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We’ll need to know a bit about you. This includes things like your age and occupation, as well as details of your driver's license
Different cars cost different amounts to insure. Ideally we'd need your number plate but make and model information is enough - along with details of any modifications
We'll need details of any accidents you've had or claims you've made in the past five years. Include details of your no claims bonus if you have one
Include details of any other named drivers that will be sharing your policy, as this will affect the prices you're offered
We'll of course need to know the type of policy you're after - you can choose from third party, third party fire & theft, and fully comprehensive
The higher you set your voluntary excess, the less you'll pay each month, but the more you'll pay in the event of an accident
To make sure we show you cheap and accurate quotes, we’ll need the above information from you about your driving history and about the car you’re planning to insure.
Make sure you've got these details ready when you want to compare
We'll show you quotes from a hand-picked list of over 100 different providers, including:
32% of drivers
let their car insurance policy auto-renew when it ran out most recently
30% of drivers
negotiated a new deal with their current supplier
38% of drivers
searched online for the best deal
48% didn’t want to “deal with the hassle” of comparing and finding a new deal, but were aware of the savings that could have been made by doing so
37% believed that they were “getting the best deal possible by auto-renewing”
15% were unaware that they could have saved money by comparing insurance policies online
Customers who auto-renewed were 50% more likely than other drivers to not know the difference between the cost of their current policy and their previous policy
Customers who auto-renewed were far less likely than others to pay their premiums annually
Customers who auto-renewed were far more likely than others to pay their premiums monthly
Car insurance can get expensive if you're not careful, and prices tend to go up every year. The last thing you want to do is opt for less cover than you need just to get cheaper car insurance, so we've put together a short list of simple things you can do to keep your costs down, no matter what kind of policy you get:
There are three main types of car insurance policy available for you to choose from:
The cheapest car insurance policies will be third party only - policies that will pay out if you damage another person’s vehicle or property but will not cover any repairs you need to make to your own vehicle.
This type of policy will give you basic third-party cover, as well as cover against theft, damage done during attempted theft, and fire damage. These will be the next most expensive type of cover.
The priciest car insurance policies will be fully comprehensive, offering the highest level of cover available and, depending on the particular policy, will cover you for more or less anything.
There are some things that will affect the cost of your policy that are unfortunately out of your control. But while you can’t change these things, it’s good to be aware of the effects they’ll have on what you pay so that you don’t face any nasty surprises when you compare.
Younger drivers (typically those under 25) are statistically far more likely than older drivers to get into accidents. For this reason, younger drivers will, on the whole, pay a lot more for their cover than older drivers.
Between the ages of 20 and 60, the average price of a car insurance policy* goes down from £1,036 to £600. After 60 it pops back up slightly to £687.
Younger drivers who are really intent on trying to overcome this imbalance should think about taking out a black box (or telematics) policy, or taking a pass plus test.
For more information on how age affects car insurance costs, read our guides here
*According to data from Statista, which assumes “5 years' of driving experience and a 5-year No Claims Discount (NCD)”
Different cars cost different amounts to insure. Vehicles are collected together into 50 car insurance groups, with cars in the highest groups costing the most to insure.
Vehicles are placed in different car insurance groups according to various different factors including: cost of repairs, speed/power, cost of parts, and the overall value of the car, among other things.
Before 2012, insurers would openly charge women less than they would charge men for cover. This is because, as with age, men are statistically responsible for far more road traffic accidents than women. However, in 2012, an EU directive was introduced that made it illegal to price products or services differently on the basis of gender.
Despite this directive, men do still, on the whole, pay more than women for car insurance. It’s important not to misread this data though: men still pay more, on average, because men are still involved in more accidents than women. If you’re a man with a clean driving history, then you won’t pay any more than a woman with the same history.
Certain medical conditions and disabilities that may affect your ability to drive must be reported to the DVLA. This includes things like epilepsy, physical disabilities, and severe visual impairments. For more information on the DVLA’s rules about medical conditions, visit the government’s website.
If you have a condition that needs to be reported to the DVLA, you’ll need to declare them when you compare car insurance policies with us. The chances are, this will increase the price of any policies you’re offered, but it’s important that you’re honest because otherwise, any policy you do get will be invalidated.
When it comes to car insurance, the more you know, the more likely you are to be able to get the absolute best deals around. We’ve put together some guides packed with useful knowledge to keep you informed.
From helpful tips to cut down the costs of your existing policy, to information about what to do with vehicles that you own but don’t use any more, we’ve got it covered. Here’s a quick selection of some of our most popular guides:
No deposit car insurance is a term used to refer to policies that you can take out without paying a large amount up front. Generally this means paying for your premiums monthly instead of in one lump sum for the year.
Find out moreDifferent cars are placed into different groups (numbered 1-50) according to things like size and power, with cars in higher groups costing more to insure.
Find out moreAs well as the main three types of car insurance (third party; third party, fire, and theft; and fully comprehensive), this guide will cover some of the optional extras you can get like breakdown cover.
Find out moreCar insurance is more expensive for drivers under the age of 25. In this guide, we'll explain why, and will cover some top tips to help cut costs no matter how old you are.
Find out moreOne of, if not the most effective way of reducing the cost of your car insurance is to maintain a no claims discount. Find out more in this guide.
Find out moreBy taking a pass plus test in addition to your standard driving test, you can demonstrate that you are a safe driver, and you're premiums will go down accordingly.
Find out moreIf you have a car that you don't use then you can avoid paying to insure it by taking out a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification), and keeping it off the road (e.g. in a garage). Unless you do this, you are legally required to insure your vehicle.
Legally, you must have at least third party cover for any vehicle used on roads and in public places in the UK.
Third-party only policies, which pay out only if you damage another person’s vehicle or property but not for theft of or damage to your vehicle, tend to be the cheapest. However they may not provide all the coverage you need. Third-party, fire, and theft policies - covering damage to other people’s vehicles and property, fire damage to your vehicle, theft or damage caused during attempted theft - will be the next cheapest. Fully comprehensive policies, covering you for just about any eventuality, including repairs to your own vehicle, tend to be the most expensive.
Car insurance policies will usually last for one year. However, shorter term policies are available - you can even get cover for just 24 hours if you just need to borrow a car for a day, but typically short term policies like these will be quite expensive
You need to be insured on a car to be able to drive it. If you want to drive someone else's car you can either take out a short term insurance policy, or get yourself added as a named driver to their policy.
Statistically speaking, younger drivers (aged under 25) are more likely to be involved in accidents. With increased risk on the part of the insurer comes and increased financial burden on the part of the driver. Insurance prices dramatically reduce when you turn 25.
The no claims bonus is one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your insurance policy, and so it makes sense to want to protect it. You can take out a specialist policy to insure your no claims bonus, but you should weigh up the expense to make sure it's worth it.
If your vehicle is uninsured, you could face a fixed penalty of £300; accrue six points on your license; have the vehicle wheel-clamped, impounded, or destroyed; or face prosecution, with the possibility of receiving an unlimited fine and a disqualification for driving. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you’re not properly insured to drive it, you can still face these penalties.
Supplying incorrect information about yourself, your vehicle, or your driving history or failing to update your insurer when these details change can invalidate your policy. You also have to properly inform your insurer of the postcode in which the vehicle will primarily be kept. Additionally, you’re required to maintain your car, keeping it in a roadworthy condition, and to notify your insurer of any modifications you make to it, including special controls added for disabled drivers. Failure to notify the DVLA and your insurer of certain health conditions, including poor eyesight, epilepsy, and stroke, can result in your policy being invalidated and you facing fines or possible prosecution.
A no-claims bonus is a discount you can get on your insurance premiums by having a number of years in which you haven’t made a claim on your policy.
Your current insurer will be able to provide you with this information. When your policy term ends, they should supply you with proof of your NCB, which you will then need to pass on to your new insurer.
Yes, generally your no-claims bonus will become invalid after you haven’t held private car insurance for two years. Some insurers, however, will simply reduce your NCB by the number of years since you last held insurance. Unfortunately, if you’ve had car insurance through the government’s Motability Scheme for disabled motorists for the past two years, and switch back to private insurance, your previous no-claims bonus will usually be null.
Generally, UK car insurers will not accept no-claims bonuses from outside the EU, but you should contact insurers directly to see which NCBs they will accept and what proof they require.
All UK insurance policies will supply the legal minimum of third-party cover for driving in the EU. You should check with your insurer before getting behind the wheel to see if you’ll be covered for theft and damage to your vehicle when it’s abroad. You may be able to extend your policy to include comprehensive cover while you’re in Europe, usually for an extra cost.
Until recently it was common for comprehensive policies to provide you the legal minimum of third-party cover when you were driving a vehicle not listed on your policy, such as one borrowed from a friend or a hired car. And many drivers are still convinced they can simply hop behind the wheel of another car. In fact, insurers are now placing strict limits on this so-called driving-other-cars (DOC) benefit, with some eliminating it entirely for drivers under 25 and for those with certain occupations. You should never assume you’re covered to drive another car if you’re not named on the policy, even if it’s your spouse or partner’s vehicle. You can face fines, license points, and prosecution if you’re driving a vehicle without proper insurance.
If you’re not driving a vehicle—say if it’s not currently in roadworthy or in use—but you still want to insure it against theft, you can get policies known as laid up cover from specialist insurers.
Under the Equalities Act 2010, car insurers are not permitted to raise your premiums or increase your excess because of your medical condition without evidence that it increases the risk of you making a claim. In all cases, they have to tell you the reason they’re increasing your premiums. That said, they can raise your premiums if they determine your condition does increase your likelihood of being in an accident, and disabled drivers may want to use a specialist insurer or seek out auto insurance through the government’s Motability Scheme.
If you’re disabled and have modified your vehicle with special controls, you have to notify your insurer (and the DVLA) of these modifications. These alterations will generally increase your premiums, because they will make your vehicle more expensive to repair.
You can take out insurance on a vehicle that’s owned by someone else as long as you specify this on the policy.
In general, named drivers have the same coverage as the policyholder when they’re driving the vehicle, but you should double check with your insurer to make sure this is the case.
The policyholder needs to be the main driver of the vehicle and it’s illegal for anyone other than the named driver to be listed as the policyholder—a practice called ‘fronting.’ Your insurer will specify the portion of time a named driver will be allowed to drive the vehicle. If the named driver drives the vehicle more than the policyholder, however, you’ll have to inform the insurer as not doing so can be seen as fronting and may invalidate your policy.
If you have a learner’s permit, you’ll need to be covered by someone’s car insurance policy in order to drive and get the practice you need to pass a driving test. In many cases, young learner drivers will be covered by their parents’ car insurance, if they’re added as a named driver on it the policy. This will generally increase the parents’ premiums. If you take driving lessons, you will be insured on the instructor’s car; the cost of the insurance will be rolled into your fee for the lessons. As a learner driver you can also take out specialist short-term policies that allow you to drive your own car or another driver’s car as long as you are accompanied by a fully licensed driver. You can also get a full annual policy on your provisional license and then cancel or update it once you have passed your driving test.
To search for car insurance using our comparison engine, you’ll need to supply the vehicle’s registration number. If you don’t have it handy, you can conduct a search using details about the vehicle, including its make, model, year of manufacture, and engine size. You’ll also have to provide details about where the car will be kept, both overnight and during the day, and of any drivers you wish to list on the policy, including their ages, occupations, claims and accident histories over the previous five years—including any no-claims bonuses. The more information you supply, the more accurate the quotes you get will be. Select the type of insurance you want, choose the amount of excess you wish to pay, and hit search, and MoneyExpert’s bots will fetch you quotes from the top insurers on the market.
* The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next four cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website (based on representative cost savings data for November 2019).
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