Insurance News

I am sure you will have heard of someone who had their home broken into and the only thing that was taken was the car keys. Most people know or have read something about the people who own top of the range cars and wake up to find them gone. Either way, it is becoming a huge industry today and one that is definitely worth thinking about if you have a performance car. After all, performance car insurance is so expensive in some cases that you cannot risk a claim for something like that! Well, there are numerous ways to protect your keys inside your home, such as putting them away from a door, finding a safe place for them or keeping them near you at all times. You could even check your home locks to make sure that people do not get in. The question is, though, what if you just lose your keys?

Losing your keys is definitely a pain in the neck when it comes to performance car insurance because if the person who picks them up, or who actually stole them from you in the first place, finds your car then it will go missing. You will then have trouble claiming because many performance car insurance companies require proof that the keys were stolen before they pay out. Providing it can be problematic. However, if you realise in time then you would be best advised to consider changing the locks to your car doors and the ignition. This is definitely possible and a real option but it can cost quite a bit and you will not necessarily be covered by your performance car insurance if you choose to do that… unless you have very specific cover.

Some performance car insurance companies do offer key cover, which offers cover for you should you lose your keys and decide to change your locks. This also covers you in most cases if the key breaks off in the lock or you need them changing for any other reason. With a regular car you may not consider this cover worth it but it is definitely worth every single penny if you have a car that is worth quite a bit of money. However, this is usually an optional extra rather than a must have so you generally have to ask for it. It will cost more but the peace of mind is definitely worth it these days. After all, you never know who is out there.

If you have a performance car then you may be well aware of not only how expensive your performance car insurance can be but also how desirable your car actually is. Of course, the two do not mix well when it comes to keeping your car completely safe and in your possession. National statistics show that fewer people are reporting crime outside of their home, such as vehicle damage or theft, but yet crime is rising regardless and vehicle theft is definitely up. The problem is that unless you keep your car safe, it can be very difficult to govern whether or not you become a victim of crime.

If you left the doors of your home unlocked and advertised the fact that you were on holiday on social networking sites then you would be lucky not to have your house burgled. If someone else did these things then you would even say that they deserved it. However, when it comes to cars, most drives think that their car is secure enough when they lock the door. This just is not the case. OK, so many performance cars have immobilisers, alarms and sophisticated locking systems these days but thieves just catch up with the technology. It does not take them long to crack the latest deterrents, which is why many manufacturers come up with brand new ways to prevent theft. However, things like fitting tracking devices onto your car can lower your performance car insurance as well as keeping your vehicle safe.

It is the basic measures that many drivers forget when it comes to protecting their car and performance car insurance premiums. For example, parking your car in a well lit area if you do not have a drive or using a garage to store your car over night are just two tips that could prevent damage to or the theft of your car. Using a steering wheel lock may also slow any potential thieves down. Finally, never leave any valuables in your car.

Of course, your performance car insurance premiums may go up without your car even being touched because insurance providers are using local crime to put up quotes in general. You cannot do anything about that but you can keep your car safe by taking some or all of the precautions mentioned above. Some of the steps cost nothing or very little so do not leave anything to chance.

Here is a question for you – what do the Peugeot 206 CC Allure, Renault Megane Dynamique VVT convertible, MG and Mercedes SLK have in common? Well, they are actually amongst the most insured convertibles in the UK at this moment in time. What does this have to do with you? In answer to that question we have to look at a recent study by a leading car insurance company. It found that the most popular type of car over the past 12 months has changed. Now it is the convertible that has replaced the SUV at the top of the most popular list. Of course, given that there are about 1 million convertibles in the UK, this does not make it the most owned car but the fastest growing in terms of its popularity.

So what does this mean for regular drivers and, more importantly, performance car insurance premiums? It is actually likely to increase premiums and make it more difficult to get an affordable quote for car insurance unless you shop around. Convertibles, or at least most convertibles, are expensive to insure and tend to get into a relatively high number of accidents and claims for a number of reasons. These include poor handling in icy conditions, speeds in excess of the speed limit and the fact that many are a target for thieves.

Performance car insurance premiums are always going to rise in line with regular car insurance premiums because there is a general curve that means all premiums tend to go up by the same or a similar percentage. However, if car insurance companies find that they are losing money when insuring convertibles then they will also increase specific cars in that class. This is what has happened for a number of other models in line with costs so it is important to think about the premiums you will have to pay in the future as well as at the present moment.

Having a convertible is a dream for most car enthusiasts and one that is certainly backed up by the performance and credibility that you get out of it. However, it could quickly turn into a nightmare if you fail to seek out the best deal possible. Make the most of comparison engines and get a range of quotes to make sure that you save money but get the best policy for you. After all, performance car insurance can cost a fortune and take all of the pleasure out of your convertible for you if you are not careful.

Do you own a Honda FV-R? If you do then you own the most crashed car in the UK at the moment according to a poll by a big name comparison site. Released a few days ago, the results of this particular survey were by no means representative of the entire population but it does give an indication as to why insurers are putting up their premiums to elevated levels for no apparent reason. Not to defend them but performance car insurance policyholders are generally the worst when it comes to claims on policies because  young drivers tend to have them and more seem to get into crashes when you look at the entire population of drivers.

Back to the survey – it revealed that claims for the Honda FV-R hit almost a fifth of those driving it. In fact, 18.4% of the 2,529 owners included in the survey made a claim in the previous five years. Other cars that scored high on the survey included the Volvo XC90, Lexus RX, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda 3,Volkswagen Touran and Toyota Rav4. All of these cars have high insurance premiums as a result of the fact that they tend to get into accidents more than your average car but this penalises the good drivers out there.

Let’s face it – crashes are usually down to human error rather than anything to do with mechanical error on the car. As such, good drivers usually have to pay for bad drivers and even the odd mistake that good drivers make. So what can you do to offset your performance car insurance premiums? Well, the first thing you can do is check out every provider you can. Look to the specialists as well as mainstream providers to see what deals are available to you. You will be surprised at just how many choices there are available to you so you should explore the entire world of performance car insurance before settling for one policy.You can do this quickly and easily by using Powerseeker. Just fill in the details required and you will receive a range of quotes from leading providers within a short period of time.

Whatever car you have, performance car insurance premiums have gone up in recent years and this is undoubtedly unfair. Loyalty no longer pays. You have to do what is best for you and your pocket as well as your peace of mind. Surveys can be useful when it comes to choosing a new car but there is no reason why you cannot have your dream car and be able to afford the insurance if you compare.

Are you planning on saving money this year by taking your car on holiday with you? Millions of Brits are heading for continental Europe in their own vehicles to save money on rentals and local transports. Why not? After all, most drivers will not have to pay anything extra to drive their cars in France, Italy, Spain and other such European countries. However, you may want to check the small print of your policy, especially if you have performance car insurance, because you may well find that you are not as covered as you think you are.

First of all, it is important to clarify that most performance car insurance policies do offer a level of cover for those people wanting to take their car abroad. Although it is worth checking that you have this in place, most policies offer it as standard. However, actually having this feature of a policy is not often the problem. Instead, it is what level of cover it provides you with.

Although there are several performance car insurance providers that offer you the same level of cover no matter where you are in the world, most car insurance providers actually provide you with a reduced level of cover the moment you set foot on foreign soil. This means that they give you the minimum legal amount required in an individual country. As such, you automatically lose out if you insured your vehicle under a comprehensive policy. For example, if you get into an accident then you will only be able to cover the other vehicle involved. Your car will not be covered so you literally lose out. It could end up being a really expensive holiday.

The key to finding out what cover you do have is taking the time to read your policy documents. They will outline the cover you have in detail. Those policies that do offer you uniform coverage anywhere in the world often do so for around 90 days and then reduce to the minimum level required by law.

You can often upgrade your insurance when abroad though if you choose to pay extra premiums. This will cost more but will also provide you with peace of mind. Call your insurer and ask what cover you have. They are required to tell you. You can also find out when you compare policy quotes prior to taking out a policy so be aware of this fact then to make sure that you can make the absolute most of your performance car insurance.

It is a well known fact that the vast majority of the cars out there that are uninsured are those vehicles that could be described as performance cars… and many are owned by young drivers too. As such, the recent announcement from the Department of Transport should be noted. If you have yet to invest in performance car insurance then now is the time.

Under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) legislation, the DVLA and Motor Insurance Bureau will be working together to identify uninsured drivers, who will then be sent a warning letter. Should they still fail to get insurance then they will be fined £100 and the car may be clamped or even destroyed if the owner can prove that they have indeed taken out insurance.

If you have a valid Statutory Off Road Notice then you will not need performance car insurance but you will otherwise appear on the MID database, which you can check for yourself online. You have until June, otherwise expect your letter!

Over two million people admitted to using credit cards to pay off major bills, such as rent, mortgage costs and insurance costs in 2010, running up debts that they may now be struggling to pay off with the uncertain economic climate that we seem to be smack bang in the middle of. One such expense is performance car insurance but there are some points that you need to note ahead of time if you choose to use a credit card to pay off your annual premium in full.

You may prefer to pay your performance car insurance premiums in one go to make sure that you are fully covered and get them out of the way but this is not always a good thing. For example, some providers will not refund premiums that are already paid should you get rid of your car but if you pay monthly then you can cancel. Furthermore, paying monthly today usually requires no extra cost so it is just as economical to pay once a month, unlike paying an annual premium on a credit card, which costs interest. Think about all angles before paying it off!

Did you know that car insurance claims have risen by 23% since the start of the bad weather a fortnight ago? A study of a leading insurer has revealed that, although people are taking it easy on the roads, many people are skidding and sliding around on the ice and into other cars as well as into parked cars and stationary objects. One person even reported an accident after swerving to miss a wild boar. As such, the season of the weird and wonderful is here.

Of all of the claims put in though more are being placed on performance car insurance than any other type of insurance. This is largely because performance cars are not only more powerful and tend to offer a less sensible drive in conditions like these but also because any modifications can make them more difficult to drive. Any modification can throw the centre of gravity off so be careful if you have a performance car, even moreso than you would be with any other car.