How to save on car insurance

[Hsien]

Came across this article on ninemsn today..have a look. I hope people find it helpful..

Cheers

Hsien

http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=270481

Save a truckload on car insurance

May 2007

By RateCity

If you're a young driver, you'd be forgiven for thinking big savings on car insurance premiums don't apply to you. Well, think again. On average you can save around half your premium if you are under 25 and live in New South Wales.

That's just one of the surprising facts uncovered by RateCity. Australia's new consumer finance comparison website.

RateCity road tested 23 car insurers across eight different driver profiles in research commissioned through CANNEX. Almost 10,000 quotes spread over 36 postcodes make this possibly the most extensive research ever undertaken on car insurance in Australia. Soon you will be able to compare car insurance rates on RateCity and find the cheapest premiums for your driver profile.

"Most young drivers in New South Wales have the potential to save nearly half of their car insurance premiums, while at the extreme end of the scale, they could actually save two thirds or around $1800," RateCity executive chairman Andrew Willink said.

"According to our research experts CANNEX, young drivers looking to insure their cars are hardest hit in New South Wales and Victoria, where premiums are steep. However, these are also the states offering sizeable savings for those prepared to shop around."

Western Australia and Tasmania would seem more young-driver friendly with their lower premiums, but the potential to save up to 60 percent on the average premium takes WA right up there for those serious about driving their car insurance dollar further.

The following chart shows the variations between car insurance premiums in each state for young male and female drivers under 25 years of age. With the potential to save up to half the price on average, shopping around for car insurance on RateCity is a must.

Driver profile State Minimum average premium Maximum average premium Potential savings $ Potential savings %

Young male NSW $899 $2692 $1793 67%

Young male QLD $541 $1421 $880 62%

Young male SA $625 $1292 $667 52%

Young male TAS $504 $1058 $554 52%

Young male VIC $821 $1851 $1030 56%

Young male WA $495 $1233 $738 60%

Young female NSW $858 $2643 $1785 68%

Young female QLD $501 $1313 $812 62%

Young female SA $580 $1193 $613 51%

Young female TAS $496 $977 $481 49%

Young female VIC $763 $1710 $947 55%

Young female WA $466 $1139 $637 59%

Car insurance confusion

No two car insurers are alike. RateCity has noted endless variability in car insurance quotes across the country. Where you live, ie. the postcode you call home, makes an enormous difference in premiums quoted.

"The confusion arises because postcode perception has no consistency whatsoever," Willink said. "Some insurers will charge an arm and a leg if you live in a postcode they deem to be risky, while others will give you a great price because they have no problem at all with that postcode."

The confusion deepens, according to Willink, when you throw bad driving records and modified or imported turbocharged cars into the mix. Some insurers will quote a hefty price, others won't quote at all because they simply don't want your business or you may need to phone them direct and talk about the issue.

Premium profiles

To help you compare policies on RateCity, CANNEX has developed a user-friendly value for money ratings system which is available to consumers at RateCity. CANNEX only awards its top five stars to those policies that give the best value for money for each consumer profile analysed. RateCity will do your homework for you, by assessing researched prices plus key features.

Many insurance companies specialise in certain driver profiles, which is why the CANNEX car insurance star ratings are so useful. The CANNEX star ratings are soon to be parked at RateCity, allowing you to compare five-star insurance policies for eight different driver profiles. You can even obtain live quotes from some insurers.

The driver profiles used on RateCity are:

Young driver: male and female under 25

For this profile, we set the car's market value at under $15,000. We gave the driver a rating of 3, 4 and 5 and included one speeding ticket within the last 12 months, as an average driving history.

Male and female driver: late 20s

These drivers have progressed to rating 1 or 2 and are accident-free. A medium-priced car of between $15,000 and $25,000 has been used, with no-one under 25 driving the car.

Couple (or singles) aged 30-59

As there are no young drivers to be considered with this profile, this couple benefits from competitive prices. They qualify for the full no-claim bonus and save even more by covering minor incidents with their own money. Our couple drives a car valued between $15,000 and $37,000.

Couple (or singles): car connoisseurs aged 30-59

No kids, at least not of driving age, and more disposable income mean this couple can afford the more expensive cars they love. Sure, the cars cost extra to insure but this couple qualifies for the full no-claim bonus. For our profile, we have selected the market value of cars driven by this couple to range from $45,000 to $75,000.

Family: with at least one young driver

The stereotypical family consists of Mum, Dad and perhaps a son and daughter aged under 25. The family wishes to insure two cars valued at between $15,000 and $35,000 for the entire household to drive.

Mature drivers: over 60

These longtime drivers are looking for a hassle-free policy which provides a few more features to make their lives easier, should they have to make a claim. Their car is valued at between $15,000 and $20,000 and there are no young drivers to complicate matters.

[T_Money]

Great to know.

I'll be shopping around soon as AAMI just told me that they wont be renewing my policy as i have too many mods

[saintly]

nice to know, informative enough :)

[OZROLA]

nice to know, informative enough :)

Informative but im an 18yr old male with a driving offence (only a small speeding ticket) + i have an imported engine. IM ****** no matter how you look at it

[alarum]

Thank you for that, just on the week that I have to renew my insurance with someone else, as FORTRON have informed me they cannot offer a renewal on my insurance!

T_Money, coincidentally they'll be gaining a customer after you leave them... haha