What To Look Out For When Shopping Around For Car Insurance
What To Look Out For When Shopping Around For Car Insurance
There is no escaping it, running a car is extremely expensive. You may have saved your pennies by purchasing the vehicle from Freeads, but the costs don’t stop there. Now you need to keep it running and your yearly car insurance is one of the most costly aspects.
The cost of your car insurance will change each year, but this can either be an increase or decrease depending on a variety of factors. If you are a safe driver it is unlikely that your insurance will go up, as it is claiming on your policy that could cause this. However, with age, no claims bonuses, and most importantly not being afraid to change providers, you can lower the cost year-on-year.
Loyalty does not always pay when it comes to car insurance, and with the ability to take your no claims across to a new company it is always worth shopping around before committing to a renewal.
So, what do you need to be looking out for when comparing car insurance and how can you keep it as low as possible?
First of all you need to make sure that you are comparing like-for-like cover. You can save hundreds when you renew with a new company, but be aware that some policies may seem cheaper because they don’t have the same level of cover. Great for your bank account as you are purchasing it, not so great when you go to make a claim and discover that you aren’t fully covered.
This couldn’t be easier, now online comparison sites can do the hard work for you. Here you can alter details such as the excess you are willing to pay, as the site finds the best cover for you and compares how the price for this will vary across hundreds of providers. Don’t forget to check the providers that don’t feature in comparison sites, such as Direct Line and Aviva, otherwise you could miss out on a cheaper option.
When comparing quotes it is important to look at what you are covered for, as insurers differ in what they include in their standard cover. Common exclusions can include windscreen cover, legal expenses, a courtesy car and breakdown cover. You will have the option to buy these as add-ons, but it will of course increase the initial price and perhaps make it not such good value for money as it originally seemed.
When choosing your provider, look out for companies offering incentives, it may work out worth your while. The AA, for example, offer free breakdown cover for the first year when you take out a new insurance policy with them. While if you have a Nectar loyalty card, Sainsbury’s offer new customers up to 30% discount on their insurance plus double points for up to 2 years.
Once you have checked the comparison sites, don’t be afraid to call up the companies and haggle. You never know, you could end up saving yourself even more money.
Then the money you save each year on car insurance can be saved for that unexpected cambelt change that you hadn’t budgeted for!
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