 Having a car (and a valid driver's licence) for some is an essential – it literally is how you get to work, or take your children to school, so on and so forth. For others, it's more about freedom – you're given the keys to opportunity, taking off on a whim, not being reliant on bus schedules or train timetables (especially during the year of endless strikes). But, as the cost of living continues to put pressure on people's finances, you might be weighing up the costs of having a car. It's never just the vehicle itself. There's petrol, there's repairs, and, of course, there's insurance. But did you know there are ways you can try and keep the last one down? And some of them are as simple as registering to vote! Read on for 10 tips on managing the cost of your car insurance… Think about the car you drive The AA explain that cars are put into certain groups, and these groups will generally follow a pattern in terms of how expensive they are to insure. The Group Rating Panel, administered by Thatcham Research, assigns new car models to an insurance group from 1 (cheapest to insure) to 50 (the most expensive). You might love your classic cars, but these could fall into a higher priced group (Picture: Getty) Cars in the highest groups, typically high-performance models, are likely to cost insurers the most in insurance claims. Insurers may use the panel's recommendations in their calculation of car insurance premiums, or they may choose to use their own groupings. According to the Association of British Insurers, the cost of motor vehicle repairs accounts for over half of all the money paid out in motor insurance claims, so repair costs feature strongly in how the groups are defined. Avoid auto renewal Loyalty doesn't always pay. Many companies might not offer you the most competitive price, relying on the convenience of people just sticking with the familiar. Like wit){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Having a car (and a valid driver’s licence) for some is an essential – it literally is how you get to work, or take your children to school, so on and so forth.
For others, it’s more about freedom – you’re given the keys to opportunity, taking off on a whim, not being reliant on bus schedules or train timetables (especially during the year of endless strikes).
But, as the cost of living continues to put pressure on people’s finances, you might be weighing up the costs of having a car. It’s never just the vehicle itself. There’s petrol, there’s repairs, and, of course, there’s insurance.
But did you know there are ways you can try and keep the last one down? And some of them are as simple as registering to vote!