Finding the cheapest car insurance

It is a known fact that many consumers are paying more then is necessary for car insurance as many will not bother to seek a variety of quotes prior to renewing their car insurance to find the cheapest car insurance. There are of course a number of other ways that could save you a vast amount of money.

These include fitting an insurer recommended or approved alarm and an immobiliser as this will help to increase your security and should help to keep down your car insurance costs. It is worth noting that some insurers may also insist on a sophisticated tracking device being fitted before they will insure a particularly expensive car, but this is unlikely to be the case for many of us.

Changing the excess you are willing to pay for on any claim will also keep costs down as the more you are willing to spend for in the event of an accident, the lower your premium maybe. With many insurance policies there may be a number of extras that you are paying for that you do not really need, as these will increase your premiums.

The less your motor insurance company has to provide should you be involved in an accident or your car damaged that the lower your premium will be. Where you park you car, especially overnight, can also have a big impact on your premium since many vehicle thefts will occur during the night so if you can keep you car in a garage then your insurance costs will be reduced as a consequence. Parking on a driveway is also considered to reduce the risk of vandalism, theft or inadvertent damage then if you were to park on the road.

The first step to take when it comes to getting cheaper car insurance is to make sure you shop around for the top deal and the best way to do this may be online as a specialist car insurance website will be able to search the marketplace and find you the best deal.

It is vitally important that you make sure that you are comparing like for like cover as although some policies may appear to be cheaper, you may find that in the event of needing to make a claim, you are not covered in the same way as you were previously.

Other ways to help get you the cheapest car insurance include making sure that only regular drivers are named on the policy as adding more will increase the costs and you can always add someone for a few days if needed which will ultimately work out cheaper.

It is also not wise to add a young, inexperienced driver to your policy as the total premium will still be calculated on the youngest driver. Protect your no-claims bonus may also save you money after a number of years and you could find that some insurers will offer big discounts to those considered to be safer drivers.

Agreeing to pay more towards the cost of any accident repairs will bring down premiums. If you are not at fault in an accident, the excess can be recovered. If you decide to change your car, check with your insurer if the model will have a significant effect on the premium as a sporty car can mean a much higher premium and regularly a slightly different model could save you a considerable amount in comparison.

Lastly, and perhaps the most obvious, drive more carefully and maybe consider taking some new driving courses as many insurers will offer discounts if you have more driving experience. This will enable you to find the cheapest car insurance.

Source : Louis Rix is a Director of NetCars, one of the UK's leading motoring websites. First established in January 2000, it provides car finance, loans and warranty. NetCars also provides a cheap car insurance service.