If you still have teenage or older children living at home, who are learning to drive, or are thinking of buying a car, the news of car insurance costs rising by 25% for young female drivers may have caused some grumbling at home.
Despite the rise in car insurance, there are still ways to save money on your child’s car insurance:
1. Buy a new car for younger drivers
The first option for a lot of young people when t hey pass their driving test is to buy an old banger so they can practise more and gain their confidence – if they crash it, it is not a hige financial loss, right? Well actually a campaign by Roadsafe recently recommended buying new cars for younger driver, because while older cars may be cheaper to insure, in the event of an accident, they are less safe, and the cost of replacing the car (which may well be written off) means that you lose out in the end.
2. Pay for car insurance in full
While being able to pay for car insurance monthly by direct debit may be more convenient, you actually pay interest on the balance – and at a much higher rate than a standard loan or credit card. If paying in full is not an option, get an interest-free credit card and pay with that, then spread out the cost as you would have done if you paid by monthly direct debit.
3. Choose the right insurance policy
Depending on the age of the car, its necessity and you and your daughter’s financial circumstances, you may or may not need to take out fully comprehensive insurance, or even third party fire and theft. If you have bought an old banger for £500, for example, taking our fully comprehensive insurance that costs twice that amount is not money well spent – third party would probably be a better option.
4. Shop around
These days, there is no excuse not to shop around – there are insurance price comparison site’s that do all the work for you. Get car insurance quotes to get the best deal for your daughter.
5. Advanced driving lessons
Taking advanced driving course, and taking the Advanced Driving Test is well worth it because some insurers will offer reduced car insurance premiums to holders of an advanced certificate.
It can cost between £30-£60 per hour, and your child will need around 10 hours worthof lessons (although this depends on their driving ability. Some courses cost as little as £99.
