Fronting Up

Author: admin
June 15, 2010

In recent years car insurance has increased in cost by as much as 20% a year. These costs are due to a number of factors: more powerful cars, more congested roads leading to higher accidents, and greater numbers of uninsured drivers which forces insurance companies to raise the cost of premiums to cover themselves for the risk that these uninsured drivers pose.

One of the groups hit most severely by these raises have been young and newly qualified drivers, and young men in particular. Last summer, for the first time, the average cost of a third party insurance policy became more expensive than the average cost of a comprehensive policy for the first time, reflective of the fact that it’s cheaper for young drivers to get third party coverage.

That average cost for third party coverage was £1,300, and for a lot of newly qualified drivers it’s a lot more expensive than that.

Research conducted by Co-Operative car insurance recently found that hundreds of thousands of parents are willing to lie in order to save their children money. Through a practice known as ‘fronting’ parents name themselves as the main drivers, thus benefiting from reduced premiums even though their children are actually the ones driving the car.

A surprising 41% of parents revealed that they are currently fronting and 61% said they would consider it in the future.

These numbers are of great concern to the insurance industry, not least because it places them at greater risk should the child of a parent who has fronted be involved in an accident. The insurance industry argues that the cost of insurance policies accurately reflects the risk of young drivers, and if the young drivers are not paying those costs themselves, then the insurance companies are the ones losing out.

Fronting is, also, illegal. Some industry experts have compared it to stealing, but whilst this might be going slightly too far it is fraud. The repercussions can be serious, not only if the insurance company discovers that you have fronted a policy (because they won’t pay out if there’s an accident) but because you may find yourself incapable of getting insurance in the future.

At the end of the day everyone should do their best to find the cheapest deal they can, but the costs of insurance accurately reflect the risks that young drivers pose. So, if you do your research and look around you can find some great deals, but they’ll still be quite expensive when compared to a policy for an experienced driver. If you’re looking for a good deal on your car insurance take a look at some of the deals that Co-operative Insurance is offering at the moment.

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December 9, 2009

If you have a connection to the Internet and a computer you can easily find cheap auto insurance. With more and more businesses turning to the Internet to service their customers and increase sales, it’s no wonder you see an insurance man on every virtual corner.

Not only are most of the major companies online today they now provide insurance quotes and the ability to buy your policy right from their websites. This makes your search for cheap auto insurance a lot easier.

Another benefit to buying your insurance online is the pricing. Competition in the insurance industry is fierce and online companies often offer a discount for purchasing online.

The easiest way to zero in on a company who offers cheap auto insurance is to get quotes from more than one company and compare their offers. Esurance.com and Insurance.com are two great places to get quotes from multiple companies.

If you prefer to look for cheap auto insurance from individual insurance companies search for “cheap auto insurance” at Google.com and you’ll find over 36 million results to choose from.

Millions of people search in the Internet everyday for cheap auto insurance. The insurance companies know this and every one of them claims to be the one to offer you the cheapest auto insurance. Buyer beware. There can be a huge difference in premium from one insurance company to another.

Things to look for when searching for cheap auto insurance:

Discounts available for a good driving record

Teen Driver Policy – Is it cheaper to have your teen driver on a policy designated to a specific car rather than the family car?

Multiple car discounts

Multiple policy discounts (auto, home, life)

Are senior discounts offered?

Are you covered when you drive someone elses car?

Will you be dropped from your insurance if you are involved in an accident?

Do they pay for a loaner if your vehicle is out of commission as a result of an accident?

What is the cost of 100% comprehensive coverage? – Things that happen to your vehicle other than being involved in an accident. ie. broken windshield.

Searching for cheap auto insurance is not an exact science. Some things will be more important to you than others based on your circumstances. Whatever your circumstances are, ask the questions based on your needs.

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Purchasing Car Insurance Online – Some Things To Know About Online Insurance

The Internet has been a blessing to both the Insurance Industry and consumers who want access to a wide range of providers quickly. The benefits of purchasing your car insurance online are many, here’s a few of them.

For starters, you have an unprecedented ability to compare and contrast between policies online, simply flicking between windows, or in some cases taking advantage of specialty brokers who will send you a comparative cost quote in very short order.

If the sheer convenience weren’t enough, Insurance companies usually offer discounts if you buy your insurance online and save them the hassle of having to deal with you directly. It’s not as if talking to insurance sales people ever made anyone’s day, so you won’t miss the experience, and you’ll save some money.

Insurance companies still offer very good customer service online if you’re stumped, and making a quick call whilst surfing is much easier than waiting several days for them to send you a bunch of paper work that you may or may not understand.

Do make sure however, that your details are processed over a secure server, and that full customer service is available once you have purchased your insurance. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions, and hold out for a provider that offers you a good deal and makes you feel satisfied at the level of assistance you receive.

The Internet is also a good place to check out your intended companies reputation. Others may have had problems, or good things to say about the company. Consumer websites can also offer constructive recommendations to help you on your way, and advise you on ways to keep your premiums down, such as thinking about what sort of car you’re going to buy to stay in a lower bracket, or keeping your record clean.

Buying your car insurance online is a great way to save time and money. As always though, take your time and read those terms and conditions carefully.

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