How To Get The Best Deals On Car Insurance

When looking for the best deals on car insurance, most people focus on the cost alone. While saving money does make your insurance a good deal, it does not help if you are not properly covered. There is more to finding the best deals on car insurance than finding the cheapest car insurance and you need to consider this.

Shop Around

The best way to get a good deal on your car insurance is to shop around. Many people make the mistake of staying with their current insurer because it is easier, but you might not have the best coverage. You may find a comparable insurance policy for less with a different insurance provider and you should take advantage of this.

Of course, when you are shopping around, you do need to be careful. Any comparison you do will need to be like-for-like. There is no point in comparing third-party insurance with comprehensive because they offer different levels of coverage. Fortunately, there are a number of websites that you can use to help you compare deals as they will only compare similar policies.

There are some insurance companies that do not appear on comparison websites and you need to look at their offerings on their websites directly. These insurers often have good deals that you do not want to pass. Some insurers are also known for offering the best deals on certain types of car insurance such as multi-car insurance.

Know Who To Add

You can add more than one driver to your policy, but you need to be careful with this. When you add a second driver you could lower the costs of your insurance, but you could also increase the premium. This depends on who the other driver is and how they affect car insurance policies in general.

If you are a newly qualified driver, you should look at adding a second more experienced driver to your policy. This will reduce the risk for the insurance company even when the second driver is not the primary driver. If you do this, you should never pretend that the second driver is the main driver as this will invalidate your insurance.

If you are an experienced driver, adding a newly qualified driver to your policy will do the opposite. This will increase the costs of your insurance because the second driver is considered high-risk. This is why you need to carefully consider adding drivers to your policy.

You should also consider the number of named drivers you have on the policy. This should be limited to only the drivers who regularly use the vehicle. More drivers increase the risks and this will increase your premium.

Increase Your Excess

Your voluntary excess will impact the cost of your insurance, but you need to be careful when adjusting this. Increasing your excess will lower the monthly premium you face, but you could have a problem if you need to make a claim. The excess is the amount you have to pay for damages or repairs before you can claim from your insurance.

Car insurance that has no excess will be more expensive that insurance that has an excess. Raising the excess lowers the monthly costs, but increases your out of pocket costs which can be a problem. You never want to raise the excess too high because this can cause financial problems when you need to pay them. If you cannot realistically pay the excess at the moment, you should lower it and pay more per month.

Reduce Your Mileage 

If you want to get a good deal financially, you should consider reducing the miles you drive. Fewer miles will result in a greater saving because the wear and tear on your car will be lower. There is also less chance of being in an accident if you are not on the road that much.

It is important to note that you will not save hundreds on your premium per annum with this. However, the reduction can make it easier to meet your premium obligations. If you cut your mileage by 5,000 per annum, you could save up to £50 on your annual policy. Cutting your mileage by 10,000 miles will increase the savings to around £100.

If you are considering this, you need to be careful. Inaccuracy can cause problems when you need to make a claim. If you have gone over your mileage limit and make a claim, it could be rejected because of the excess mileage. While looking at the mileage, you should also check the use cover. If you do not drive your car for business or to work, you could be able to get a cheaper rate.

Consider Blackbox Policies

If you feel that you are a good driver and you very rarely make claims, you should consider a black box insurance policy. When you have one of these policies, your insurance company will install a system in your car that monitors how you drive. If you drive carefully and keep within the guidelines set out by the insurance company, you will be rewarded.

The telematics systems installed in your car will check your speed, how aggressive your acceleration is and how you brake. It also checks if you are driving at times which are considered dangerous. These times will include the early hours of the morning when accidents are more likely to occur.

Having all of these aspects of your driving monitored can significantly lower your insurance premiums. This is a good deal for high-risk drivers such as newly qualified or young drivers. There are some insurance companies that offer upfront discounts when you take a telematics policy.

Getting a good deal on your car insurance is about more than the premium. You need to ensure you are getting the coverage that you need. Of course, price is a major consideration and there are a few ways that you can ensure you get the best deal. Shopping around is important, but you should also consider telematics policies and adding a second driver if you are considered high-risk.