With car insurance premiums at record levels*, insurance comparison website Gocompare.com has warned people not to be April Fools when looking at ways to reduce their premiums and has produced a list of do’s and don’ts to help motorists save money on their insurance.In order to get a cheaper deal, it may be tempting to provide incorrect or misleading information to insurance companies.  However, this is a false economy and can invalidate your insurance and make it harder to get cover in the future.

According to Gocompare.com, the most common ways to invalidate your insurance cover are:

• Non-disclosure of ‘material facts’ for example, not disclosing driving convictions.
• Providing false information, this includes not identifying the true main driver (also known as ‘fronting’), or being untruthful about the address where the vehicle is kept.
• Failure to notify changes to your insurer, for example a change of address or occupation.
• Using your car for an activity not covered by your insurance, for example business use.
• Not declaring modifications to your vehicle.

Hayley Parsons, Gocompare’s Managing Director said, “Insurance represents a significant part of the cost of running a car these days, so everyone is looking for savings.   It might be tempting to alter certain details or omit key information if you think it’ll help you get a better deal, but this could result in your policy being invalidated if you are found out.”

”One of the best ways to save money on your insurance is not to just accept your renewal quote, the best company for you 12 months ago, may not be the best today.  I’m always amazed that only around a quarter of people switch their insurer each year – potentially throwing away hundreds of pounds. The good news is that with comparison sites it’s never been easier to shop around for a good deal.  By spending a little time shopping around you could make significant savings.”

Gocompare offers the following advice for helping to reduce the cost of car insurance premiums:

• Shop around – research has shown that shopping around can save consumers over £200 on the average motor insurance premium**.
• Consider the cover that you actually need – can you limit your annual mileage or accept an increase to your policy excess?
• Drive safely and keep to speed limits – the more convictions on your licence, the higher the premium.  Speeding is one of the most common convictions.
• Improve your driving skills – some insurance companies will offer a discount for new drivers who have taken the Pass Plus course.
• Secure your car for a better deal- a car alarm, immobiliser or tracker will potentially lower the quote that an insurance company will offer you.

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance has welcomed the Government’s launch this week of a new campaign to warn motorists of the dangers of driving whilst they are tired. Research commissioned by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance has shown that in any given month over a third (34%) of motorists admit to driving whilst they are feeling tired⁽¹⁾.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance Manager, said: “We’re delighted to see the Government’s new initiative highlighting the dangers associated with driving combined with tiredness. It can be tempting for motorists on long journeys to just push on through the tiredness, but taking at least the recommended break of 15 minutes every two hours could be the difference between having an accident or arriving safely.”

The findings from Sainsbury’s Car Insurance also revealed that 68% of drivers (projected to over 18.5 million motorists) engage in some form of potentially dangerous driving-related activity in any given month⁽¹⁾.

Eating and drinking whilst driving is the most frequent dangerous driving habit, with 41% of motorists admitting to having done it during July 2007.  This is followed by driving wearing flip flops/no shoes (20%) and excessive speeding (17%).

⁽¹⁾ 1,012 people were interviewed by TNS between 2nd and 6th August 2007.  Interviews were conducted online. The consumer omnibus research conducted by TNS NOP uses a large sample size that reflects the demographic profile of GB. Given this it is possible to extrapolate figures and make projections from the research results within appropriate confidence intervals.

British motorists are easy picking for thieves, with a careless attitude towards leaving gadgets in their cars, according to online car insurer, swiftcover.com.

A recent survey of motorists found that despite the well-documented risks, a massive 96 per cent of British motorists regularly leave gadgets in their cars, with one in three leaving them in full view on the seat or dashboard. As a result, more than a fifth (21%) have had their cars broken into and their gadgets stolen.

In response, swiftcover.com, the UK’s only dedicated online insurance company, has today launched a new insurance cover, offering motorists the option to cover their in-car gadgets when they buy car insurance.

“Sat navs, MP3 players, mobile phones and digital cameras are a thief’s dream,” says Tina Shortle, marketing director of swiftcover.com. “They are easy to snatch, easy to conceal and because they are desirable items, easy to sell on. A thief could be in a car and away with a pocketful of expensive kit within seconds. It’s a bonanza for our light-fingered foes.”

“We strongly urge drivers to take 30 seconds to check their vehicle and to lock their gadgets in the glove box or boot when parking, even when leaving their car unattended at a petrol station. This little routine will ensure no gadget is visible,” Shortle said.

The research mirrors official police statistics which reveal a huge rise in gadget theft from cars. According to the Metropolitan Police, the theft of sat navs from cars in London alone more than doubled (up 154%) between April 2006 and April 2007. Nationally, the British Crime Survey showed that there were over 1.2 million reported thefts from vehicles in 2005-6 and over seven per cent of vehicle-owning households experienced some type of vehicle-related theft.

For £28.50 for a year, swiftcover.com’s gadget cover includes theft and damage to gadgets in vehicles, providing a replacement if the item is stolen or damaged accidentally whilst within a car. Items covered include mobile phones, PDAs, satellite navigation systems, MP3 players, safety camera locators, portable games consoles, digital cameras, camcorders and portable DVD players.

Traditional insurers which cover gadgets require proof of purchase prior to insuring an item, however swiftcover.com covers an unlimited number of gadgets, with customers only requiring proof of purchase when making a claim. Therefore it is vital to keep receipts, especially as swiftcover.com’s survey found that only 26 per cent of British consumers keep proof of purchase of their gadgets.

Unsurprisingly, the theft of gadgets from cars is proving to be a costly business for consumers. Britons are Europe’s biggest spenders on gadgets, splashing out more than £11 billion (or £230 per adult) per year. With the latest iphone costing around £270, a basic TomTom costing £120 and a Palm Pilot costing around £230, just one opportunistic break-in can set consumers back by hundreds of pounds.

The survey found that mobile phones are the most popular in-car gadget (98%), while 35% regularly keep an MP3 player in their car; 38% have a satellite navigation system, 42% keep a digital camera and 15% keep a DVD player in their car.

The research also identified that people are confused when it comes to insurance for their gadgets. 40 per cent of UK drivers said they were unsure if their home or car insurance covers them for gadget theft or damage.

The research was carried out via Survey Monkey in March 2008 and polled 917 consumers throughout the UK.

Car modifications can increase insurance premiums by a whopping 139% – or £545 – finds Confused.com, the UK’s leading car insurance comparison service.Research from Confused.com found that quotes for cars with and without modifications could differ by up to £1026.42 – or 182% – based on a 20 year old male driving a VW Golf 1.5l, with no claims or convictions. Typical modifications include spoilers, alloy wheels, tinted windows, lower suspension and strip under-lighting.

Will Thomas, head of car insurance at Confused.com, said:

“As car modifications become more popular with young drivers, it is important that they are made aware of the ensuing cost of car insurance. Adding spoilers and tinted windows, for example, can not only dramatically increase car insurance premiums, but they can render car insurance void in some instances, especially when the driver fails to inform the insurer of any changes.

“It also needs to be considered that adding modifications to your vehicle can greatly depreciate its value when selling it on. If drivers must modify their cars, we urge our customers to shop around before committing to one insurer.”

Does the colour of the car you drive say anything about your chosen profession? Do the police have a bias for blue or undertakers have a predisposition for black?

The research also revealed that surgeons are partial to surgical silver and stockbrokers tend to favour classically understated black cars. However, party planners, who you might expect to be more outgoing in their choice, are 82% more likely than average to drive a lacklustre grey car.  And, red cars are most popular with journalists who are 60% more likely to drive this racy shade rather appropriate to their fast-paced, deadline-loaded lifestyles.

50% of those considering buying a new car and polled by Direct Line just days after the budget said they are now much less likely to purchase a high-emission vehicle in the future[1]. A further 14 per cent said it made it a little less likely. Only 9 per cent remained unmoved by Darling’s efforts to push the green agenda to motorists.

The swing in public opinion was as dramatic as Darling could have hoped for; only last month 16 per cent of drivers said they were planning to buy a 4×4 or people carrier this year.

Jennifer Culley, commenting on the findings for Direct Line Car Insurance, said: “We expected the new tax to have an impact, and this swing in opinion demonstrates that by hitting people’s wallets, Darling has succeeded in making people think twice before they head for the forecourt.”

Battle of the sexes: Men are more likely to be swayed by the tax with nearly three quarters (68 per cent) less likely to purchase as opposed to only 60 per cent of women.

Age affects opinion: Those aged 55 and over are much more affected by the tax with nearly two thirds (60 per cent) saying they are much less likely to purchase a high-emission vehicle compared to only 44 per cent of those aged between 18 and 34.

Regional difference: The Welsh are more likely to be influenced by the tax with 57 per cent saying the announcement would affect their decision compared to only 42 per cent of Londoners.

[1] Opinium Research conducted a nationally representative poll amongst 2096 British adults on 12^th March 2008.

If you want the best mortgage payment protection insurance then you will have to secure the cheapest premiums for a good quality product and there is only one way of doing this and that is by going independently for your cover to a specialist payment protection provider.

When taken out correctly a mortgage payment protection insurance plan will kick in after you have been out of work for 30 consecutive days and with good policies will be backdated to the day you came out of work. Once you have started receiving a tax free income from the policy it will continue to pay out for up to 12 months and with some providers extending policies to 24 months. This can give great peace of mind that your home isn’t at risk of repossession from not being able to find the money each month to carry on paying your mortgage until you get back on your feet and back to work. Mortgage cover can be taken to cover against coming out of work due to accident and sickness only, unemployment only or due to accident, sickness and unemployment together.

Only a specialist who knows their products off by heart is able to give you the essential advice that is needed in order for you to ensure that you get not only the cheapest premiums, but also understand the exclusions that exist in all payment protection products. Exclusions are what cause you to be ineligible to make a claim on your insurance and include some of the most common reasons which keep people off from work such as back problems and stress related problems. They also include being retired, self-employed, in part time employment or suffering from a pre-existing medical condition at the time of taking out the policy.

While an ethical provider will ensure that you have access to these exclusions and the key facts regarding a policy, some providers of payment protection aren’t as ethical and this has led to wide spread mis-selling of protection products including mortgage payment protection.

Starting in 2005 the mis-selling was brought to light by the Citizens Advice after a super complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after it was found that many high street lenders weren’t giving the information needed for the consumer to make an informed decision and in some cases the cover was added onto the cost of the loan or mortgage without even asking if you wanted the cover. Along with this very little information if any was given out about the policy and this led to many holding a policy they couldn’t claim against. The Financial Services subsequently handed out fines to many well know high street names with the latest being a mortgage company and the investigation continues along with a review by the Competition Commission which is set to reach conclusion in Feb 2009.

If you want the best mortgage payment protection insurance it can be found but you have to go independently and shop around for the cover getting several quotes from specialist independent providers if you want to be absolutely sure of keeping the roof over your head through a sustained period of unemployment.

If you want the best mortgage payment protection insurance then you will have to secure the cheapest premiums for a good quality product and there is only one way of doing this and that is by going independently for your cover to a specialist payment protection provider.

When taken out correctly a mortgage payment protection insurance plan will kick in after you have been out of work for 30 consecutive days and with good policies will be backdated to the day you came out of work. Once you have started receiving a tax free income from the policy it will continue to pay out for up to 12 months and with some providers extending policies to 24 months. This can give great peace of mind that your home isn’t at risk of repossession from not being able to find the money each month to carry on paying your mortgage until you get back on your feet and back to work. Mortgage cover can be taken to cover against coming out of work due to accident and sickness only, unemployment only or due to accident, sickness and unemployment together.

Only a specialist who knows their products off by heart is able to give you the essential advice that is needed in order for you to ensure that you get not only the cheapest premiums, but also understand the exclusions that exist in all payment protection products. Exclusions are what cause you to be ineligible to make a claim on your insurance and include some of the most common reasons which keep people off from work such as back problems and stress related problems. They also include being retired, self-employed, in part time employment or suffering from a pre-existing medical condition at the time of taking out the policy.

While an ethical provider will ensure that you have access to these exclusions and the key facts regarding a policy, some providers of payment protection aren’t as ethical and this has led to wide spread mis-selling of protection products including mortgage payment protection.

Starting in 2005 the mis-selling was brought to light by the Citizens Advice after a super complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after it was found that many high street lenders weren’t giving the information needed for the consumer to make an informed decision and in some cases the cover was added onto the cost of the loan or mortgage without even asking if you wanted the cover. Along with this very little information if any was given out about the policy and this led to many holding a policy they couldn’t claim against. The Financial Services subsequently handed out fines to many well know high street names with the latest being a mortgage company and the investigation continues along with a review by the Competition Commission which is set to reach conclusion in Feb 2009.

If you want the best mortgage payment protection insurance it can be found but you have to go independently and shop around for the cover getting several quotes from specialist independent providers if you want to be absolutely sure of keeping the roof over your head through a sustained period of unemployment.

While the high street lender might have got you an excellent deal when it came to your mortgage this doesn’t necessarily mean that they can do the same when it comes to taking out mortgage payment insurance with which to protect that mortgage. The high street lender can secure you the best deal for a mortgage because it’s what they specialise in, however high street lenders only sell mortgage protection as a sideline alongside their mortgage and as such know very little about the product other than it makes them huge profits each year.

Sadly these huge profits are put ahead of the consumers best interests and has led to the mis-selling of policies as the ongoing investigation by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has recently shown when the latest to receive a fine was a mortgage company. The investigation stems back to 2005 after a super complaint was made to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) by the Citizens Advice , following this the Financial Services Authority (FSA) started its investigation and fined several high street names before referring the sector to the Competition Commission . The Competition Commission conducts in-depth reviews and regulates major regulated industries and they expect to reach their conclusion by Feb 2009, along with Financial Services keeping their own eye on the sector in the meantime.

The mis-selling of policies was wide spread and included over charging on the premiums, a lack of information given to the consumer and putting profits ahead of the consumer by not ensuring the consumer realised there were exclusions which could and did stop them from claiming successfully. Some of the most common included selling policies to those who were retired, only in part time work, self-employed or suffering from a pre-existing medical condition at the time of taking out the policy.

Mortgage payment insurance can be a valuable asset to have in your corner as it could give you a monthly income which would be tax free after you have been out of work for 30 days or more and would be backdated to day one and then continue to pay out for up to 12 month and with some providers this is extended to 24 months. Policies can be taken just to cover accident and sickness only, unemployment only or for accident, sickness and unemployment. The cost of the premiums will of course depend on the level of cover that you require for your particular circumstances and when comparing quotes this needs to be taken into account. The standalone provider will usually make their quotes quite clear and usually quote for every

In January of this year Confused.com published research that showed that despite high profile press campaigns on the dangers of “talking and driving” with handheld devices most drivers just don’t care, or at least don’t care enough to change their habits.  1 in 2 people surveyed by confused.com said they’d seen another motorist drive and text and 1 in 3 said they themselves had texted whilst driving.

It seems that despite the zero tolerance approach of police and the ad’s explaining the dangers of driving and talking we’re still at it and that includes celebrities too; with Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and (surely he should know better) Jeremy Clarkson all caught talking on their mobiles whilst driving this year.

In 2007 the number of motorists using handheld devices when driving increased by 42% in 2007 with convictions increasing by 18% month-to-month.

Debra Williams, managing director of Confused.com said:“These latest celeb’ ‘talk and drive’ outings, based on our research, appear to reflect a general UK driver apathy towards this issue.  Despite harsher penalties and stronger police enforcement, some motorists are evidently continuing to use mobile phones while driving.”

“Although many drivers feel that they can safely respond to a text message, or answer their phone, while staying in control of their vehicle, it is important to remember that no driver is infallible – taking your eyes off the road, even for a second, is ill-advised! The message is simple: never use a mobile phone while driving, unless you have a hands-free kit. Nothing is worth posing a threat to yourself and fellow drivers. In addition, you won’t risk driving your car insurance premiums up unnecessarily.”