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Insurance premiums are often the biggest annual expense for motorists - but they don't have to be.
Simply by shopping around and employing some canny tricks of the trade you can make a real dent in the cost of cover.
Spend time, save money
The best way to save cash is to spend some time online, or on the phone, getting as many quotes as you can - you could literally save hundreds of pounds.
Whatever you do, don't accept the renewal price given to you by your current insurer. It may have been the most competitive when you took cover out 12 months ago, but chances are it's not now.
Try using a price comparison website - such as Insurancewide.com - where you only have to input your details once to check a range of cover providers.
And make sure you call a broker, like the AA. They can often negotiate special deals on your behalf and some insurers don't subscribe to online comparison sites.
Once you've found your best price, ring your current provider back and ask them to better it - more often than not they'll match it at the very least.
So, what's the golden rule when buying insurance? That's simple: make sure you tell your insurer everything. Hold back any information and your policy will be invalid - and no savings you make are going to be worth that.
Top tricks of the trade
MSN Cars spoke to a number of insurance companies to find out the best ways to cut your premium. Obviously, the amount you can shave off your policy will depend on your circumstances and your insurer, but they're worth a go all the same.
Wonder web
Buying insurance over the internet is a great way of cutting premiums. Some insurers offer as much as 12% off online as you're saving the provider time and money by filling out the forms yourself.
- Saving: 12%
Job swap
What you do for a living drastically affects the price you pay for car insurance. By describing your profession differently you can really save money. Try landlord instead of publican, university professor rather than lecturer - it's totally legal and can shave a fifth off your premium.
- Saving: 20%
Name game
Contrary to what you might think, adding a named driver can actually help bring your premium down, especially if they have a good no claims record and a clean licence. Add your partner, or parents, and you could make healthy savings.
- Saving: 5%
Work shy
If you've just retired or have started to work from home make sure you tell your insurance company. You won't need the commuting element of your insurance which is often an expensive part of cover.
- Saving: 4%
Two's company
If you've got two cars in the family why not delete courtesy car cover? You could use the second car if you have an accident which means your insurer won't have to pay out for a hire car.
- Saving: 4%
Pass it on
If you're a young driver you can make huge savings by taking a Pass Plus course. The AA ran a quote for MSN Cars on a 19-year-old male driving a base model Ford Focus which came in at £1,991 - adding a Pass Plus certificate slashed £400 off that figure!
- Saving: 25%
Garage it
Parking your car on the street is the most expensive place to store it as it's far more likely to become a crime statistic. Put it on your drive and you can save two%, better still, if you can park it in a garage you'll save 3%.
- Saving: 3%
Miles better
Work out how many miles you travel a year and give your insurer the accurate figure. Low mileage drivers (under 8,000) will pay considerably less. Just cutting mileage from 25,000 per annum to 15,000 could make a difference.
- Saving: 5%
Excess all areas
Agree to pay slightly more if you have an accident. It's a common way to cut premiums, but really works - by adding an excess of £250, bills can be cut, on average, by nearly a fifth.
- Saving: 18%
Other cars
If your insurance policy gives you the option to drive any other car consider deleting it. If you never use another vehicle it's simply not worth it.
- Saving: 5%
Lump sum
Paying for your premium on a monthly basis might be easier to budget for, but it's expensive. You're effectively borrowing the money at a very high rate - sometimes as much as 22% APR. Instead, pay the premium in one go, or put it on a 0% credit card and pay it off over the year interest free.
- Saving: 22%
Consider a classic
A classic car doesn't necessarily have to mean a MKII Jaguar - some insurers will consider any vehicle as young as 13 for these specialist policies. Discounts over standard cover can be as much as 25%, but there are specific requirements. The most important will be an agreed value. Insurers will set a price they'll pay out in the event of a total loss and this won't change as the car gets older. Usually it has to be your second vehicle and they'll be a strict annual mileage limit (often under 3,000 miles). Cover is cheaper because insurers know owners of classics are likely to keep their cars in good condition and drive carefully. Premiums are often offered via owners' clubs, so search the web for ones for your model.
- Saving: 25%
Pay as your drive
If you don't use the car very often you could make huge savings with a 'pay as you drive' policy. Norwich Union's specialist scheme fits a GPS tracking device to your car that alerts the insurer every time you use it. Insurance is more expensive depending on when you use the vehicle - peak times, like rush hour, and driving at night costs more than daytime travel. Aimed at young drivers who need to cut premiums, the insurer has found that on average its customers are saving up to a third.
- Saving: 30%
