Car insurance is an essential part of motoring - it's a legal requirement for any driver in the UK. At the very least every driver is expected to have third party insurance that covers injuries to others (including passengers) and damage to other people's property. A claim situation would only arise as a claim against you by a third party.

While this is the minimum amount of cover the law expects of you, it doesn't cover very much – for example, if your car is in an accident and gets written off, you would lose the value of your car.

The next step up is third party, fire and theft - essentially the same as third party but with additional cover if your vehicle is set on fire or stolen. This cover would not cover you for the any personal possessions or extras that you have added to the car.

The most popular cover is fully comprehensive cover – which covers the owner in the event of causing damage to a third party, in the event of fire and theft as well as damage to one's car and the damage, and also the loss or theft of any goods from within the car.

The first step to consider when making any kind of claim on your car insurance is what's covered? Not only does the type of policy dictate the nature of your claim but also the specific details of the policy.

For example, does your insurance include replacement locks? Can you claim for personal possessions and if so what items are covered and to what value?

It's worth noting that many people these days have home contents insurance which covers items carried in your car – check the difference in policy to see which insurance policy is more cost effective to claim with.

There are two primary factors to consider when making a claim – your excess charge and your no-claims bonus.

- Excess

The excess charge is how much you are willing to pay in the event of an accident. Your insurance provider may set a compulsory excess charge or the excess charge may be voluntary – whichever the case, the golden rule is the more excess you are willing to pay the lower your premium.

The excess charge can be a major deciding factor in whether to make a claim or not.

For example, if you agree to paying an excess of £200 that means that if you have an accident that costs £400 to repair your vehicle, you pay £200 and the insurance company pays £200. If your claim is less than £200 then the insurance company will not pay anything.

So, as long as the claim is more than the excess you should make a claim, right?

Not necessarily – that brings us on to our next major factor:

- No claims bonus

To some people the thought of losing their no-claims bonus is the stuff of nightmares. It's no surprise – some no claims bonus policies can save you 65% on your premium if you have five years or more of no claims.

The particular details of your no-claims bonus vary from policy to policy – with some there is no quarter: if you make a claim, you lose your bonus. With others there is a system of "three strikes and you're out" whereby you are allowed to make two claims within a certain time period but a third would result in your losing your bonus.

There are also protected no claims bonus policies where you can pay an extra premium to protect your no claims bonus so even if you have to make a claim you save money.

Far from being straightforward, making a claim can become a careful balancing act of costs. To make the right decision you need to weigh up, not just the cost of the claim but the effect that claim will have on your premium.

If you shop well, you'll realize huge savings in your car insurance. However, if you master the act, you'll both save much and still use your time in other creative activities. I've had the privilege of getting a difference of over $2,000 on a comparable car insurance policy (That's not a typo error!). And, the best part is that it took less than five minutes. Here's how you too can do it...

First know exactly what you need, not what you want. It's not as if doing the contrary will keep you from making savings. But since car insurance is about getting quality coverage from risk, that purpose will be defeated if you just go for whatever sounds good. Furthermore, you could be opting for a policy you really don't need.

Once you've decided on the policy that's best for you. Take out just a few minutes to visit online car insurance quotes sites. They offer you a great research option. And best of all, they'll only cost you 5 minutes. For these five minutes, you'll get up to five car insurance quotes from "A" rated companies. The rating of these companies is really important as you do not want to get involved with an insurance company that won't be there when you need it most.

If you want to push the envelop, take your time to visit at least 3 of these car insurance quotes sites. All it will take you is a total of less than 15 minutes. Thereafter, compare all the quotes you have for the best price/value. Remember, the cheapest may not simply be the best for you. The best price/value is what you should go for.

If you consider that this little exercise has saved someone over $2,000, you'll understand why I'm so excited about this and why you should too. Yes, you may not make anything close to that amount in savings. But, tell me, isn't $200 savings enough motivation to get your car insurance quotes now?

You've done it! You bought your dream car. But did you consider insurance before you bought it? That beauty has a roaring engine. The finish gleams. The tires squeal. It's a real eye catcher. But its also likely to catch the eye of a thief, too. That's why you need insurance. Not just any insurance. Insurance that’s specific to the kind of luxury or sports car you now own. Here are 5 of the most important tips you need to know to properly insure your luxury car.

1. Find the right insurer. Not every insurance company will sell you insurance for your luxury car. Finding an insurer for a 2007 BMW 335i Coupe, Maserati or a Rolls Royce isn’t as easy as finding one for that Ford Echo. The dealer who sold you the car can recommend insurance agents or you can look in publications like Hemming's Motor News, Car and Driver or search online for specialty brokers. Expect rates run 15-20% above non-sports or luxury models. Remember, much of your insurance is calculated on replacement value and repair costs.

2. Decide whether you’re a daily driver or a “Saturday Nighter.” You must tell potential insurers an accurate estimate of their annual mileage. If you just take your baby out on sunny summer Sundays for a drive in the country or to cruise one Saturday nights, you can save big on insurance because of the low miles driven. Under 5,000 miles is usually the limit.

3. Join the club! Consider becoming a member of the owner’s club for your model or auto maker. Club members are always willing to share tips about such things as upkeep, special problems and maintenance as well as sources of parts and even insurers.

4. Ask For discount auto insurance. Beyond anything else, ask the insurance company what memberships you could belong to or what you could add to the car (a security system generally helps) to get the best coverage at the lowest price. Package insurance products for your home or other cars together with your sports car. You could see the costs fall in total.

5. Don’t forget to tell your insurer about that $5000 audio system or other expensive after market accessories that you’ve added on. They might not like that nitrous oxide super charger, but if you don’t disclose it, it may not be covered in a claim. Getting the best coverage for your luxury or sports car is a must. Use these tips to help you to protect that beauty so you can feel the wind in your face and just enjoy the scenery.

Teenagers are more likely to have a car accident more than all other age groups combined. Several things have combined to make this so. First, they are inexperienced drivers and so are not likely to have the best response in a given situation. Furthermore, there's a certain level of recklessness that's part of youthfulness. All these make their insurance premiums higher than every other age group. Is there anything they can do to lower their insurance premiums? Yes, here they are...

1) Register their car in their parents' name and be on their policy. However, since this will mean less "independence' most teenagers may not really like this.

2) Take lessons in defensive driving from a school approved by the state. Defensive driving equips a driver to respond better to situations on the road. Defensive drivers are far less likely to be involved in an accident. This is so because they are not only trained to drive their own cars, they are also trained to "drive" the cars around them. By this I mean they are trained to anticipate the worst from drivers around them and make room for themselves.

3) Use specialized insurance companies. Yes, there are insurance companies that will bill a teenager less provided they adhere to certain provisions stipulated by the insurance company.

4) Buy cars that don't fall into the "expensive to insure" category of cars. This is very important: Nothing could be worse than having a teenager get a car insurance policy for a sports car.

5) Use car insurance quotes and comparison sites to locate insurance companies that are most favorably disposed to your profile. Insurance companies that are specialized in providing car insurance coverage to teenagers will likely offer you reduced rates. Certain terms usually apply.

Your age can be a big problem in auto insurance. It could also be a great advantage. Whichever group you fall into, there's a way for you to make the most remarkable savings in your auto insurance premium. Unless you've taken time to research and study this subject, you will certainly pick one or two tips that will help you reduce your auto insurance premium.

If you're above fifty-five, thank your stars. You've entered the hallowed zone in auto insurance. If you don't get pampered by an auto insurance provider now, you never will. This is because you belong to an age group that has a high reputation of road safety. Just think of it -- Would you expect a man with a college age kid to go making reckless turns on the road? He has way too much at stake to joke behind wheels. Furthermore, unlike his much more older compatriots (those above 65), the effects of old age on driving hasn't yet caught up with him. However, a poor driving history wipes out all such benefits that should have accrued to you. So keeping a clean slate still counts despite your age group.

How about those who find themselves at the other end of the spectrum -- The highest risk age group? There are several options open to you. You can get married if you are old enough and it makes sense in your circumstance. I'm not kidding here. Marriage does reduce the perception of risk auto insurance providers have of you.

Let me get a little deeper into this. If you're under-25, you're considered a very high risk as far as auto insurance is concerned. Yes, if you're in your early twenties you'll be better off than a teenager. However, you still are a high risk group. But once you get married, a lot of auto insurance providers begin to see you in a whole new light. They consider you less reckless and more responsible. This reflects on your auto insurance premium.

Come to think of it yourself. It certainly takes a lot for a guy to settle down when he could be playing around. That shows a lot of stability. Such stability affects your driving. This makes you less likely to have an accident and thus reduces the likelihood of a claim. And you know that the lower the chances that you'll make a claim, the lower your auto insurance premium.

Another thing you can do as an under-25 is to be on your parent's auto insurance policy.

This isn't certainly going to go down well with many young folks. They'll have to give up a lot of their independence as they have to be resident with their parents and have their car registered in their names to take advantage of this option.

Age is just one of many factors used in calculating your auto insurance rate. And, add to that the fact that different insurance companies albeit using the same factors, score them differently. This means that given the same profile, you'll get different quotes from different auto insurance companies (I've seen a difference of over $2000). So how do you use this to your advantage? Go to as many auto insurance quotes sites as you can. For just five minutes of your time, you'll get quotes from around five A rated auto insurance providers.

The reason we compare car insurance quotes from multiple car insurance companies is to make sure we‘re getting the best rates possible. Of course nobody wants to pay more money than they have to, but in the other hand we also want to make sure that our car insurance company is going to respond quickly and fairly in case of an accident.

What is unknown to many is that there is not one single car insurance company that is cheaper than others. One particular car insurance company can be the cheapest for one person but the most expensive for another. Each car insurance company has a certain category of drivers they want to insure. If you fit their category they will offer you a cheap rate, if you don’t, they will offer you an expensive rate. That is their way of filtering the people they want and do not want to insure. That is the reason we need to compare insurance rates from multiple car insurance companies, to find out which company will offer us the cheapest rate. The key is to find the company that offers the cheapest rate for you, but of course, it is important to compare rates from quality companies only.

There are many quality car insurance companies out there; however, some of those quality companies also have a high price to go along with them. How do we find a quality company for a cheap price? That, my friend, is the key question.

The traditional method of shopping for car insurance is to call around which we all know can be a long process. Another drawback of shopping for car insurance by phone is the probability of getting caught with the old “bait and hook” trick. That is when someone gives you a low quote by phone and hikes it up on you when you go into their office to purchase the car insurance policy.

In today’s world, luckily, we have the internet. The internet makes life a lot easier for all of us. Using the internet, we can shop for many types of things we may need which include shopping for car insurance.

In the United States, every car that is driven on public roads, highways or freeways need to have car insurance. There are countless car insurance options available to drivers. Each insurance coverage offers something that adds benefit and protection to the car driving public. One such motor vehicle insurance policy is Physical Damage Coverage otherwise known as comprehensive car insurance. There are many benefits in purchasing a comprehensive car insurance policy for your motor vehicle and we will examine some of the better benefits to owning comprehensive car insurance.

Imagine you park your brand new BMW and head off to a restaurant to enjoy a nice dinner. When you come outside you notice your car is not in the same place that you left it. This is a scenario that happens to countless people daily in the United States. In a case like this, if you have comprehensive insurance you can set your mind at ease as your car would be covered in the event of theft. This allows you to replace on of your prized possessions without having to purchase a brand new car. Many people have insurance coverage’s that do not cover theft. In their case, they have to replace the car with their own out of pocket expense.

Acts of God can strike at anytime and comprehensive insurance is the best form of insurance to have in the case these acts so happen to come and damage or destroy your motor vehicle. You can have your car parked at your house and depending on your geographic region, a storm, flood or hurricane could come and destroy your car. With comprehensive insurance coverage you can have peace of mind that the insurance company will repair or replace your car, as you are insured. Without this insurance you would be on your own, if the car needed to be repaired.

Comprehensive insurance covers your car if it hits or is hit by another vehicle. This is very helpful as you do not have to worry about huge out of pocket expenses in the event that someone hits or damages your car or vice versa. With driving in today’s society you have to be looking out for not only you, but other drivers on the road. The odds are there that the more time you spend on the road, the higher the chances of being in accident. With comprehensive insurance you need not worry if you meet in an accident as both parties are covered and the thought of paying for damage to your or another persons car need not cross your mind.

Out of the many car insurance coverage’s available, the comprehensive choice offers one of the best in terms of benefits. If you treasure your car and it is stolen, comprehensive coverage will cover the cost to replacing your stolen vehicle. At any time an Act of God can strike and leave you helpless, if you are covered you need not worry as the insurance will replace or repair your damaged vehicle. This is one of the best insurance coverage’s to own and its benefit far outweighs its cost.