Any insurance tips?

Soldato
Joined
4 May 2007
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Location
West Midlands
I'm getting a car from a family member (2010 suzuki sx4 1.6 diesel). I was wondering if there is any pro tips for lowering insurance costs beyond the obvious/searching comparison sites?

I have never driven a car or got any no claims (luckily I've had my licence 4 years). I'll need a fair bit of mileage 8-9k plus circa 5k business mileage (I will be claiming business miles etc so deffo need it!)
 
Is that correct?

By adding a female driver to your quote may lower your quote?

It can do yes. A few years back adding my mum to my insurance as a named driver made quite a substantial reduction. Even this year just gone adding my wife to my insurance as a named driver resulted in around a £50 saving.
 
Yer adding anyone more experienced should work in theory. They calculate the overall risk so by saying someone MORE experienced will be driving your car occasionally the overall risk for the year is lower.

Whether or not insurance companies consider this when they random pluck a figure from the air is another thing though :p
 
Another vote for adding your mum to the policy, also having the car garaged or parked off the road at night helps.

In some cases being parked on a driveway can put the price up. E.g. if it is in an area where there have been many thefts using keys after a burglary. Parking on the street in these areas means the thief is less likely to know which house to steal the leys from. So try quotes on the road and on the drive.
 
In some cases being parked on a driveway can put the price up. E.g. if it is in an area where there have been many thefts using keys after a burglary. Parking on the street in these areas means the thief is less likely to know which house to steal the leys from. So try quotes on the road and on the drive.

Ah consider me educated, never thought of it like that, like you say you can play around with online quote tools and tweak it before beginning to ring around, that's the best way to drop the price.

oh and get old, whilst it sucks and the hangovers kill it makes your premiums plummet :p
 
Yer adding anyone more experienced should work in theory. They calculate the overall risk so by saying someone MORE experienced will be driving your car occasionally the overall risk for the year is lower.

Whether or not insurance companies consider this when they random pluck a figure from the air is another thing though :p

It appears that adding someone less experienced also has the same effect...

Adding my GF with a provisional licence puts mine down ~£100 with the cheapest insurer...
 
I don't think the gender of parent makes a difference? My dad's had his license longer and has a better on paper profession as he has a title in his name (academic) . (no benefit from adding both parents)

Unfortunately it will be parked on the street, here's hoping no one dings it!

Thanks for the tips I'll get swiftcover and direct line on the phone after getting quotes back :p


Are insurances against your no claims expensive? (as I'm a relatively young very inexperience driver)
 
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Sadly you'll probably have to devote an afternoon to finding out which of these tips apply in your personal circumstances. It's a bit of a dark art unless you have access to the insurers actuarial tables.

For instance, adding my mum to my insurance makes no difference to the price at my new postcode, yet at my old one it made it £50 cheaper.
 
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