Car insurance protects your finances in case you get into an accident. Some types also cover claims that come from other people getting hurt. Even if you don’t drive your car, third-party insurance is required by law if you own a car that can be driven on the road. The only time you don’t have to do this is if you get a Statutory Off Road Notification for your car (SORN).
If you drive without insurance, you could get a fine and at least six points on your licence, or you could even lose your licence. Your car could also be taken away from you.
In 2010, they started Everyone’s Insurance because they thought there was a better way. They tried to offer the best prices, great customer service, and to look out for the customer’s best interests.
What kinds of car insurance are there?
Car insurance comes in three different levels:
- Full and complete
- Someone else
- Theft, a third party, and a fire.
- Full and complete
This is the highest level of insurance you can get. It covers you, your car, and anyone else who is in an accident with you or your car. It covers the same things as a third-party fire and theft policy, but it also protects you as a driver and might pay for damage to your car. It could also pay for medical care, legal fees, and damage caused by an accident.
You can make a case for: repairs after an accident, damage by accident, or vandalism, like if someone scratches your car on purpose. It could mean that you can drive other people’s cars legally if they let you.
But this kind of insurance usually only covers third parties. This means that if you damage the car you’re driving, you won’t be covered. Check the details of your policy carefully, because they are all different.
Even though it covers the most, fully comprehensive insurance doesn’t have to be the most expensive. This is the least amount you can have legally.
It protects you against the costs of hurting or damaging other people or their property. But if your own car is damaged or stolen, it doesn’t protect you.
Even though it’s the least coverage you can get, that doesn’t mean it’s the least expensive.
So it might be best for people who have trouble finding affordable full coverage insurance.
This could happen: you do not have a no-claims bonus.
You live in a place where crime and other dangers are common.
Your car is worth less than, say, £1,000, and you can afford to buy another one if you get into an accident.
Fire, theft, and a third party
As with third-party insurance, this covers damage to other people’s cars but not your own.
It’s different because it pays to fix or replace your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire.
Again, this isn’t always less expensive than full coverage, so compare prices.
What is a no-claims bonus and how does it work?
This is the discount you get from your insurance company if you don’t make a claim. Each year that you don’t make a claim, the discount goes up.
It can also be generous, with discounts usually ranging from 30% after one year to 65% or more after five years.
But if you have an accident and file a claim, you usually lose your no-claims bonus and your premiums go up for the next two years.
If you have more than one accident in a year, you might lose your no-claims bonus.
Even if you don’t file a claim, you should let your insurance company know about any accidents you’ve been in. If you don’t do this, any claims you make after that might be turned down.
You can pay for an add-on called “no-claims discount protection” to protect your no-claims bonus. This means that you can make claims and it won’t hurt your bonus.
Most of the time, you can make one claim per year or two claims every three years without losing your no-claims bonus.
10 ways to reduce your risk and save money
- Make sure your car is safer.
If you make it as hard as possible for someone to steal your car, the risk goes down, and your insurance cost may go down as well. You can protect your car by:
Checking with your insurance company to see what security devices it offers discounts for installing a Thatcham-approved alarm or immobiliser and parking in a garage or driveway if possible.
- Drive a car with a low insurance group and make and model.
Each car is put into one of several insurance groups. This is based on things like how much it costs, how long it takes to fix, how well it works, and how safe and secure it is. The lower the group, the cheaper the insurance.
- Make sure your mileage is correct.
The less you drive each year, the less your insurance might cost. This isn’t always true, though. So don’t guess too low on your mileage, or you could lose your insurance when you make a claim or miss out on a better deal.
- Drive safely
If you have taken a Pass Plus or advanced driving course, some insurance companies will give you a discount.
If you’re a careful driver, you might benefit from getting an insurance policy that uses “black box” technology to evaluate how well you drive.
Be aware that your premium will go up if you file a claim or get points on your licence.
- Add another driver
The premium can go down if you add a second, low-risk driver, even if they don’t use the car much. While adding a young driver who just got their licence will make the premium go up. But don’t break the law and make any claims invalid by saying the second driver is the main driver.
- Pay your car insurance every year.
If you pay for your insurance in monthly payments, the insurance company may charge you interest. If you can pay up front, you’ll save a lot of money over the course of a year.
- Don’t spend money on things you don’t need.
Check to see what other financial products cover you. For instance, some current account packages include coverage in case your car breaks down.
Your insurance company or broker might try to sell you extras like legal expenses cover. You might be able to find these things cheaper somewhere else, or you might not even need them.
- Think about getting separate breakdown cover.
If your car insurance includes breakdown cover, check the price and the level of coverage. You might be able to find better coverage elsewhere for the same price or less.
- Keep your no-claims bonus or make it bigger.
Every year you drive without making a claim on your insurance, you get a “no-claims bonus.”
- Make sure you can keep this when you switch insurance companies.
If you haven’t made a claim in at least five years, you might want to pay a little extra to protect your no-claims bonus.
- You may want to add a voluntary excess to your auto insurance.
You can lower your premium by adding a voluntary excess to the amount you have to pay.
Be aware that if you make a claim, you’ll get less money back after the voluntary and mandatory excesses are taken out. So you have to have enough money to pay for it.
What you must tell your insurance company?
You need to give your insurance company accurate, up-to-date information about yourself and your car. If you don’t do this, your policy might not be valid and won’t pay out on any claims. Also, it might be harder and cost more in the future to get insurance.
Make sure you tell your insurer if you:
- Change your address and use your car for work
- get more points on your licence
- change your job or line of work; make changes to your car, like putting alloy wheels on it; have an accident or have filed a claim before; change your alarm system or other security measures; or change where you park your car.
What sort of insurance company is Everyone’s Insurance
Everything we do, from the inside out, is geared towards changing the way insurance is done in a way that puts the customer first. We have more time. We work for a number of companies that all want your business. They always offer the lowest price out of all the best companies. The amazing staff has been carefully chosen, and they have the power to treat YOU the way they would want to be treated.We’ve all heard this before, so we know that the only way to show that they’re different is to do it every day. This is who they are, and it’s why they started Everyone’s Insurance.