Online Auto Insurance

The internet has most definitely made insuring a car a much easier task than in the old days where the process consisted of trawling through the Yellow Pages and spending several hours on the phone repeating the same details over and over to various insurance companies or brokers.

One of the most convenient things of all is the upsurge of price comparison websites. They are not difficult to find and many of the well known ones advertise heavily on TV, their adverts being easily remembered because of the cute animals or the annoying singing!

One of the main reasons they have become so popular is because their users only have to enter all of the information about themselves and their vehicle once in order to obtain multiple quotes from a wide variety of car insurance providers. In addition, there are often customer reviews of each insurer available for those who like to be extra thorough in their research.

There is a huge amount of competitiveness between car insurance companies so another advantage of purchasing on the Internet is online-only offers, most often representing a percentage saving off the total premium when compared to buying a policy over the telephone or through a land-based insurance broker.

For consumers who have any type of special car insurance requirements, the Internet has made it much easier to find out who the specialist insurers are and review them before making contact and also to find out which insurers offer the facility to pay monthly.

One of the main circumstances where it is worthwhile obtaining individual quotes is for families with more than one vehicle. Investing in a multi-car policy, which can usually cover up to five vehicles, can offer substantial savings when compared to the cost of five separate policies, as well as being much easier to keep track of.

Owners of classic or modified vehicles will know that `standard` car insurers will often load their premiums because of the age of their vehicles or because they have been altered from the manufacturer`s specification. Searching online can readily identify companies who specialise in these types of vehicles and may be able to offer a much better deal.

Classes of driver that attract especially high premiums, such as those with motoring convictions or drivers under 25 years of age, may also benefit from some additional research into alternative insurers who can sometimes adapt policies and reduce the premium by raising, then re-insuring the excess payable for example.

Purchasing car insurance online is most likely the quickest, most convenient way to obtain instant vehicle cover when needed. It is a facility available from all of the main insurance providers and in many cases can be considerably cheaper than obtaining it from any other source.

Insurers who offer online purchase will often offer other incentives to buy such as a cashback, free breakdown cover or some other sort of free gift in addition to a good price, although these offers are usually for a limited period of time to encourage potential customers to make a fast decision.

Best Car Insurance

There are now so many car insurance companies from which to choose that it can be difficult to know where to start the search for the best deal. The Internet has definitely opened up many opportunities in this respect and for most people the logical place to begin looking is online.

However, the Internet does not always provide the best solution or the cheapest premium for every vehicle and/or driver situation so it is equally important to consider all of the options available before making a final choice.

Price Comparison Websites

There are several well-advertised, reliable price comparison websites. They have a big advantage over using individual company websites because all of the personal and vehicle details required to obtain a quote will only have to be entered once to access the cost of a policy and other information about a large number of different car insurance providers.

TV/Press Advertising

There are some car insurance providers who do not have their details included on price comparison websites; instead they will use newspapers, magazines and television to advertise themselves and any current special offers. They invariably have a website where a firm quote and policy can be arranged if required or a free telephone number to call if preferred.

Local Insurance Brokers

For those who do not mind leaving their desk to arrange their car insurance, it is sometimes worth visiting the office of a local insurance broker. The broker then does the hard work of finding the best quote and sometimes they have access to some better deals than can be found through other sources.

Members Privileges

Members of trade societies, motoring organisations and subscribers to certain magazines may be able to access special rates for car insurance as a part of their membership privileges. Anyone who is a member should certainly check if this is the case and otherwise consider joining up if the cost-saving justifies it.

Specialist Insurance

Depending on circumstances, sometimes a specialist car insurance company can offer the best deal. This may be applicable to the class of the driver or the car itself e.g.

. Young drivers
. Convicted drivers
. Multiple vehicles in the same family
. Classic vehicles
. Policy add-ons (excess insurance, legal or breakdown cover etc.)

Although each quote for these groups would have to be obtained individually rather than by comparison, the savings to be made easily outweigh the effort of doing so.

Car insurance is not at all a cheap commodity and many providers offer the option of spreading the premium over a period of time, usually 10-12 months, but there will be interest added for this privilege, the percentage varies from company to company and can be quite high in some cases.

In certain circumstances it may work out cheaper to take out a loan (at the right rate) and pay the insurance premium in full rather than taking the monthly option from the insurer. This is easy to check using a loans calculator which can be found on many price comparison or finance websites.

Average monthly income gap over £400

Britons face an income gap of £411 per month between their current net income and what they believe would allow for a comfortable life, according to new research from Aviva. The insurer’s latest “Times of our Lives” report puts the perceived shortfall at £7,236 per year gross, although the 25 to 34 age group felt [...]

Telematics technology cuts crashes by 20%

The Co-operative Insurance has conducted analysis of 10,000 young driver insurance claims and found that those with telematics (‘smart box’) insurance are 20% less likely to have a crash than those with standard insurance. The research looks at driving behaviour of 17 to 25 year olds across the country, a year after The Co-operative’s Young [...]

Telematics technology cuts crashes by 20%

The Co-operative Insurance has conducted analysis of 10,000 young driver insurance claims and found that those with telematics (‘smart box’) insurance are 20% less likely to have a crash than those with standard insurance. The research looks at driving behaviour of 17 to 25 year olds across the country, a year after The Co-operative’s Young [...]

Willis makes senior corporate appointments

Willis has announced new appointments to its operating committee and executive committee. Gioia Ghezzi has taken up the post of chief operating officer and will oversee a number of corporate functions while managing global structure to drive revenue growth and increase efficiencies. Ms Ghezzi succeeds Tim Wright (now chief executive officer of Willis International) having [...]

Willis Re appoints Asian CEO

Willis Re has appointed James Beedle as chief executive officer of its Asian operations. Mr Beedle joined the Willis Re team in 1998 and has since worked with numerous global insurance company clients, focusing on the strategic use of reinsurance to assist with capital management and earnings volatility. In 2008, he was appointed chief operating [...]

Groupama to become eBike’s underwriter

Groupama Insurances has reached an agreement whereby it will become the sole underwriter of motorcycle policies sold via eBike, the online motorbike insurance provider. The deal will see 34,000 live motorbike policies shift from Southern Rock, the present underwriter of eBike, to Groupama by the end of 2012. Customers of eBike, part of Brightside Group, [...]

Which? campaigns on insurers’ hidden fees

Which? is claiming that some home and car insurers are taking consumers for a ride by charging exorbitant “hidden” fees for basic policy changes and renewals. The consumer group reviewed the terms and conditions on the websites of 39 car insurers and 34 home insurers only to find that there are often costly fees to [...]

Snacking behind the wheel a drag on reaction times

Motorists who are driving and eating at the same time can see their reaction times almost double, according to a University of Leeds study commissioned by esure. Participant’s reaction times increased by 44% when snacking, meaning that a five-second gap in response time with two hands on the wheel stretches out to just over seven [...]