Youve now got your drivers license and for months, you eagerly search for a new car. Once you find your dream car, youre ready to take it out on the open road. Or are you? In many countries, it is compulsory to purchase auto insurance before driving on public roads and property. Auto insurance protects a third party against the financial consequences of loss, damage, or injury caused by any vehicle.

When first purchasing auto insurance, it is important to understand all aspects of the insurance. First off, an excess has to be paid. This is a fixed amount of money that must be paid each time your car is repaired through the insurance policy. A compulsory excess is the minimum excess payment that your insurer will accept. This varies according to your own personal details, driving record, and of course, insurance company. A voluntary excess is an excess that you agree to pay on top of the compulsory excess in case of a claim on the policy. A bigger excess reduces financial risk for the insurer, and thus they can offer lower premiums.

Depending on the location of the insurer, premiums may be government mandated or may be based on statistical data. The premium may vary based on many different factors that the insurer may deem will have an effect on the cost of future claims. These factors include gender, age, driving history, and usage of the car.

Because men average more distance driven per year than that of women, they have a higher proportionality of accident involvement. This leads insurance companies to offer lower premiums to women as opposed to men.

Teenage drivers have no driving record, and so they are less experienced on the road. This is the reasoning behind offering these teenagers higher driving premiums. However, these premiums may be lowered if the teenager decides to go through further driving training on the training that was required to obtain his or her license.

Car usage is also a large factor in determining premiums. By logic, it can be deduced that with more usage of the car, there is more potential for accidents, and thus more potential for claims on the policy. Insurers can estimate car usage by odometer, GPS, and OBDII (OnBoard Diagnostic) based systems. With the odometer system, customers buy prepaid insured miles and keep track of them on their odometer to determine when they need more. The GPS system tracks the usage of the car as it moves and records the distance it has travelled. The OBDII system works by utilization of the TripSense device. This connects to a computers OnBoard Diagnostic port, which is in all cars built after 1996.

Auto insurance may be both a blessing and a curse. Financially, it may save you a lot of money and keep you safe; however, auto insurance, like health insurance, can result in a lot of disagreement with the insurer and the insured. It may be wise to do you research before committing to one insurance program.

The stark rise in car insurance and www.autonetinsurance.co.ukcar-insurancebusiness car insurance premiums, which was predicted by Norwich Union at the end of 2006 has not materialised.

One of the UKs biggest car insurers, Norwich Union had stated that in 2007 premiums would have to rise by 16% in order to cover the cost of increased claims. However, the latest AA British Insurance premium index indicates a rise of only 5.9% in comprehensive car insurance cover throughout the year.

The reason given for the halt in premium rates was the much fiercer competition engendered between the UKs top online insurance companies.

Typically, the report stated, UK drivers paid an average of 594 for fall comprehensive car cover in the previous year. The Index also reveals that those who shopped around in search of cheaper car insurance when it came time to renew the policy, paid on average 194 less, an indicated saving of upwards of 33 percent.

The data also revealed that car insurance for third party, fire and theft could also be cheaper when switching companies on renewal, achieving savings of as much as 225 a year below the average industry quote.

However there are other factors, which may have affected the accuracy of these statistics.

According to a recent article in The Guardian Money Column, the exact circumstances of each driver must be compared in order to reach a true comparison of what is actually the cheaper insurance option. For instance, some insurers will not offer cover for business or commercial use, and other insurers will not offer any kind of policy for younger drivers.

It has also been noted that often the cheapest of the insurers can subsidise their premiums by applying other costs and charges. An example of this can be found in the APR charged when the premiums are paid in monthly instalments. Extra costs have soared by as much as 39% when this has been applied. Also regular drivers abroad are offered free European cover by some insurers, whilst others may charge as much as an additional 20 for a two-week visit to France.

Interestingly, the consumer body icon Which? Discovered that insurance premiums could reduce by as much as 25% by buying directly from the designated companys website online.

The organisation also suggests that even if only third party, fire and theft is being considered, it would be beneficial to also get quotes for comprehensive www.autonetinsurance.co.ukcar-insurancecar insurance cover, as often
this type of cover may not cost much more, and it may be well worth paying the difference in order to secure additional security and peace of mind.

When it comes to buying your car insurance without a doubt the cheapest deals can be found online, this is simply due to the fact that companies who sell car insurance online dont have the overheads that high street companies do or have to have large amounts of staff and so can pass these savings onto you by offering cheaper premiums and incentives.

Not only can you get the cheapest premiums but you can do so all from the comfort of your own home, you are able to shop online at a time that suits you 247. Along with this you can also take full advantage of being able to get almost instant quotes and also compare a huge range of premium costs with a lot of companies at the same time. By doing this you ensure that you get the policy that you need while making the most savings. Another added benefit to shopping online for your car insurance is the amount of information you can find when it comes to the many different types of policy available.

The type of policy that you buy for your car insurance covers you for exactly the same as it would had you bought it from the high street, the only difference is that you make savings. When making a comparison check for the cheapest premiums it is essential that you make sure you know what the policy involves.

Some companies throw in incentives to get to sign with them such as offering free breakdown cover for a specified amount of time or similar offers and this is where you are able to make the biggest savings.

Bear in mind that if a policy is exceptionally cheap them it will probably only cover the very bare essentials and somewhere in the small print it could state that you will have to add additional cover. This is when the cheapest isnt always the best, as having to add on cover can boost up the premium considerably.

Before making comparisons for premiums you will of course have to know what type of car insurance you require and of course what that cover will give you. There are two main types of insurance and these are fully comprehensive which is the most expensive as it generally covers just about everything and third party which covers for incidents such as the theft of your car.

There are many other additional components when it comes to car insurance and you would be wise to check the options that are available. Of course the cover you need will depend on such as your age, type and size of car and how old the car is.

Insuring your car is without a doubt one of the costliest parts of motoring. However you can make savings when it comes to your car insurance just by following a few simple rules and using some common sense. Here are just some of the ways in which you can reduce your motor insurance premiums.

Before you buy your new or second hand car then check out which insurance group it is the lower, the better and the prices of insurance premiums. The insurance will be based on the cost of the car, its safety record and the risk of theft that comes with the model. You may be surprised how much the premiums can vary simply by owning a car in a higher insurance group.

The number one point – apart from buying a car in a low insurance group – to help save yourself some money is to shop around for your motor insurance. Simply by shopping around you can save yourself quite a bit of cash. Prices do vary widely from company to company so it is in your best interests to get at least three quotes, preferably more.

You can do this online, quickly and easily.

If your car is an older vehicle then consider reducing the type of cover you have for it. If it is worth less than 4000, Maybe just insure it as third party, fire and theft instead of fully comprehensive. This will lead to cheaper premiums.

Some companies offer discounts to those motorists who keep their mileage down. If you dont use your car a lot then consider going with such a company.

If you have no claims bonus, this will attract a discount. And if you have taken extensive or advanced lessons in driving then ask about reductions for this. Many companies offer cheaper premiums for those with excellent diving records or additional motoring qualifications.