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Car Insurance

5 key criteria used to determine your car insurance quote

We all want the best car insurance price possible, but finding very cheap insurance companies isn’t always easy. What sort of factors do insurers take into account when they provide you with your quote?

1. The car’s value

Of course, a prime consideration is the vehicle’s value. An older, less valuable car will likely not cost so much money to repair, and the threshold for writing it off altogether will be lower. Many people fall into the trap of overvaluing their cars when searching for an insurance quote – be sure to get an independent valuation before you apply.

2. The vehicle’s engine size

Car insurance quotes are calculated based on your risk of having or being involved in an accident, or the likelihood of your vehicle being stolen. If you have a powerful, desirable car it’s going to be more of a target for car thieves, and you’re simply far more likely to lose control of it when driving – as such, they’re usually expensive to insure.

3. Where you keep the vehicle

Another key element of the quote is where the vehicle is stored overnight. If your vehicle is outside on the street, it’s far more likely to be broken into or damaged than a vehicle that is kept in a secured garage. Finding somewhere safe to put your car at night not only keeps it in better condition but will potentially make it cheaper to insure.

4. How many miles do you drive a year?

When you get your car insurance quote, you’ll be asked what your annual mileage is. Again this is to calculate the statistical odds of you being involved in an accident – if you’re on the road more, you’re more likely to be involved in an incident. So someone who does 2000 miles a year is much less likely to claim someone who does 10,000 miles.

5. Have you made a claim on your insurance before?

The so-called ‘no clams bonus’ can be a great way to save money on a quote, as it shows you have a proven record of safely driving as you haven’t needed to claim. The longer you don’t claim, the higher the bonus will be.

Photo: Free image by Pixabay
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Car Insurance

Important factors to consider when looking for car insurance as a new driver

So you’ve passed your test – congratulations! However, for some newly qualified drivers, the realisation of how much car insurance can cost comes as a shock to the system. If you’ve so far got by on temporary coverage, or been added as a provisional driver to a long-standing insurance policy on a parent or friend’s vehicle, you may now be facing the unexpected challenge of finding a online insurance that covers you on your own vehicle.

Size really does matter

One key factor in determining the cost of insurance premiums is the engine size of the vehicle. So if you haven’t yet bought a car, make sure you research the comprehensive insurance costs of all the options you are considering. Even cars that at first glance seem similar may have noticeably different insurance premiums due to just a small variation in engine size.

More mods mean more money

Although it might be tempting to raise or lower the car or add alloys or larger wheels, this may not be a great idea. Insurers do not tend to look favourably on modifications. They can noticeably increase the cost of insurance, and failure to declare modifications that you have made can render your insurance invalid, so take great care when making changes!

Mind the gap

A final factor to consider is whether the full value of your car would be protected if you were to have an accident that wrote the vehicle off. New vehicles lose a lot of their value in the first year. This depreciation means that if a car is damaged in an accident, and the insurance will only payout on the current value, you could stand to lose a significant amount of your initial investment. This can be particularly problematic if you have bought your car on finance – you could end up with a big bill, which would not be entirely covered by the insurance payout.

This is where a relatively new insurance product, gap insurance, comes in. Designed primarily for new drivers and nearly new cars, this insurance will cover the difference between any outstanding finance payments you owe on the car, and the payment from your main insurance policy. For new drivers with new cars, this is definitely a factor worth considering.

Photo: Free image by Pixabay