Young Drivers Cheap Car Insurance

Young Drivers – What You Need To Do To Find Cheap Car Insurance

2009-01-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

After seeing the title of this article you may have thought - “Cheap Insurance? No such thing!”

Well, there is such a thing. While it's true that young drivers get the real raw deal in the UK when it comes to car insurance, the fact of the matter is that there are insurance companies out there who will give you a good deal. Especially if we're going to compare them against what the mainstream companies will offer you.

The fact is that you, as a young driver, are seen to be more likely convicted of drink-driving and reckless driving. The news often reports young drivers being jailed for reckless driving, such as a case in Burntwood in 2008 where a young person was powersliding around a traffic island. He was jailed for 13 months. Or the case of a 23 year old driver just this year who was also convicted of powersliding – his fine ended up being £600 and it got him a 12 month ban from the road.

According to various surveys, the amount of young drivers who admit to drink-driving and even admit to driving while on drugs is staggeringly alarming. The fact is that the insurance companies are not going to fork out money so that some people can just crash their car a week after signing their insurance policy. So insurance companies are going to want to try and cover their costs as soon as they can – and therefore charge hefty prices.

Of course, after a year of driving without any convictions or accidents, insurance companies should reward you. Some won't, and then we shouldn't really feel sorry for them. One of the best ways to get cheap insurance is to simply shop around every year and move to another insurance company if your current insurance company can't beat their quote. Try a broker, as well, to help you find a good, cheap, insurance premium.

There are also other things you can do, such as attend a driving course. The Pass Plus course, developed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), is one of the most popular. It can get you up to 25 percent off your insurance premiums – sometimes even more; and you may even be able to get the government to pay for your fees in taking the course.

Paying an annual premium upfront instead of every month can also help you to get cheap insurance. Plus, raising your excess drops your premiums down as well.

You should also be very careful about the 'perks' offered to you by insurance companies on various of their policies. Many of these perks you may actually not need, and none of them are truly 'free'. Whether it would be admitted or not, any 'perk' or 'freebie' is always built into the price. Somewhere in your premium you're paying for it – which means that if you ask for it to be removed from your policy you should pay less. You will have to be very meticulous about the details but diligence in this matter will pay off.

After you put these factors together, along with your car (make sure you buy a modest car, if you need to buy one), then cheap car insurance for you, as a young driver, is indeed possible.

What You Can Get With Short Term Motor Insurance

2009-01-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

Short term motor insurance is when a car is insured for only a specific amount of time (less than the usual 12 months insurance) or when a current insurance policy is changed to accommodate a short-term need (such as a different driver of the vehicle etc.).

There are plenty of companies in the UK that will offer temporary or short term car insurance for a number of reasons. You may need short term insurance because you are borrowing a friend or relative's car, and need to change the policy to accommodate you as a driver. Or, you may be changing a policy for only a short period of time from Third Party Only to Fully Comprehensive.

You may also be planning on travelling to Europe and need to change your insurance policy to adequately cover you during your stay outside the UK. Or, perhaps, you're lending your car to a business associate, friend or relative and need the insurance policy to cover them as a driver.

With the above in mind, you may need short term insurance on another motor vehicle that you own because of a number of reasons, and you need it fairly urgently. If so, insurance companies will oblige.

Short term insurance is also helpful if you're a student or young person and need to have insurance while you learn to drive. While insurance companies may be expensive on that front, many of them will be happy to supply short term insurance for your needs.

There are some things you need to be aware of, though. Firstly, most insurance companies only provide short term insurance for one to 28 days. Thereafter, you will need to negotiate or renew the policy. Secondly, some insurance companies may only accept secondary drivers for a vehicle if those drivers are over 24, which is why it can be difficult to acquite short term insurance if a learner is going to be using the car.

Insurance companies will all have their own payment and pricing policies, so one short-term motor insurance policy will be different to the next even at the same price. But short-term motor insurance is usually very flexible and thereafter has many advantages, especially if you're only planning on using a car for a few months or weeks, or days, and can't afford to pay a whole year's worth of insurance premiums.

Other short term insurance policies may include a great deal of helpful extras, such as 24 hour helplines or a repair service. It's useful to take a look at what they can offer as you can usually get quite a good deal.

Many insurance companies will allow you to apply for short term car insurance over the internet, either with a new application or to amend your current policy for a while. Fortunately, most insurance companies will begin to cover you straight away these days rather than only 24 to 48 hours later (which used to be the case). Oftentimes insurance companies wouldn't cover you if you applied on a Friday until the Monday, but most of that has changed now.

Insurance Companies Offering Young Driver Motor Insurance

2009-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Young drivers in the UK looking for motor insurance have obviously realised, after only a few phone calls or general word of mouth, that finding affordable and reliable car insurance is very difficult in the UK. Young drivers are not seen favourably by insurance companies due to their inclination to have high claims and have more accidents.

However, many car insurance companies and comparison websites have begun to work together to offer discounts to young drivers. Sometimes, simply by using one comparison website, you will receive a discount from the insurance company.

Other insurance companies are offering discounts simply by using their online website or getting a quote online. Furthermore, insurance companies have started to work around the young driver problem by offering no claims incentives that are beneficial both to young motorists and the insurance company. Many are giving 10 to 48 percent discounts on the internet after you have made no claims after a year.

Some insurance companies are specialising in offering insurance to young drivers who have been driving for a year and made no claim. They offer to give you a significant discount if you sign up with them and are happy to give out accelerated no claims bonuses in just a few months. The no claims schemes are really where young people can find themselves saving, as at least they can get their money back at some stage or find themselves paying cheaper premiums the more they show that they can drive responsibly and not claim from the insurance company.

There are a number of things you can do that not only gets you a cheaper insurance premium, but gives you the ability to keep your insurance premiums low.

1) Buy a vehicle with a modest engine capacity – not too big, and not too powerful.

2) Take the Pass Plus exam. Pass plus can give you substantial discounts on your premiums, plus the UK government may reimburse you either all or some of the cost of the course. Furthermore, the course gives you more confidence and skill on the road, meaning that no claims bonuses are going to be a reality.

3) Don't modify your car, and don't buy a car with modifications. Especially modifications to the engine and performance of the car. You don't want the insurance company thinking you're a racer.

4) Don't just go for Fully Comprehensive insurance - Third Party Only may suit your needs perfectly.

5) Shop, shop, shop. Don't be in too much of a rush to get your insurance – but remember that you must have insurance to be legal on the road.

6) Think about where you will be parking the vehicle – in a garage or place where it's safe. This can drop your premiums.

Affordable motor insurance for young people is definitely possible, you just need to shop around and deal with the many insurance companies that are specialising on providing insurance to your age group.

Buying Car Insurance Online

2009-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

If you were looking for car insurance in the old days you would only have a handful of companies to choose from, and you would have to call them all up, answer a plethora of questions, and then finally get a quote.

Of course, things have changed these days with the internet providing a brand new and exciting way of doing business. Literally hundreds of UK insurance companies now exist all over the UK, and the internet provides information at your fingertips. Car insurance companies will now quote you online almost instantly, and instead of having to go through all the hassle of phoning you can buy car insurance online.

So how do you know which car insurance company is right for you? In truth, the price is probably going to be your starting point, and it's a good one. But there's no use having a car insurance that is priced incredibly well but, when it comes to paying, they have every excuse under the sun. You need to know your policy well, and also have a good idea what kind of service your car insurance company provides.

Insurance companies in the market differ from each other, both in terms of the details of each of their policies and the market they are targeting.

The first thing to be aware of is that, although car insurance companies offer you the same policy in name (such as “Third Party Only”, “Third Party Fire & Theft” or “Fully Comprehensive”), the devil's in the details, as they say. One insurance company's Fully Comprehensive plan can differ greatly to the next. Insurance companies may insist that you only do a certain amount of mileage in a year, and once you go over that limit the policy changes or is no longer valid; or, some insurance companies may cover you in Europe the same way they do in the UK, while with others you may find that your insurance policy changes in a big way when you take your car into Europe.

Excess is another difference that will change from policy to policy. You may think you're getting a better deal at a particular company, but it's only because their 'default' excess is considerably higher than the other quote you received. If you're clever, you may want to phone the other insurance company and check with them what kind of premium they would offer you if they charged you the same excess as their competitor. You might find they are, in fact, cheaper.

Policies may also vary in the amount of medical costs they would pay in the event of an accident, or how much they would cover your legal fees if things got ugly.

The other difference between insurance companies is the target market they're trying to reach. Some may only specialise in providing insurance for specific cars, such as cars in a particular pricing range or modified cars. Others may specialise in providing insurance for a particular demographic – such as women only or older drivers.

Unfortunately, very few companies specialise in proving insurance for the younger generation, as they are much more risky to insure. This has resulted in high premiums. However, young people will find that buying insurance online is often a lot cheaper, because many online companies offer better premiums to young people after seeing a significant gap in the market.

Buying insurance online has tremendous advantages, and it's worth a look.

Get Instant Car Insurance Quotes on the Internet

2009-01-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

Let's face it – looking for car insurance can be a real nightmare. You've got to phone around and listen to all of what the insurance company offers you, make notes of it all, answer a deluge of questions, and then phone the next insurance company to see if they can beat the quote you finally get.

For this reason, most of us will probably phone three or four insurance companies that we know about, or were recommended to phone by our mates, and just choose the best out of the four. Meanwhile, there could be a host of other insurance options out there – we just don't have the time to find them.

But we don't have to do our shopping around like this anymore. The internet has plenty of websites devoted to providing the best car insurance quotes you can get in the UK, with instant quotes from a number of insurance companies while just filling out a form at one time.

These comparison websites have been found to be incredibly helpful for all that have used them, and it can result in you paying an insurance premium of £415 that would otherwise be around £750. That's a significant saving for just shopping around and using the information provided by these websites.

Many insurance companies themselves have websites, with literally hundreds of online insurance companies emerging into the market in recent years. These websites will produce car insurance quotes instantly for you after you fill in only a few basic details. What's more, you can often get a 10 percent discount on any quote simply by accepting online.

Beware, however, of the word 'discount'. Often companies will claim they are offering a 'discount' on their usual price when all they're actually offering you is their price. In other words, you're being offered what they calculate as applicable to you anyway, the 'discount' is merely a sales gimmick to make you think you're getting a better deal than somewhere else. Some 'discounted' prices will look very much like other insurance company prices without a 'discount'.

Car insurance instant quotes are very helpful to allow you to narrow down your options and be able to make an informed decision with a great deal of more information. However, instant quotes won't give you an idea on the service of the company and your next step will probably be to phone the insurance companies on your short-list and now talk about the nitty-gritty. Fortunately, you've already answered their questions on the internet so you need only refer to the quote that you already have. From there you can work the premium down by negotiating some of the terms and conditions, dropping services you actually don't need, raising your excess or talking about flexible payment options.

If you're a young person you're going to have to be even more astute as your premiums can be quite high simply because you're young. You may also be forced to shop around a great deal more (which is highly advisable) and so you should take your time before you make a decision on any particular insurance company. Fortunately, instant quotes on the internet make it a great deal more convenient, easy, and even cheaper as you don't need to call around.

Very Cheap Car Insurance? It's Not A Myth

2009-01-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

Very cheap car insurance is not a myth. There are literally hundreds of insurance companies in the UK market that will offer you a good deal. The problem with many of us is that we're too lazy to shop around. However, once you find yourself a good deal and are the envy of your mates you'll find all the effort put in was well worth it.

Recent statistics have shown that, of the UK's 34 million cars that are on the road, UK motorists are losing, on average, £1.9 billion pounds a year on their annual car insurance policies. This is because they're not shopping around and finding a better deal – they're rather staying with their current insurance company and paying the costs.

The fact of the matter is that even if you found a good deal with an insurance company a year ago, a lot of things change in a year. Your odds of finding a better deal now are higher.

Your first step would be to phone your insurance company and ask for a re-quote. You'll be surprised how much lower the cost of your premiums might end up. You see, when the insurance customer has you as a customer they're quite sure that you'll more than likely just pay up whatever you are asked to pay. So, they just hike up their prices in comparison to your original quote. But if a new customer came with a car like yours at its age and mileage, they will offer that customer less than you're paying. This is because they want to guarantee that business.

So, if you phone them up and ask for a re-quote they have to calculate based on what they would offer a new customer like you. Certainly, your premiums will lower. Besides that, if you're under 25 you're getting older every year and they must, at least, take this into consideration.

Also, consider the age of your car now. Do you still need a Fully Comprehensive plan? If you calculate how much money you've given them and your car's current book value, it may not make sense at all to still be on Fully Comprehensive. Maybe take a look at other options, such as Third Party Fire & Theft or even Third Party Only.

Conversely, you may not have been able to afford better coverage when you started with the insurance company but now you can. Often they may offer you a discount on a Fully Comprehensive plan because you have been a valued customer and have a good no-claims record. They shouldn't just quote you as if you're someone who has walked off the street. Sometimes they may need to be reminded of so.

If you're not happy with what they quote you, don't think that there aren't alternatives. A few minutes at price comparison websites on the internet would probably show you fairly quickly that you're paying too much. There is a great deal of very cheap car insurance out there, and it just takes a little extra effort to find it.

What's more is you can cut down insurance premiums significantly by seeing what you can deduct off the policy. A great deal of policies come with included services, some useful such as 24 hour help-lines, to useless things such as free gym contracts. Cut these out the policy, or decide which of them you really need, and you'll find yourself saving.

This all goes to show, very cheap car insurance can be found – it only takes a little alternative thinking.

Car Insurance For Those Under 25

2009-01-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

Anyone under 25 knows the hassle of finding cheap car insurance. It seems that the authorities and insurance companies just don't seem to like this age bracket, and you may be wondering to yourself if statements that young drivers are worse drivers are, in fact, true – or if it's just an excuse to charge high premiums.

The fact is that the statistics are true. Young people under the age of 25 are more prone to be convicted for drink-driving, are less experienced on the road, and cause more accidents. Here are the statistics:

1) 42 percent of accidents on the road are caused by young people under 25.

2) Young drivers account for more than two in five road deaths in the UK.

3) Young people at the age of 18 are twice as likely to claim from insurance as those who are 50 and over.

4) Many times there are no other vehicles involved with accidents that involve young motorists – meaning that the accident is based on driver error alone.

5) There is usually one passenger involved in an accident with a young motorist, meaning that most of the insurance claims are actually around medical costs more than vehicle repairs.

6) Every week the UK Government reports 14 young driver deaths along with their passengers.

7) Young motorists know of the speed limits on the road but do not know how to control their own vehicles and are inexperienced when it comes to the appropriate speeds.

8) Young drivers largely drive without insurance. (In fact, one in 20 cars on the UK roads are reported to be without insurance.) Furthermore, the amount of cars driving illegally on the road without insurance are an important factor that brings insurance premiums up.

9) Young drivers are more prone to drive cars that are unroadworthy.

10) One in five first year drivers cause accidents on the road.

11) 35 percent of collisions that were caused by drink-driving are caused by drunk drivers under 25.

These statistics are both staggering and concerning. The problem is that you may be a competent young driver and perhaps don't even drink, but you will still pay high premiums because the statistics are against you.

So, what do you do? You have to get insurance, there's no question about that, but is there anyone out there who will offer you a fair premium?

The answer is: Yes, of course. You've just got to find them. And that's going to involve a great deal of research on your part, but the resources are at your fingertips. Here are two starting points that will make your research that much easier:

1) Use internet comparison websites
Internet comparison websites will provide for you an overview of different prices available from insurance companies. You can usually refine your search to include specific areas, price ranges, or types of insurance. From here you can narrow down your choices and then start contacting the specific insurance companies to see what more they can do for you.

2) Use a broker
Brokers have been shopping around for the best car insurance for under 25's for years. They have the experience and the contacts, and are usually quite quick in getting you a good deal. Many of them also provide websites where you can receive online quotes and do comparison checks for yourself.

Lastly, the more you keep your record clean the less your insurance will cost when you get older. So, don't despair, you will eventually reap the rewards for being a responsible driver.

Getting Insurance Quotes Online

2009-01-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

The internet has changed the way the world does business. It has also changed the way we can shop. When you're looking for car insurance the internet provides you plenty of options.

There are literally hundreds of car insurance companies in the UK, some of them specialising in particular brackets, such as providing insurance for women only or providing specialised insurance for car modifiers. Most of them provide the three common types of insurance – Third Party Only (TPO), Third Party Fire & Theft (TPFT) and Fully Comprehensive (Fully Comp.) cover. TPO is the entering level of insurance and satisfies the basic needs of UK law.

We all need to get insurance but we all have different needs. Some of us are young and don't need a Fully Comprehensive Plan, opting more for Third Party Only because we're not planning on driving our cars that much anyway. Some of us are still learner drivers and need to find Provisional Insurance (which is very expensive). Others of us want a policy that's geared for our needs and comes with extras we will find very useful – such as handbag coverage if we're a woman, or covering a third party business if we are needing to insure our commercial van.

No matter what kind of insurance you're looking for the internet gives you many options – and it gives you convenience. When shopping around for car insurance, online quotes are incredibly helpful. Instead of phoning around trying to find someone knowledgeable to speak to, you can simply answer a few questions on a website and receive an online quote. Comparison websites will provide for you many different quotes for car insurance so that you can compare prices; and many insurance firms will offer you a 10 percent discount just for accepting a policy online.

However, like in all things, you need to be careful. Some comparison websites are not what they seem, but have selective deals with certain firms to recommend them over the others. Plus, if you decide to go with an online insurance company, make sure you have their phone number and address. The last thing you want is to be scammed by a bogus online operation!

Knowing which insurance type will suit your needs the most will certainly help you make a decision a lot easier. Also, once you have narrowed down the best prices you can begin to negotiate with the company to get a better price. This is where you may need to call them but you can often use e-mail as well. Check the details of the policy and make sure you're not paying for services you don't need. Also, you can lower your premiums by getting an alarm system or immobiliser installed in your car or by raising your excess (the amount you will contribute in the event of an accident). Have a chat to the insurance companies and ask them about discounts, specials, or how they feel about someone else's price being lower. You may find they will be very helpful and, if they aren't, then you know that their service – in general - is probably just as unhelpful.

The Best Monthly Car Insurance Plan

2009-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Having monthly car insurance is a good idea if you want to stay on the right side of the law, even if you have an old banger of a car. The fact is that you might smash into someone else's brand new Aston Martin, and if it's your fault you're going to have to pay.

UK law requires all motorists to have insurance or a security of some form. If a motorist does not want to pay for monthly car insurance they are required to make a deposit with the Accountant General of the Supreme Court. This deposit, as of 1991, is £500,000.

Monthly car insurance can be very costly for younger people as they are considered to be a higher risk. The reasons for this are obvious: Younger drivers tend to be more reckless; are more prone to drive cars that are not roadworthy; have less driving experience; and are more likely to be guilty of drink driving.

However, the costs for monthly car insurance (for young or older people) can be brought down by doing adequate research and looking at all the options. Most insurance companies offer the same three types of car insurance cover, namely “Third Party Only” , “Third Party Fire and Theft” and “Fully Comprehensive” cover. The minimum level of insurance required by the law is usually covered by “Third Party Only” but some insurance companies may sell “Road Traffic Act Only” insurance, which only covers the bare minimums to satisfy the law's requirements.

Here is each type in more detail:

Third Party Only Monthly Car Insurance
This covers the costs of any damage done to a third party in the event of an accident, which includes any injuries sustained by any third parties.

Basically, it covers the damage done to the third party's car (that you have crashed into) and any injuries or medical bills of the driver of that vehicle. Furthermore, it covers any of the passengers in the vehicle you've crashed into and any of your own passengers. In short, the only person the Third Party Only option does not cover is you. All of your medical expenses and vehicle damages are on your own account.

In addition, Third Party Only covers only accidents. If your car is stolen or subject to fire or any other kind of damage it is not covered.

Third Party Fire and Theft Monthly Car Insurance
This kind of monthly car insurance is exactly the same as Third Party Only, except that it does cover you if your car is stolen or subject to fire damage; as the name implies.

Fully Comprehensive Monthly Car Insurance
This is basically the best car insurance cover you can get – it covers all damages done to your car and the third party's car as well as all third party injuries. It also covers theft and fire. It doesn't cover your own injuries, however, which would need to be covered by your health insurance.

Which one is best?

The best type of monthly car insurance policy for you is dependent on a number of variables. Firstly, you need to assess the cost of your own car and choose an insurance that would be best for it. If you have a relatively expensive car, then a Fully Comprehensive Insurance plan is the better choice as the car would be expensive to fix otherwise.

Secondly, consider how much time you will spend driving the car. Obviously, less time spent on the road means you are less at risk. In this case, a more basic insurance cover would be preferable, most especially if it's a cheaper car. You don't want to end up paying more for your monthly car insurance than you do on paying for the actual car.

Surprisingly, many insurance companies offer a good deal on Fully Comprehensive plans and sometimes they may be cheaper depending on your kind of car. Shopping around is the best answer in finding out which plan is best for you.