Cheap Car Insurance And Theft - Deterrent Steps

You can reduce your rates considerably by compromising the scope of coverage you enjoy. That's NOT smart. Be that as it may, you can pay much less for superior coverage if you know the things that matter and take necessary precautions. These are tips that are good for you...

1. Features like automatic gas cut-off, alarms and other anti-theft devices are encouraged. Since they reduce the likelihood of your car being stolen they attract a reasonable discount. Thieves will think twice before attempting to steal a car with anti-theft devices.

2. Make sure your car is always parked in a safe place. This means that you have to do all within your power to NOT park your car in a red light district. Furthermore, you might even get discounts with your insurer if you show that you have a good garage.

Don't forget to always park your car in a well lit area when you're out. This is because thieves avoid well-lit areas but love operating in the dark. It's certainly not a good idea to leave your car in the open street all through the night.

3. It's a great idea to have your VIN etched. Doing this on places like your windows will make your vehicle less attractive to thieves since they'll find them more difficult to resell.

The more places you have your VIN etched the less attractive your car becomes to thieves. But certainly you'll use your imagination creatively since your aim is NOT to disfigure your vehicle.

4. If you must quickly get something inside, turn your car off, lock up and pocket your keys. Don't leave your car unlocked and running. This is an open invitation to any thief sniffing around. Every thief checks how easy a target is before making a move. An unlocked car with the engine running? What could be easier?

5. You can save more by visiting a minimum of five quotes sites. That way, you'll increase your chances of getting the lowest quotes available since five sites will give not less than 25 quotes altogether.

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Beat The Road Tax Blues With Cheaper Car Insurance

Gordon Brown's 2007 budget looks to have hit some drivers hard. If your car was registered after the 23rd March 2006 and emits more than 225g/km of CO2 it will fall into the new Band G bracket. If you car falls into this category your road tax will be increasing from £210 to £300 in 2007 and to £400 in 2008. Most family saloons, MPVs, 4x4s and sports cars are likely to fall into this new high tax band.

If your have a Band G car you do of course have the choice of changing to a lower band model; the road tax on a Vauxhall Corsa for example will decrease from £50 to £35 as it falls into Band B. For many people however this may not be an option. If you have a large family or run a small business driving an MPV or 4x4 may well be a necessity.

This being the case it makes good sense to offset the extra cost with savings in other areas. One area with the potential for good savings is car insurance. There are many actions you can take to lower your car insurance premium and any savings you make can help to pay your increased road tax bill:

• Increase your voluntary excess - increasing the amount you are prepared to cover yourself in the event of a claim can help to lower your car insurance premium. When considering this it is important to remember the potential cost if you need to claim on your policy.

• Downgrade your policy - if your car is relatively cheap it may be beneficial to take out cover for third-party, fire and theft rather than fully comprehensive cover.

• Park securely - parking your car on a secure drive or in a locked garage can help you obtain a lower motor insurance premium than if your car were parked in the street.

• Shop online - make use of the internet to search the market quickly to find cheap car insurance. A full online search could unearth policies that traditional methods may not and some car insurance companies offer discounts for policies purchased online.
• Mileage - calculating and limiting the number of miles you drive each year can help to lower your car insurance when you are looking for a quote. If your circumstances change (i.e. a shorter work commute) then limiting your mileage could prevent you paying for miles you are not covering.

• Limit modifications - heavily customising or modifying your car can lead to higher premiums as it promotes a 'boy-racer' image in the eyes of insurance companies.

• Fit an immobiliser - installing an approved immobiliser has the dual benefit of making you car more secure and could help to lower the cost of your car insurance.

• Pass Plus - if you have recently passed your driving test completing the Pass Plus training programme can help you qualify for car insurance discounts from a range of participating companies; the Pass Plus certificate can only be obtained within 12 months of passing your practical test.

If the car you drive means you are likely to face expensive road tax increases look to offset the cost by seeking out a lower car insurance premium. As with many other drivers there are numerous ways you can lower your premiums and following these steps may help you free up some cash to meet the increased financial demands of being a motorist.

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Car Insurance : How Can I Lower My Premiums?

During the last few years, the average car insurance premium has virtually been at a stand still. The reason is price competition. There are now over 100 car insurance companies fighting for your business and competition is fierce. There are always bargains to be found as companies cut their premiums to attract motorists in the hope you'll remain loyal and stick with them in following years. Indeed, every year, 23% of us renew our motor insurance with our existing insurer.

But in recent years the Internet has created a revolution in the marketing of car insurance. It makes shopping around so easy without the need to make loads of phone calls and without spending time threading yourself through the automated phone systems beloved by so many call centres.

But you'd be wise to remember that the lowest premium is not always the best. For example, some insurers have recently pushed up the level of claims excess they want you to pay as this helps them provide you with a much lower quote. You should also check out whether a courtesy car is provided if your car is in for repair. You might also feel you want legal insurance cover and automatic windscreen replacement. An accident helpline can also very useful in the middle of an emergency! You'll need to phone the broker or insurance company you're thinking of dealing with in order to check out these points.

17 Top Tips for cheaper car insurance :

Get your online quotes through car insurance brokers. Their computer systems will search for the best quotes from 40 or more car insurers and save you lots of time. When you've got their cheapest quote, phone them to discuss the relative merits of the cheapest quotes they found.

Garage your car at night. Insurance companies know that a car left on the road at night is much more vulnerable to theft and damage. If you don't have a garage, if possible keep it on your drive.

Update the estimate of your mileage each year. If you've moved home or changed your job you may have shorter commuting journeys. If so, your premiums should be less.

Your premium can be influenced by your job. Landlords, journalists, and professional footballers to name but a few, all pay more! Go for a job that's a bit more boring! Accountants and civil servants pay less!

Getting married could save money on your car insurance, particularly if you're male and under 30.If you're under 25, add an older experienced driver with a good riving record onto your policy as a named driver. But don't let him be too old! – premiums start rising again after age 60!

Consider paying a higher accident excess. The average excess is about £100. If you are prepared to increase you claims excess, your premium will fall significantly.If you have cheap or old car, consider buying just 3 rd Party cover. Get quotes for 3 rd Party and comprehensive insurance and weigh up the savings.

Are you aged between 18 and 21? Then consider pay as you go insurance. Norwich Union has recently introduced the first pay as you go insurance policy, which charges you exactly for the miles you drive. It also charges more for the miles you drive between 11 and 6 at night. The system works through a Global Positioning System which is fitted to your car for a one off fee of £199. The GPS black box tells Norwich Union how many miles the car's been driven and they send you an monthly invoice.

A new driver? Spruce up your driving technique by taking some more driving lessons. New drivers can slash their insurance costs by as much as 35% by taking Pass Plus lessons. These give you extra training for driving in rush hour traffic, motorway driving and night driving. Lessons cost between £15 and £30 per hour. (www.passplus.org.uk). You can also reduce your premium if you've taken a course with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (www.iam.org.uk).

Buying a new car? Then check out the insurance group before you buy. Cars fall into one of 20 insurance groups with 1 being the cheapest and 20 the most expensive. If the proposed insurance premium is too high, chose a car that's in a lower group.

High spec and performance cars attract thieves and are more expensive to repair - so they always cost more to insure. Consider something with a little less voroom!

It's hard we know, but try hard not to speed! Most insurance companies will ignore one fixed penalty fine but get more and your premium will rise.

Got 4 or more years no claims discount? Pay the extra get the discount protected.

Fit a satellite navigation system. Some insurance companies have noticed that sat nav cuts the accident rate by letting drivers concentrate on the road. Insurers will soon be giving discounts if you have it fitted.

Get a engine immobiliser or alarm fitted. It could save you between 5-8%.

Got more than one car in the home? Some insurers will give a discount for insuring them all in one policy.

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Getting The Best Out Of Cheap Car Insurance

If you're seriously interested in knowing about Cheap Car Insurance, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about Cheap Car Insurance.

For years, car insurance has been a source of much annoyance for motorists. Many individuals have complained about what they see as unfair premiums and price hikes that have seen many of them unable to afford the insurance policies that they want whilst settling for any policy that will cover them as they legally need it to remain on the road.

The incidences of third party insurance have gone up as a result because, whilst nowhere near as good as comprehensive insurance in terms of what you are actually covered for, third party insurance is much cheaper. However, insurers have noticed the decline, as well as a relative decline in profits and cheap car insurance has arisen as a result.

Cheap car insurance is widely available on the financial market today purely and simply because there is a demand for it. Instead of penalising every driver out there for the irresponsible behaviour of a few, insurance companies are now offering a whole host of products under the cheap car insurance heading for good drivers that have just been unlucky in the past.

They have come up with a whole range of deals and discounts to try and tempt drivers into taking out insurance with them rather than a rival company, and this has made sure that prices remain competitively cheap. For a good idea of the cheap car insurance available, you can use a search and compare site on the Internet. It will save you time and money, as well as returning the best deals that are relevant to you.

There are a number of cheap car insurance special deals around, many of which take the following forms:

Now that we've covered those aspects of Cheap Car Insurance, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

No claims bonus incentive – This is one of the most popular because no claims discount can knock a good percentage of the premium off the total cost of insurance. It is also popular amongst companies because a no claims bonus tends to mean that individuals are unlikely to claim. If they have avoided an accident for so many years then they are statistically unlikely to get into an accident in the near future. This cheap car insurance is most definitely a winner all round.

Women only cheap car insurance – Women only cheap car insurance is also extremely popular, with many companies now specializing in female only car insurance. Females get into and cause fewer accidents than men if the most recent motorist statistics are to be believed. As a result, companies are able to offer cheaper premiums to females. This is not so much sexist as it is logical. Cheap car insurance is available to women because they cost insurance companies less money overall.

Cashback deals – Finally, cashback deals are also popular and drive the cost of car insurance down. Whilst not giving you cheap car insurance as such, many companies actually promise to beat the quotes that you have received elsewhere or make up the difference via cash returns. This forces companies to keep their insurance premiums low and means that you do not lose out when you choose the car insurance that you need at the price that best suits you – the cheapest!

Cheap car insurance can be found if you weigh up the pros and cons of all deals. You should ultimately choose the one of the above options that is best for you and your circumstance. With petrol and the cost of living so high, why not save money when you can?

Of course, it's impossible to put everything about Cheap Car Insurance into just one article. But you can't deny that you've just added to your understanding about Cheap Car Insurance, and that's time well spent.

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