Posts filed under 'insurance'
Insurance company swiftcover.com has advised young motorists to shop around for their car insurance.
Most insurance companies will hike up your insurance premiums if you are in your 20s due to the history of accidents for people that age. You may well have built up a no claims bonus or been involved in a couple of accidents, either way your premium is still unnecessarily higher.
According to the Association of British Insurers’ report, ‘Young Drivers: Road Safety and the Cost of Motoring’, for a young driver, insurance can account for more than 50 per cent of their motoring costs, compared with just 6 per cent for an experienced driver.
Swiftcover believes that if you are in your 20s you could save as much as £150 by shopping around. swiftcover.com was voted cheapest car insurance provider in 2008 by moneysupermarket.com.
September 2nd, 2008
At the moment there are articles every day on how to ride the credit crunch and some of the tips are really good. If we take just some of them on board, not only would we ride the credit crunch, but we could change our way of thinking and have a healthier bank balance and mind frame going forward.
An article on The Times website lists 50 ways in which you can save money. Some are a little unrealistic like making your own make up and beauty treatments, but some are quite practical. For example, if you have a spare room then you may think about getting a lodger, cutting back on non-essentials and putting your spare change in a piggy bank. They say that if you look after the pennies then the pounds look after themselves.
You could also learn more about your car so that you can check your own tyre pressure, check your oil and change light bulbs. You could even go as far as learning more about the engine of the car so that you don’t have to visit garages when the spark plugs need to be changed. You can also be more efficient with your driving helping you to reduce running costs of your car. A report in The Telegraph today states that more and more people are choosing to leave their cars at home, and those that are driving are slowing down to reduce fuel consumption.
Don’t forget to also shop around for all your insurance products from your car insurance, home insurance, travel insurance though to your pet insurance.
It’s amazing how much you can save by shopping around. If you are a woman, don’t be fooled by women-only insurance companies that claim that they can give you a better price. Research has shown that you could be paying over the odds.
August 27th, 2008
Many teenagers around the country will be getting very excited as they plan their first holiday abroad without their parents. It marks a big change in their life when they have to be responsible and independent.
However one of aspects of a holiday that teenagers probably won’t think about is their travel insurance. An article by insurance company Swiftcover reports that one in five Brits admit to not taking out adequate travel insurance which could be vital.
More people are shunning the package holiday and booking flights, accommodation and transfers directly themselves reports The Daily Mail. If you are a seasoned traveler then this approach isn’t too risky but for younger people with little travel experience the package holiday offers a kind of safety blanket, so often a good choice for teenagers.
In order to make the most of your holiday Swiftcover have listed 8 top nightmare situations to avoid:
* Drinking too much - drinking too much in hot weather can lead to exhaustion.
* Dangerous sports - treatment for a broken leg can cost up to £7,000 in Europe so make sure your travel insurance covers this if you plan to take part in dangerous sports.
* Sun exposure - limit the time in the sun and wear sun screen. Sunburn and heat stroke can ruin a holiday
* Getting lost - 11% of teenagers get lost or stranded on their first holiday without parents. Familiarise yourself with your surroundings.
* Drugs - drugs are unpredictable and accidents through drugs can invalidate your travel insurance.
* Excessive partying - this can lead to you being kicked out of your hotel, so enjoy yourself but don’t go too mad.
* Getting arrested - check local customs and laws. Don’t be arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
* Ending up in hospital - follow health and safety guidelines and make sure you have had any vaccinations.
July 31st, 2008
Insurance company swiftcover.com has launched a new FIRST for the insurance market.
Back in 2005 when they launched they became the first insurance company to offer 100% online car insurance. You can get a car insurance quote, buy a policy, manage your policy changes, renew and make a claim all online. True to form, the UK’s fastest growing motor insurer has now become the first to offer people car insurance quotes through their mobile phone internet connection.
A blog called Car Insurance Tips believes that
“Swiftcover.com is moving with the modern day advances in technology and enabling customers to access quick quotes through a number of methods to suit them.”
When buying a car it is important to consider the running costs, including insurance premiums. So many people buy a car without giving this much thought and then when they come to buy their car insurance they are surprised at the cost. A lot more people are also buying at auctions nowadays as they can often get the car that they want, albeit with a slightly higher mileage, at a cheaper price. Now, thanks to Swiftcover, you can get a quote through your mobile phone internet connection at the auction or in the car sales room and can make a more calculated decision there and then.
July 22nd, 2008
As the credit crunch takes hold and the fear of a recession hangs over us like a black cloud, many people are finding it harder to make ends meet. Now is probably as good a time as any to check your finances and make sure that you have the best deals.
Many people are now cutting back on the amount of electricity, gas and petrol that they use and are shopping around more for their car, home, travel, pet and bike insurance. In a bid to reduce their insurance some people are tempted to reduce the amount of car insurance cover that they have but this could be a very risky strategy. For example, changing your policy from fully comprehensive to third party fire and theft may reduce your premium but it wouldn’t cover any damage caused to your own car in the event of an accident. So this could be a wasted saving.
If you have made changes to your car insurance policy and are planning to drive your car abroad, make sure that you are still covered on your policy. Having a car accident in another country can be especially difficult and stressful so having inadequate cover would be even worse.
If you are looking for ways to reduce your car bills then something very simple like driving efficiently can make all the difference. A website called www.energysavingtrust.org.uk has some great tips on eco-driving as well as other energy saving ideas.
Some cost cuttings are sensible but some, like reducing the cover of your car insurance, could turn out to be a false economy.
July 15th, 2008
In such a competitive market car insurance providers are constantly looking to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and there seems to be a growing number of companies that claim to offer the best prices for lady drivers. But do they really?
According to an article in The Telegraph they do not. Statistics have proven that women tend to be the safer driver behind the wheel. 2006 government statistics revealed that 88% of all motoring offences were committed by men and of all the dangerous driving cases, a huge 97% were by men. This month The Association of British Insurers has published statistics for car claims and they show that the cost of claims made by women are considerably less then those made by men. For example, the cost of a claim made by a woman aged between 31-35 is on average around 26% cheaper than a man of the same age.
So in theory car insurance should be cheaper for women. However, according to an article by MSN women are more likely to get a better deal on their car insurance if they deal with mainstream motor insurers. This is backed up in an article by The Telegraph. They have published a table that shows what women would pay for their insurance at companies that advertise as being ‘female-friendly’ compared to other insurance companies, and the results are quite surprising. The table shows that if you use a female-friendly car insurer you could be paying on average almost £200 more on your car insurance and that’s an extra cost we could really do without. Insurance company Swiftcover have carried out their own research which also shows that women could be paying above the odd with some female-friendly car insurers.
So if you are a lady make sure that when your car insurance is due for renewal you shop around, you’ll probably be surprised at how much you will save.
June 24th, 2008
Shell and its tanker drivers have finally come to an agreement over pay and Shell have agreed to a 14% pay rise over two years according to BBC news. This should take a little bit of strain off of us drivers as Shell garages should now be back to normal with full supplies at least for the next two years.
However, there is still the very real issue of petrol prices which now stand at 118p a litre across many garages. A debt charity called Elizabeth Finn Care helps professionals who have fallen on hard times and give financial support to those that are struggling including those with long-term physical or mental illness and family breakdown. Rebecca Ward from the charity says that “The rise in the amount we have paid out in the past month is entirely to do with the increase in cost of fuel”.
Unfortunately we aren’t able to influence this but there are ways in which we can make our petrol go that bit further.
The Telegraph and car insurer swiftcover.com have come up with their top tips for driving more economically.
The top tips include:
Lightening the load - The more weight your car carries the harder it has to work, so lose any unnecessary weight. For example, remove roof racks that aren’t being used and make sure that the car doesn’t contain too much clutter.
Pressure - driving on under-inflated tyres requires more engine power so keep you tyres at their recommended pressure level.
Smooth driving - according to Swiftcover, driving smoothly and intelligently can save up to 30% on fuel consumption.
Be speed efficient - the most fuel efficient speed for driving is 55-65mph so try not to exceed this.
One of the top tips is - if you don’t need to drive then don’t! For short distances it may be worth forgetting about the car and walking instead. Not only will you save on fuel consumption but you will also feel better for the exercise. Also, driving less miles can have a positive effect on your car insurance premium so that could reduce your costs even further.
June 18th, 2008
It’s what we all look forward to, our holidays.
You’ve done the hard part - you’ve chosen where to go, you’ve booked your holiday and you’ve bought your Travel Insurance. You’re all packed and at the airport in plenty of time, you’ve done everything that you need to do and all you are waiting for now is to be called to your gate. But you don’t get called and then you hear the dreaded announcement that your flight is delayed.
I think that we have all experienced being delayed at one time or another, whether it is before we are on the plane or once we have landed due to baggage going missing. But what do you do while you are waiting?
Unfortunately airports view you as a captive audience and so many of the activities that you can do involve parting with money.
Some of my top tips for passing the time are:
Eating and drinking - some airports like the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow have some fantastic restaurants including a Gordon Ramsay so you can now dine in style while you wait. Be careful how much you drink though as you may not be allowed on your flight if you have one too many.
Shopping - there are usually a selection of shops at airports where you can buy books, food for the flight, jewellrey etc.
Go online - surf the net, catch up on your emails or edit your Facebook account.
Read books or magazines - don’t wait till you are lying on a beach to relax, lose yourself in a good book and you’ll forget where you are (even if only for a short time).
Sleep - you can always catch up on some beauty sleep, particularly if you have had an early start. I found this article entitled How to Sleep in an Airport which gives some good tips.
People watch - sometimes there is nothing more interesting to pass the time then to people watch. Give it a go you might be quite amused. At Stanstead airport some people put on a rather unexpected performance to amuse the travellers, vist this link to view it on You Tube.
Listen to music - ipods are great, all your favourite tracks in one place.
If you have any more great ideas, let us know.
June 9th, 2008
Over the past 12 months Moneysupermarket.com have analysed 12 million quotes and has announced that Kwik Fit and Swiftcover are the most competitive companies for car insurance in the UK.
According to the London Stock Exchange, Kwik Fit and Swiftcover were tied for the top spot with average premiums on car insurance of just £276.74.
Peter Gerrard, head of insurance research at moneysupermarket.com said that smaller online insurers who have lower overheads are being very nimble on price.
Swiftcover.com for example have no call centres so they can pass these savings on to their customers. Make sure that you aren’t paying over the odds on your car insurance.
At a time when we are all trying to reduce our expenditure as petrol prices soar, it is well worth visiting the Kwik Fit and Swiftcover websites to see if you can save on your car insurance.
May 27th, 2008
We all resent having to buy car insurance and spend our time hunting around for the best deals, but what do we look for when choosing which car insurer to use and exactly what are we covered for?
I think that a lot of people take into account the reputation of the insurance company but the vast majority of people make a decision based on price first and foremost. But do we really know what the price actually gives us.
Recent research carried out on behalf of swiftcover.com found that we are all very confused about what is and isn’t covered. Here are some common misunderstandings when it comes to car insurance:
Some people think that their insurance policy automatically covers them for driving other people’s cars but in reality you are not always covered and if you are it is normally for third party cover only;
Have you ever put petrol in a diesel car? I know a friend who did this, twice. Luckily the car was fine but they may not have been covered under their car insurance policy. 10% of people from the research wrongly assumed it would be covered;
Apparently 36% of drivers smoke whilst driving and a staggering 65% of us eat. If you ever have an accident whilst smoking, drinking or eating you could be caught for negligence even if you weren’t to blame.
I found quite a funny article called The 10 most dangerous foods to eat while driving. It’s number one offender was ‘coffee’. Not technically a food but a real distraction due to its dripability. People tend to be more prone to accidents when trying to clear up coffee that has dripped on to clothes, especially on the way to work. Foods that made the top 10 included Tacos and chilli (why would you?), hamburgers, fried chicken and chocolate (don’t even try eating a flake when driving).
So make sure that you read the policy details before you buy to make sure that everything you need for your car insurance is included and when you have bought your insurance, don’t eat and drive.
May 21st, 2008
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