Insurance News

Well ladies, it has been confirmed that the fairer sex, and indeed the better drivers if years of statistics are to be believed, will no longer be able to take advantage of “gender biased” womens car insurance as of December 2012. This applies to companies offering women new policies and the renewal of existing policies. As such, whether you have womens car insurance now or not, you will not be eligible for it as of 2013.  So what does this mean for you?

Well, first of all it means that women up and down the UK can expect to pay more for their car insurance because they will not bring men’s policies down to meet the pricing. The car insurance companies, that is. However, much depends on your driving record as to how much your premiums will go up by. Although there will be no blanket discounting for women car insurance policies in the future, car insurance companies will be forced to assess drivers as individuals. This basically means that you will have your driving record and claims record scrutinised, penalty points, accidents, thefts and all, so that you get a fair quote that is not based on your gender. Although this will work to bring careful drivers’ premiums down, it may not do you any good.

So what can you do if your womens car insurance premiums suffer a massive rise later on? Well, the first is obviously compare policies and decide who you can trust. Womens car insurance companies will have to start selling policies to men or else face going out of business. However, if there is a specific company you trust then get a quote. If you have been with the same company for years then you should know that loyalty does not pay but that is not to say that you cannot see if a specific company offers the best value for money or indeed the most affordable policies. It is definitely worth doing your homework because having peace of mind that your insurer actually cars and is trustworthy is worth far more than you may realise.

In truth, with the comparison engine available here at Powerseeker, comparing car insurance has never been easier. You can get a range of quotes from trustworthy providers in next to no time… so take your time. You do not have to decide who to go with right away but be sure to check the market before you decide.

Womens car insurance may legally be a thing of the past thanks to European legislation but that is not to say that the mentality of women looking to get the best deals for themselves, their bank balances and their families is a thing of the past. It is definitely the future for many individuals and families that have their budgets stretched and the supermarkets are leading the way in offering value for money… and that includes in the car insurance market.

As of Monday, a major supermarket will be re-launching their car insurance products to challenge one of their main rivals in the marketplace. To appeal to the masses and especially the womens car insurance policyholders, they are offering significant loyalty points as an incentive to jump ship from your current provider to their own service. Now, I cannot mention the brands but the two insurers involved offer two of the biggest loyalty schemes out there so it is pretty obvious who they are. This incentive is not new but it may appeal to you if you are looking to save money and take full advantage of any savings you can make in your food budget too!

There are, of course, significant positives and negatives associated with taking advantage of loyalty points offers for womens car insurance. The positives are that you get a guaranteed reward for taking out car insurance. You can spend the points on food, household goods and even treats for all the family. You can also take advantage of discounts. One provider offers members of their loyalty scheme 15% off their premiums. As such, you can save between 15% and 20%  offer your total premiums. However, in many cases, you will not get the same discount should you choose to renew so you could end up paying more for coverage.

Although it is definitely worth looking at these offers before taking out womens car insurance, you should also avoid falling hook, line and sinker for them. Some seem to offer better value than they actually do and often cover for cheap insurance that does not offer value for money. Always compare quotes and policies to get the best deal to suit all your wants and needs. Check out features of policies as well as making sure that you can afford your premiums and you will not go far wrong. You need to make sure that your insurance can work for you so make sure that it does just that from day one.

If you have read a few of my posts over the past few months then you will be aware of the fact that I watch Watchdog to see if there are any insurance related matters every week. This week was a huge one because the show revealed an incredible fault with the Citroen C3 Picasso. As the car is a French vehicle that has been adapted to suit the British market, it has a master brake cylinder on the passenger side. As this is not sufficiently protected by the design, it is possible to operate the brake from the passenger side. This could potentially invalidate your womens car insurance if it causes a crash.

So why is it particularly important to women? Asking adult passengers to avoid the brake poses no problem but asking children to do the same could actually have the opposite effect. If you find this problem on your Citroen C3 Picasso then take it to a dealership today to get it sorted!

Finally we all know why women are less prone to having accidents than men! There has recently been a study to see why male drivers are more likely to have an accident when out and about on the road and it revealed that they are far less likely to concentrate on the road if they have a female passenger alongside them. I have seen some male commentators argue that it is no wonder if the wife is nagging and others shocked that a hot woman would distract a male driver. However, one fact remains – womens car insurance premiums should be less as a result.

Of course, thanks to the European court ruling, this will not be the case in coming years because it is gender biased but it does beg questions as to whether there should be gender bias or not in the car insurance industry and whether womens car insurance should be left alone.

After my blog about womens car insurance and equal opportunities the other day I had it pointed out to me that the ability to offer womens car insurance at a cheaper level was guaranteed under the Equal Treatment Directive of 2004. This is a European law that effectively allows individuals to be taken as individuals so that car insurance can be marketed to women at lower price levels if the company in question so wishes. However, after a little research, I found that that may be about to change.

Between now and May, the European Court of Justice will make a decision as to whether womens car insurance constitutes discrimination. Apparently, a challenge was made to the ruling in January and, as a result, the equal ops brigade are complaining about it all. Unfortunately, insurers in the UK think that a ruling against womens car insurance will put everyone’s premiums up by around 25% because risk cannot be linked to gender. This does no good for anyone so it will hopefully be thrown out.

Anyone who knows even a little bit about the insurance industry will be fully aware of the fact that equal opportunities legislation does not apply to it. In fact, that is the sole reason why womens car insurance exists in the first place and why some insurers have been offering cheaper premiums for women drivers over the past few years. However, although womens car insurance was, on average, 9% cheaper than a man’s with the same record last year, this is not the case now.

Several reports have recently found that womens car insurance is going up in price because the lower premiums have started to put the insurers’ profit margins at risk. It is certainly a logical place to bring money back into the industry but it begs the question as to whether or not there is any point having womens car insurance at all. There is only one way to find out – compare car insurance at Powerseeker today!

Are you having financial difficulties at the moment? This may be a very personal question to ask but it is also one that many people will answer “yes” to at the moment. We all know that half of the country is struggling at the moment, whether as a result of rising fuel an food costs, job losses or frozen pay packets. As such, many people are looking to save money by cutting out unecessary expenses and this includes anything that they can do without, such as a second car. If this applies to you then did you know that your womens car insurance policy is not required?

If you file a SORN (Statuatory Off Road Notice) with the DVLA then your car does not have to be insured. However, you may want to simply reduce your womens car insurance instead of cancelling it because there is still the question of what would happen were it to be stolen. You never know what will happen so sometimes common sense should override cost.

Many women have a car that is their pride and joy today. After all, motoring is no longer a solely male pursuit and women are just as capable on the roads as men (check out the statistics those of you that are laughing at this point). However, although they may be equal to men in terms of the cars they drive and their ability on the road, women are still far more vulnerable than men are. This is why womens car insurance policies tend to have emergency lines and safety features that general policies do not.

As there has been an increase in popularity with regard to personalising cars in the past few years, it is easier than ever for predators to identify a female’s car in a car park and target it for various sinister means so resolve to stay safe in 2011. Tone down the pink, park in well lit public areas and always stay vigilant. After all, you never know when these steps will save you.

Having your car breakdown when you are miles from home is daunting enough but if it happens in adverse weather conditions when you are stuck in the middle of nowhere then it is even worse… especially if you are female and feel vulnerable. This is why many womens car insurance policies started incorporating free breakdown cover, which you could upgrade if you felt the need to. However, in a bid to save money, some womens only car insurance companies have begun to drop it from their list of features as standard.

So what does this mean? Well, in many cases, you can still opt to have breakdown insurance as an extra but that means that you can be charged more for it. As such, if you already have breakdown cover on your womens car insurance check your policy when renewal time rolls around because you may find the terms and conditions have changed.