12 Ways to Drive Down Your Car Insurance Premiums
By Simon Christopher


Even if you take the monthly premium option, motor insurance can take a substantial bite out of your disposable income, especially if you fall into certain high risk categories. Young drivers, city dwellers and males consistently pay more for their car insurance and it seems to always be a one-way street with ever increasing rates.

However, there are ways to cut costs and regain some level of control. Although some factors which do influence the price you pay cannot be changed, such as your age, gender and address, others are within your control. Here are some things that you CAN do to bring that premium down a few pegs.

1. Garage your car. If you can build garage space or negotiate off-street parking with your landlord, it can knock about 10% off of your car insurance premium.
2. Have your car kitted out with a steering lock or immobiliser to make it a harder target for thieves. If your car is particularly expensive or desirable, consider a tracking device.
3. Only pay for insurance that you need. If your car isn't worth a whole lot, consider dropping all insurance other than third party, fire and theft.
4. Choose your car carefully when buying. Check with insurers to find out which makes and models cost the least to insure in your area.
5. Check out the specialist insurers, but don't assume they have a monopoly on good deals. While some people may find their best prices at insurers like Sheilas Wheels, who specialise in insuring women drivers, others find that they get better deals from mainstream insurers. When you shop around, the reality of the market is revealed as opposed to the illusion of marketing hype.
6. If you're in your teens or early twenties and still living at home, see if you can piggyback on your parents car insurance policy. It's the cheapest way to go, and some insurers will consider your driving record when you're ready to take out a policy of your own.
7. Consider a pay as you go plan which allows you to pay for your car insurance the same way you pay for your phone service - you pay for what you use. With pay as you go, your premium will be based on how much, when and where you drive. You can easily cut costs when you need to by cutting down on the amount that you drive.
8. Shop around and compare. Rather than automatically renewing your policy with your existing insurer, shop around. Most insurers offer lower premiums to new customers as teasers and inducements. Take the time to compare as much of the market as possible using internet insurance comparison sites that allow you to get quotes from several different insurers at once.
9. Check beyond the internet. A number of the cheapest insurers aren't listed on many comparison sites. Be sure to check Tesco and Direct Line for quotes as well.
10. Get both an online quote and a phone quote from the same insurers. Often, you can knock 10-15% off the premium if you buy over the internet - but that's not always the case.
11. If you really like your current company, give haggling a try. Just ring up your insurer and tell them the best quote you've got - then let them know that you'd really rather remain with them. They just might match it to keep your business.
12. Pay your premium annually if you can manage it. It's tempting to spread your cost for insurance out over the year by paying monthly installments, but what you're really doing is financing your insurance policy, which means that you're paying interest. You can save a good chunk on your premium by paying it all up front - and not have to worry about missing payments later in the year.

For more tips, tactics and ideas you can use to cut your motor insurance premiums, visit the car insurance article library at http://www.uk-insurance-index.co.uk/car-insurance-articles-1.html where you'll also find customer reviews of big name car insurance companies like Churchill and Direct Line

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