favourite brand or you’re a customer that is renewing your insurance don’t renew just because you like the company. Chances are you can save money on your insurance policy with very little work.
- Use Price Comparison Sites
Very quick, very easy and can be a very good starting point. Used in conjunction with other tips on this page price comparisons can be very helpful in finding car insurance from companies you may not have considered.
Do remember that insurers pay a commission to price comparison sites so you may get a better deal at insurers not found on price comparison sites.
Read my article on how price comparison sites work here.
- Browse And Then Phone!
When you’ve found a car insurance policy online that you think is the right one for you and also at the right price then pick up the phone to the telephone sales department and ask them if they can better the price. Be polite and courteous and you may find that the right agent has the right deal available for you that’s not available online.
- Never Auto-Renew
When you sign up for insurance for your car you should remember to check whether the policy is set to auto-renew. This means at the end of your first year the insurance company will have kept your card number on file and simply put a new quote together, charge you for it and then send a new policy. This may seem like a good idea so that you don’t forget to renew but you have no control over the new price.
I’d recommend you try to get a better deal for your insurance manually each year to secure the best price.
- Pay Up Front
Some insurers charge a premium if you wish to pay monthly for your insurance. Therefore check before you sign up to monthly payments and see what the price difference is.
- Park Securely
If you have the ability to park in a garage then it can save a lot on your premium.
A car parked on the side of the road in a busy street is obviously more vulnerable than one parked in a locked garage. Therefore you should receive a discount as the risk of your car being broken into is greatly reduced.
- Black Boxes
Some insurers will offer a discount if you include a black box recorder to your car. These record things like speed, how hard you accelerate or break and then send the data back to your insurer. When they’ve decided you’re a safe driver they can reduce the cost of your policy. This is a great way for young drivers to gain trust from the insurance provider.
- Reduce Your Mileage
If you overstate how many miles your car will travel then the chances are you’ll be paying more for your insurance policy. Try to work out how many miles you really will do.
Remember to be honest because as with all declarations on your policy – if they’re wrong then you could invalidate your policy when you come to make a claim.
- Remember To Use Your No Claims Bonus
No claims bonuses can be huge and bring your policy price right down. Car insurers allow no claims bonuses to be transferred from one policy to another. Remember to tell your new insurer how many years no claims you have and it may also be worth checking if they’ll accept years that you’ve earned as a named driver or even if you’ve driven a company car for years without claiming.
As with all matters relating to legal documents you need to remember to be accurate and honest with all answers on your insurance application. It may be tempting to modify your application to bring down the cost of your insurance but when you get found out by the insurance company they will probably cancel your policy right at the time you need to make a claim.