5 Ways To Reduce Your Car Insurance Premium

Car insurance premiums have risen by over 10% since last year; the highest seen for the past decade, and the upward trend is set to continue with a further 3% increase already in recent months. Insurers are putting this down to a number of reasons, like the rise in claims being made. Increased personal injury and legal expenses claims for instance are main contributing factors to the hike in car insurance quotes.
Given car insurance is a legal necessity for anyone taking a vehicle to the road, paying for it therefore cannot be avoided. There are however a number of ways to bring the cost of car insurance down and here are my top five:

1. Do Not Believe Everything You Hear
Despite what you see or hear in car insurance advertisements, securing a good deal is not just about comparing prices. Car insurance is a lot more intricate than this, and therefore warrants it bit more attention. Understand exactly what you need your policy to cover, and consider factors like how often you use your car, as this will impact the type of policy best suited to your needs. It is a fact that many of us end up renewing our policies each year without considering any changes in our circumstances. This is largely a waste of money, and people end up with levels of cover they never use. Taking a few minutes to review your policy details will save you money, so is always worth doing.
2. Use The Internet
Searching for the most suitable cover at the best price is now easy and fast, thanks to the internet and price comparison websites like Confused.com. They take the hassle out of spending hours shopping around, by providing compare dozens of insurance policies in the same place at the same time. One thing to note is that whist price comparison websites give a sound base for making a choice, they do not all work in the same way. This is because some assume your requirements, which could mean that you end up with an inflated price or indeed a much lower one than what you end up with. A simple way to prevent this from happening is to use only those websites that guarantee accurate premium prices based on the information you provide.
3. Arrange Only The Cover You Need
Many people end up arranging a standard car insurance policy where many of its features are never used. This is a waste of money, and in some cases could mean a difference in the premium price of hundreds of pounds. For instance, if the annual mileage on your car is low, then a policy that is packed with additional features is pretty useless. These days there is a new way of ensuring that you only get the cover you need. It's called the 'pay as you drive' policy which gauges the exact mileage of a policy holder with a GPS system.
4. Consider Less Mainstream Insurers
Although it may sound odd, research has shown that newer insurance companies tend to offer better discounts than their traditional counterparts. Although people tend to opt for a trusted brand, they often do not come with the cheapest premiums. There are many new and reputable companies, who offer all levels of cover, therefore do not discard a good price on the basis that the company is not well known for car insurance. Take Kwik Fit Insurance, the Kwik Fit brand is well established but not necessarily with insurance. It turns out however that the Kwik Fit connection yields a potentially very worthwhile offer - a complementary Autosave card entitling anyone who purchases a car insurance policy to 10% off at Kwik Fit centres. Not an immediate saving but certainly a potentially significant discount on future servicing costs. Visit the website for car insurance quotes.
5. Decrease Your Level Of Risk
Car insurance premiums are based on the level of risk involved, therefore doing what you can to reduce your need for making a claim will keep the price of your policy down. Measures like considering where you park your car and installing an alarm will help minimise risk.