Your Car Insurance in 2008

For most of us the hassle of managing our finances gets more difficult every year; food bills, petrol prices, council tax, utility bills and mortgages repayments are set to rise in 2008.

Add to that credit cards, loans, holidays, Christmas (yes I mentioned the “C” word in January) and 2008 is already shaping up to be an expensive and stressful year.

Insurance makes matters worse too; house, car, life, travel, pet the list goes on and on.

With all this to handle a little friendly advice can go along way so when it comes to car insurance we’re happy to start 2008 with an overview of what you can expect from your car insurance provider and how to get the best deal.

Lets start with the bottom line, money…

Cost

Car insurance in 2008 can be summed up in two words: HIGHER PREMIUMS

Nobody wants to pay them but this is what many of us will face in 2008 unless positive action is taken.

Insurance companies should exist to provide protection at a reasonable price. But many exist to make profit. All have expenses to cover and many have shareholders to please.

As a result they need to make more money. And where do they get this from? Us of course!!

Many insurance renewals this year will be sent out not with lower quotes to reward loyalty but with premium increases to take advantage of customer lethargy and improve revenue figures.

It’s not just existing drivers that will be targeted either; those who pass their tests in 2008 will face high motor insurance costs as companies use “high risk” drivers with no NCB to boost profits – young drivers, especially young make drivers (read “boy racer” in insurer’s eyes) will be ruthlessly targeted.

So how do we combat rising insurance costs in 2008? We start by confronting the insurance companies themselves…

Insurance Companies

As we’ve already said insurance companies exist to make profit BUT they also need to compete with each other to win our custom.

This is where we can push the advantage of “you need me more than I need you”.
When that renewal letter arrives odds are you will be looking at a rise in the cost of you car insurance premium.

Should this be the case call your insurer immediately and challenge the increase.

If you’ve made no claims during the year and built up more NCB then a rise in price is unfair and unacceptable. Insurers are banking on the chance you won’t fight back and in the majority of cases confronting your insurer will result in your premium being lowered in order for them to retain your business.

If you are getting insurance for the first time then shop around for quotes and play the insurers against each other, challenging them to beat the price offered by their competitors in order to win you as a valuable customer can lead to huge savings.

Remember insurance agents are under pressure to meet targets so use this to drive down the price.

Now that we’ve taken the first steps to avoiding higher car insurance costs we shouldn’t rest on our laurels. There are savings to be had if you’re prepared to spend a little time on the research.

Whether you want to switch from your current insurance company or you’re buying car insurance for the first time using price comparison sites can help…

Price Comparison Sites

Millions of people in the UK use price comparison sites every year to buy their car insurance online.

Using these sites you can search once and get quotes from around 50-60 insurance companies.

This is an excellent tool in helping to compare prices and unearth good deals, but how will they work in 2008?

Firstly there will be more of them, over the last few years the two main names were confused.com and moneysupermarket.com – in 2007 many others including gocompare.com, comparethemarket.com and tescocompare.com emerged.

In 2008 we can expect to see even more variations start up, trying to cash in by referring us to insurance providers

With more competition in the price comparison market our best bet is to use several of them to search for car insurance quotes, some will have better technology or exclusive offers so results will differ from site to site.

Nevertheless price comparison sites do take a lot of the hard work aware from getting quotes and if they can help us save money on our car insurance then they are certainly worth a few minutes of our time.

Armed with the knowledge that we can challenge our insurers over the cost of our policy and with a vast array of free comparison services at our disposal what is there to stop us making a saving on our car insurance in 2008?

Well in a word…

…us

One of the main factors in a customer paying high insurance premiums is the customer themselves…

Customers

Lets not mince words, we all hate insurance; it costs to much, takes time out of our lives to arrange and deep down we all think insurance companies are out to rob us.

The result of all these negative thoughts is we don’t link having to deal with insurance, we’d rather just push it to the back of our minds and forget about it.

But this is exactly what the insurance companies rely on when they send out your annual renewal (accompanied with a vicious price increase)

The onus is on you, me and all other customers to fight back and obtain a fair and competitive policy. Any remnants of being rewarding for your loyalty is fast evaporating from the insurance market.

Summary

There is no hiding away from it; 2008 is going to be hard on our finances and when it comes to car insurance we face the prospect of higher premiums

But all is not lost; we know we can use the competitive nature of the market against the insurance companies and that we can use price comparison tools to quickly compare a large number of quotes.

Once you find the best deal for you it’s time to be ruthless and switch.

Let battle commence!

A (Very) Belated Happy New Year To All

We’re a little late getting started this year but don’t worry, we’re back now and raring to go. So, what’s in store for the blog in 2008?

Well, plenty of money saving tips and guides for a start! Add to that reviews of providers and comparison sites and any other news from the car insurance arena.

All together a healthy mix of news, reviews and advice to make sure we all get the best deal possible from the car insurance premiums we so loath to pay.

Pretty soon we’re going to kick off the year with a look at what 2008 holds for the world of car insurance. So as the saying goes, WATCH THIS SPACE!!

How Does Car Insurance Work

Many of us know we have to have car insurance(or car insurance northern ireland) in order to get our license and tags. However there are some that don't really understand the actual policy or how it works to protect us. There are also different requirements for having a loan or lease on a vehicle rather than just owning it out right. Insurance companies ask a lot about our daily lives such as how we use the car, where we park it, and other aspects of driving to ascertain the risk we might pose to the vehicle they are covering.

Car insurance works in that we choose a level of coverage whether it is just liability or includes comprehensive and collision. There is also a choice in the amount of actual coverage regarding motorist, uninsured motorist, and medical. The amounts and type of coverage you choose is what will determine the premium you will pay on a month to month, six month, or yearly basis depending on the terms of your policy.

The amounts you have chosen and the type of coverage will tell the car insurance company how much they will have to pay out in the event of an accident caused by you or another driver. In other words they cover the damage that affects the car. For certain damage like windshields you will have a deductible that you have to meet in order to process a claim. If you have damage to your car from a break in, a rock thrown at the windshield, or an accident that you have been in you have to report the issue to the company in order to get a payout. The car company is going to ask for full details regarding the claim, the information from the accident claim, such as any ticket given to you and of course any damage to the other car if you caused the accident. They will ask that the car be taken to one of their mechanics that they have in their company logs. The mechanic is then going to report the amount of damage and how much it will cost to fix it. The car insurance will then take the quote and all information. In some cases they may consider the car totaled and will not offer any settlement towards fixing the car.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-does-car-insurance-work-315908.html

First Car Buying Tips

I don't know about you, but when I bought my first car I didn't have a lot of information to go on for the process. I admit I had two cars previously to the first car I bought, but those deals were made by my father. He was the man with the money and he was paying for the cars outright. So when I decided to trade in my car for a different model and a newer vehicle I needed a little help from those who had bought cars before. I didn't want to make a mistake and get an unfair deal from a dealership or private owner. The great thing was I had my parents to help me find the information I needed to purchase that car. I even had my mom come help me make the deal. It took us a little over five hours and closing the joint, but I walked away with one of the best deals on a 2000 vehicle that I could have for my financial state as well as my credit history.

Car Buying Tips

What you need to know about buying your first car is quite simple. First you need to know all about the car you are interested in buying. You need to know what that car would cost new, what the used retail price is for a dealership as well as a private sale, and what condition the car is in. You also need to know if it has any bells and whistles added on to it as that will affect the price. Kelly Blue Book and other consumer reports will allow you to find out all of the information you need for a general search. Armed with this information you can negotiate a fair price. If you have a trade in you should also know the value on that for trading it in to a dealer as opposed to selling it privately.

You also need to know about your credit history. You need to know where your credit scores stand. You also want to know where you will stand regarding the dealership score. The look at your FICO score as well as a risk score that they calculate. They are basically looking to see if you can afford the car you are interested in buying. If you don't have a credit history that is very lengthy you can expect any car loan to be offered a little higher than seems fair. They are just trying to establish your risk and since you don't have much of a history they consider you more of a risk.

Once you know both the car facts and the financial situation you are in you are ready to deal. You let the dealerships know that you have done your homework. Also let them know you are willing to walk away if the deal isn't to your specifications, not there. There are several tactics they can use like saying, "We have to make some profit," or "I work on commissions." You have to be in control not the other way around.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/first-car-buying-tips-314790.html

The Wacky World of Car Insurance

Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK, and indeed most of the world, and yet there are some drivers who don't believe it's necessary. Now the law allowing police to seize any uninsured car has come into force, the number of uninsured drivers on British roads has fallen.

Traditionally, cars are insured against fire, theft, vandalism, and other damage from a third party. It's not so well known, however, that cars are also insured against Third Potato and Act of Cow…

No, you didn't read that wrong! In recent years, car insurance claims have actually been filed for more unorthodox reasons such as potatoes making a bid for freedom and getting lodged behind brake pedals, and cows deciding that a car looked like a tasty snack and having a lick, damaging the paintwork in the process.

And these are just the more believable motor insurance claims. Pity the driver who had a claim made against them because their car door opened by itself when they drove round a bend, launching a frozen kebab at a passing car and causing untold damage. Or the driver who suddenly found himself with a frozen squirrel as a passenger – the chilly rodent had fallen out of a tree and crashed through the unfortunate person's windscreen.

So when you're shopping around for that cheap car insurance policy, don't forget to ask if you're covered for Potatoes, Kebabs and Bovine Damage too…

Online Car Insurance Quotes

If you are looking for car insurance, one of the fastest and best ways to get a great deal on insurance today is to get online and look for online car insurance quotes. There are so many car insurance companies out there, but long gone are the days that you have to go visit an insurance broker or call around trying to find a great rate. Instead, you can just get on your computer, and with a few clicks of the mouse you'll have what you need right on your screen. So, the following are a few of the best benefits that you can enjoy when you go online for your car insurance.

You Can Shop for

Car Insurance

at Home

One of the main benefits of checking out online car insurance quotes is that it gives you the ability to shop for car insurance at home. You'll save money on gas, which is a big consideration these days, and you won't spend your time driving from place to place looking for a decent quote. All you'll have to do is boot up your computer, get online, and start searching for the quotes you need.

The Quotes are Free and Instant

Another great benefit of going online for your car insurance needs is that the online car insurance quotes you'll get are free and instant. You won't have to pay a thing to get quotes, even from several different companies. As soon as you fill out their forms you'll get instant quotes, so you won't have to wait around wondering what they'll want to charge you. However, it is important that you always fill out these forms accurately or there may be a discrepancy with the quote you are given.

Quick Forms to Fill Out

The forms that you have to fill out online to go your online car insurance quotes are usually quick and easy to fill out. You won't have to worry about mountains of paperwork to complete; in fact, usually you can have the forms completed and submitted within about five minutes or so. So, going online for your car insurance quotes definitely makes it both quick and easy to get the car insurance quotes that you want and need.

Easy to Compare Rates

It is extremely easy to compare rates when you get online car insurance quotes as well. If you want to get the best deal on your car insurance, comparing rates is the best way to do so, and if you don't look online, it can take a lot of time to get and compare different rates for your car insurance. There are actually sites that will offer you multiple online car insurance quotes and show you which ones are the best deals for you, which is a huge help. So, if you want to compare the car insurance quotes to find the best deal, going online is definitely going to be the quickest and easiest way to do this.

You'll Save Money

Yet another benefit of going with online car insurance quotes is that you'll send money. Not only will you be easily able to compare rates to get a great deal, but many car insurance companies actually offer better rates to customers who get their insurance online. So, you'll be able to save money on car insurance, just by going online to get your quote.

10 Ways to Lower your Car Insurance Payments

As you can see, there are many great benefits to getting online car insurance quotes. They are easy to get, quick, and they'll help you save some money as well. So, if you are looking for a great deal on your car insurance, consider going online to get a quote today.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/online-car-insurance-quotesget-the-benefits-of-them-299335.html