There are a vast amount of online insurers that only deal with car insurance online and it is with one of these that you can get the cheapest deal when it comes to paying out your premium.

By making a comprehensive search online or by using a specialist online broker – you are able to quickly and easily compare quotes from many companies, however you should make sure that when you search for the best deal you take into account what is included in the policy.

Policies do vary in what they offer and many online companies offer incentives to get you with them, this is when you can take advantage and make the biggest savings on your premium. Never just jump for the cheapest policy before reading the small print, while a policy might seem cheap if you take into account that you would have to add on to the policy this of course will boost up the cost of your premium.

To start your search online use one of the popular search engines for car insurance, there are a lot out there and the majority of them will allow you to make a comparison for just one site by simply typing in a few details.

Of course the first thing you will have to decide is the type of insurance that you require for your needs, the most popular types include third party or fully comprehensive. Which you choose to take will depend on many factors such as your age, the type of car you are driving, the age of the car and the amount of cover that you require.

There are many add-ons that you can include in your car insurance, for example damage liability, breakdown cover and medical cover. While some companies will entice you by throwing in basic components others will charge you extra for adding these, so look around before buying.

Once you have decided which type of cover you want and any extras you might choose then the majority of sites will let you fill in the application online. Filling in an application online is the easiest and quickest way to get your cover, of course you will have to answer questions for the company to base their quote on and it is essential that you give them honest answers. If you have points on your license then it is essential that you tell them this.

Besides providing car insurance the majority of sites give plenty of excellent free advice when it comes to what policies involve and many explain the coverage within the policy, so you should always read this. However be aware also that many often hide exclusions and limitations within the small print so check this out too.

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.

An excess payment is the fixed contribution you must pay each time your car is repaired through your car insurance policy. Normally the payment is made directly to the accident repair garage when you collect the car. If your car is declared to be a write off, your insurance company will deduct the excess agreed on the policy from the settlement payment it makes to you.

If the accident was the other drivers fault, and this is accepted by the third party’s insurer, you’ll be able to reclaim your excess payment from the other person’s insurance company. But what if the other driver is uninsured?

All motorists know that it’s a legal requirement (under Section 143 of the 1988 Road Traffic Act) to have insurance for any damage they cause to third parties. But still many drive without insurance. An estimate of the incidence of uninsured driving in the UK is hard to come by and, for the obvious reasons, those drivers involved in breaking the law have every reason to keep quiet about it.

Calculations from the Department of Transport suggest that in the UK around 5% of vehicles are being driven without valid insurance. This group of people not only impose costs on honest motorists in the form of higher premiums, but their presence on our roads also represents a serious risk to other road users. Consequently, uninsured driving is increasingly being regarded as a major social problem.

But driving without insurance is not a victimless crime. If you have an accident with an uninsured driver and the accident wasn’t your fault, the repair costs will be paid for by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau that’s funded in its entirety by the industry, or by your insurer. Therefore, if you’re involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver you’ll eventually get you car repaired but you’ll still have to pay the excess and there’ll be no one to reclaim your excess from.

What is a Compulsory Excess?

A compulsory excess is the minimum excess payment your insurer will accept on your insurance policy. Minimum excesses do vary according to your personal details and driving record and by insurance company. Today the average excess is around 100, but younger drivers could be faced with excesses of up to 500 – whilst more mature, experienced drivers with a good driving record, could be offered an excess of just 50.

So what is a Voluntary Excess?
In order to reduce your insurance premium, you may offer to pay a higher excess than the compulsory excess demanded by your insurance company. Your voluntary excess is the extra amount over and above the compulsory excess that you agree to pay in the event of a claim on the policy. As a bigger excess reduces the financial risk carried by your insurer, your insurer I able to offer you a significantly lower premium.

The garage has repaired my car but it won’t release the car too me until I pay the policy excess to them. Is this right?

Yes, that is normal practice. But make sure you inspect the car when you collect it. Satisfy yourself that the repair is perfect. Then make sure you keep their receipt for your excess payment as you will need this if you’re reclaiming against a third party’s insurance. And just in case there’s a dispute, it’s a good idea to make sure the repair garage gives you a repair schedule. This will list all the repairs that were made to you car.

After so many experts have warned us that the cost of car insurance is on the rise, what’s happened? It’s fallen! It’s mostly down to the growing impact of shopping online.

In the second half of 2005 the average car insurance premium fell from 470.17 to 462.15. But it’s the silver surfers who’ve benefited most. During the last six months of last year, drivers over the age of 65 have seen their average premium fall by 4.5% from 342 to 347. What is most surprising are the huge differences in premiums between providers. Differences of 40% between the most expensive and the cheapest are common.

It seems that most motorists are not aware of this as every year, half of them automatically renew their insurance with their existing insurer. A further 19% only bother to get one competitive quotation.

And readers will be surprised who sells the expensive policies. A recent survey in Which, the consumer magazine, shows that Norwich Union – the UK’s biggest insurer – failed to come top in any of the 36 driver categories surveyed. Direct Line, another well-known name, only managed one top spot.

This is down to the marketing strategies of the big brand names. They have been building up their client base with low prices and heavy advertising and then gradually increase prices. They are clearly relying on apathy and brand loyalty to keep their clients. And with 50% automatically renewing, it works!

But if you decide to shop around, be careful. A low price isn’t everything. Some policies have mouth-wateringly low prices but skimp elsewhere.

For example, when your car is being repaired, do you want a courtesy car? Some policies only pay 100 or so for stolen audio equipment. Is that enough? Do you want to insure your personal belongings whilst they’re in your car? And crucially, some comprehensive policies won’t provide third party cover if you to drive another person’s car – even with their permission!

Before you decide, it’s wise to consider all these aspects.

But going back to price, if you think prices are cheapest on the Internet, you’re right! Internet quotations are normally 5% – 10% cheaper than telephone quotes.

When Internet shopping, most people look for the cheapest quote and then read the details about the cheapest policy to check out that they provide the cover that’s needed. You can hunt for the best deals by searching under car insurance but some of the discount insurance sites are more easily found if you type in discount car insurance or cheap car insurance.

But please remember, when renewal time comes around go shopping again. Don’t automatically renew! It’s so easy on the Internet as I found this year. My previous insurer quoted me 945 and I eventually bought it for 702. A saving of 243 for 30 minutes work.

Car insurance is one of the most expensive costs involved in driving a car, and it’s not something you can avoid – a minimum level of insurance is required by law. That doesn’t mean you have to blindly pay whatever your insurer quotes though, as there are several simple things you can do to reduce the cost of your premiums.

1)Shop around and buy online: Figures show that many people simply renew their current policies without shopping around. The internet makes it easy to compare prices from different insurers, so why not take advantage of this? Plus, you’ll usually get a discount of 10% or more just for buying your policy online.

2)Policy type: do you really need a comprehensive policy with all the extras? Going for a third party fire & theft policy can reduce your premiums hugely, and is definitely worth considering if your car isn’t an expensive model.

3)No claims discounts: Nearly all policies feature a discount that increases for every year you don’t make a claim. The higher the discount available, the more you could save. Also look at insurers offering a ‘no claims bonus for life’ feature, where your current discount level can be fixed forever, even if you have to make a claim somewhere down the line.

4)Excess: The excess on a policy is the amount of a claim you have to pay before the insurer pays the rest. Choosing to have a higher than standard excess level will usually mean lower premiums.

5)Security: Fitting your vehicle with an alarm, immobiliser, or other security devices can lead to premium reductions. Parking you car off-road, for example on a driveway or in a garage, will also mean a cheaper policy.

6)Pay annually: Many insurers charge you interest for the privilege of paying in monthly installments. Pay annually if you can afford it to avoid this, or look for one of the companies who don’t charge extra for monthly payment.

7)Mileage: The more mileage you run up every year, the more your insurance will cost. Even if you can’t reduce your mileage, make sure you’re not overestimating how much you actually do drive, and give your insurer an accurate figure.

8)Drivers: The more drivers you have on your policy, the more it will cost. Reduce the number of people insured to drive your car to the minimum possible, and try to get the policy in the name of a driver with the lowest risk profile. For example, if a car is driven by both a man and a woman, insuring it in the woman’s name will often result in a cheaper quote.