Everyone dreads that time in the year when you have to renew your car and home insurance as it can be quite daunting knowing where to start. The majority of us understand the need to shop around but many people are frequently put off by the amount of choice there is once they start. Therefore many consumers simply opt to auto-renew their insurance policies rather than switching insurance company to save money.
What to do
How to find the best car insurance in minutes
There are multiple comparison sites around, so how do you know which one to pick when it comes to renewing your insurance policies? We'll use Confused.com* as an example to show you how quick it is to compare quotes and find a potential saving.
To get a quote in just 5 minutes, you can follow these general steps:
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Step 1: Go to the Confused.com* website.
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Step 2: Enter your car registration and fill in all of the details about yourself and your vehicle. You will need to tell them about your driving history, where you live, and your occupation.
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Step 3: Select your insurance policy. Be mindful to check what the policy actually covers, as the cheapest option may not be the best in the event of an accident. For more information on the different types of car insurance, read our article, 'What are the different types of car insurance?'
How to find the best home insurance in minutes
Getting the best home insurance quotes can also be time-consuming. To find a great deal quickly, you should look to a well-established comparison service.
A great option for comparing quotes from numerous providers is MoneySuperMarket. They allow you to compare quotes from over 80 trusted UK insurers.
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Step 1: Go to your chosen comparison site, such as MoneySuperMarket.
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Step 2: Enter your address and fill in all of the details about your property, including how much it would cost to rebuild and the value of your contents.
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Step 3: Select your insurance policy, but remember to check that the policy covers everything you need. For example, a basic policy might not include cover for accidental damage or personal possessions away from home, which you may need to add on. For more information on the different types of home insurance, read our article, 'What are the different types of home insurance?'
The theory
Ultimately the best way to ensure that you are able to save on your home and car insurance policies is to shop around. Don’t just let your policy auto-renew at the price your insurer has sent you. To ensure you get the cheapest car/home insurance deal you really need to use every single comparison website out there when researching as there isn't just one that covers every insurance company.
The top comparison sites include:
Remember that not all insurers appear on comparison sites so you could get a better deal by getting a quote directly with the insurer.
Bear in mind that if you cancel an existing insurance policy before your renewal date the insurer may charge you a cancellation fee so you would need to factor that into your assessment of the benefit of changing insurer.
If you cancel an annual policy, you might be entitled to a refund for the months left to run on the policy.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses - confused.com
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