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How to get cheap car insurance quotes - six secrets revealed
Some car insurance premiums make sense. For example, if you live somewhere with more car crime or have a more expensive cars, you pay more.
But then there are things that companies use to set your car insurance premium that are a lot weirder.
For example, insurers have worked out surgeons have more accidents where they were to blame than any other profession and building society clerks the fewest. They know Virgos were worst for accidents last year, but Pisceans had more convictions.
That means they will up your premium based on age, sex, job, post code and where you park park as well as what you drive.
But insurance providers don't have to have to have it all their own way. Here are six ways to get cheaper car insurance.
1. Use the right job title
If you describe yourself as a “chef” when filling in your car insurance application your average quote is £98 higher than if you write “kitchen staff” comparison site GoCompare.com found – and it’s not just cooks that have this problem.
“Music teachers” pay £86 more than “teachers”, “office managers” pay more than “office administrators”, and “construction workers” pay more than “builders” who – in turn – pay more than “bricklayers”.
Basically, if your job fits in more than one category, check car insurance quotes are for all of them before applying.
But be careful, while you can often legitimately choose more than one job, if you knowingly misrepresent yourself that could invalidate your cover.
For more on how your job affects your car insurance, check out GoCompare’s guide .
And if you’re a full time parent or retired make absolutely sure you check that box and not “unemployed” – it could save you almost £300.
2. Add another more experienced driver to the policy
It’s a crime to say someone who isn’t the main driver of a car is, but adding a secondary driver is perfectly legal - and more than that, it can save you money.
Get their permission first, then add an experienced driver with a clean driving license and decent no-claims history to your insurance.
3. Never leave it till the last minute
Searching around and switching car insurance three weeks before your renewal date, rather than on the day, saves you an average of £280, comparison site Comparethemarket found – with even bigger savings available for younger drivers.
Oh, and make absolutely sure you do compare and switch – figures from Moneysupermarket.com show almost 6 million drivers just accept their auto-renewal quote – costing them £113 a year.
4. Get some cash back
Comparison sites make money because when you switch products with them they get a referral fee from the insurer. But if you’re clever, you can get that money yourself.
Topcashback is offering up to £70 cashback when you switch through them. Once you’ve compared prices and found which deal is cheapest, head over to one of them and see if you can get an even better deal by switching through the cashback site.
5. Pay up front
Did you know that many insurers charge interest on your payments if you spread the cost over the year? Well, they do. an average of £62 more Moneysupermarket worked out.
So if at all possible, pay up front.
Source: mirror.co.uk
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