MOTOR INSURANCE ADVICE

The Bad News : Car Insurance, Van Insurance and Bike Insurance premiums from the major insurers have almost doubled in the last ten years. Some of the reasons for this are an increase in the levels of uninsured drivers, the emergence of “No Win No Fee” legal companies as well as the increased cost of motor repairs.

The Good News : You might still make substantial savings on vehicle insurance if you are prepared to take some of the following simple steps as well as comparing the market. Here are Bowlin Insurance Brokers’s top tips on how to get cheap insurance that is also the right insurance for you.

Shop around for the best deal. This may include getting on-line quotes, quotes directly from insurance companies or letting an insurance broker search the best deal out for you. Do make sure that you are comparing like for like as not all policies offer the same level of cover so - some may just appear cheaper.

In some cases you can save up to 70% on your car insurance premium with a full no claims discount but in most cases it is much less than this figure. Nevertheless consider any claims very carefully, as losing your no claims could add hundreds of pounds to your annual motoring bill.

You can protect your no-claims discount for a relatively small fee, although you should be aware that accidents caused by you the insured could still have an impact on such a discount. Claims made where the other driver is at fault will normally not affect your no claims protection.

How about driving less? The average driver drives 8,000 to 12,000 miles a year, so if you do less than this you should qualify for a discount. The more you agree to restrict your mileage the more you will save. eg. 10,000 less miles might equate to a £100 saving on your premium. Also, let your insurance broker or insurance advisor know if you do not use your car for commuting or work purposes as chances are you will get your insurance cheaper. You really must be honest though, as claims will be checked and rejected if you don’t keep your side of the bargain.

In most cases a simple way to get an insurance discount is to enhance the security of your vehicle. For example by fitting a car alarm you should expect to attract a 5% discount. Make sure you mention to your insurance broker any use of crook locks, immobilisers and trackers as well.
 

If you can, park your car, van or motorbike off the street especially if you are in a city, as this will lower your premium. Parking your vehicle on a private driveway will get you a cheaper quote as will using a garage. So if you don’t use your garage for parking the car, you may wish to consider doing so, as making room for your vehicle lowers risk and will lower the cost of your insurance.

Do you need to list lots of people on your policy? Do they all need to be able to drive the vehicle? The fewer named drivers the better for saving money on your premium. Only include those who will be regular drivers. You always have the option of including other named drivers for short periods of time if and when they may need to make use of it.

Adding a young and inexperienced driver to your policy does not always work out the most cost effective way to get them insured. Speak to your insurance broker or insurance advisor about your options so that you make full use of any no claims discount. Often, by adding a newly qualified driver to your policy negates your hard earned no claims discount.

Of course, you might save money on your motor insurance, by weighing up the pro’s and cons of restricting your cover to third party insurance rather than comprehensive. Although these days the premiums for restricted cover are very close to those for comprehensive insurance.

Ask your insurance broker if making payment for your policy in one lump sum will work out cheaper than monthly payments.

If you are insuring a car as part of a couple and dependent on who is the main driver, it may be cheaper to simply insure the vehicle in the woman’s name.

If you want to reduce your premium, then a sure fire way of doing this is to increase your voluntary excess. By offering to pay more for repairs you will save money – bear in mind that if you are judged to be not at fault in an accident the excess can normally be recovered.

Finally, how about gaining a large discount as a reward for taking a driving course? If you are a new driver then the Pass Plus  course can get you hefty discounts as will becoming a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Both schemes can save up to 35% on an insurance premium.

Of course the staff at Bowlin Insurance are always happy to talk you through the various
options that you may consider relating to Car Insurance, Van Insurance and Bike Insurance

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