Car insurance is a funny thing, it really is so individual to you and the car you want to own. It’s impossible to know what kind of price you will be charged, unless you run a few quotes. So when you’re looking to purchase a vehicle it’s always worth having a look first at what you’re likely to be charged to make sure this fits in with your budget. You might have wondered what kinds of things exactly insurers take into consideration when generating your quote, and knowing this can be helpful as in some cases it can help you get cheaper prices. Here are a few factors that influence the quote you’re given.
Age and Experience
Younger drivers, and those who have recently passed their test tend to get stung with higher insurance costs. This is because statistics show that these are the people who are most likely to get into a car accident. This can be especially problematic when you’re young, AND a new driver- while there’s nothing you can do about it in the here and now, rest assured your quotes should start to drop over the years.
Where You Live
Most accidents happen close to home, and so where you live will have an impact on your quotes. Therefore anyone living in a city or busier place will suffer this one. If you live in an area that’s prone to crime you will also be hit here, when lots of cars have been vandalised or stolen outside of homes nearby then this will impact you. For this reason, where you park can also make a difference. On a drive or in a locked garage will be preferable to insurers instead of on the street. Unfortunately there’s not too much you can do about this, except for if you have a drive or garage to actually use them. Some insurers have caught out customers in the past by looking on Google maps and house listings and finding they don’t have off- street parking when they have claimed they did.
Your Job
Incredibly, what you do as a job will be taken into consideration when insurers work out your risk and generate your quote. However this isn’t a perfect system, meaning that sometimes slightly rewording your job title (for example, ‘writer’ instead of ‘journalist’) can save you hundreds. You shouldn’t lie on your quote, if you do your insurer can point blank refuse to pay out in in accident. But it is worth tweaking slightly and then running your details through a car insurance calculator to see if you can save yourself some cash.
The Car You Own
The age, size and model amongst other things will all be taken into consideration. This will be based on how desirable your car is when it comes to theft, as well as how easy it is to steal. Old and rarer cars will have parts that are harder to find and replace making them more expensive- therefore bumping up your price. This is one area where you really can make a difference to what you pay, choose your vehicle wisely and you can reap the reward of less expensive insurance.
