There are a number of key things to look for when you insure your car. So take a few minutes to read the pointers below and you’ll be able to make a well-informed decision about a policy you can rely on.

Agreed Value. The first question you should always ask is does the insurance company offer an ‘agreed value’ or a ‘market value’ policy. With an agreed value policy, you agree up front exactly how much your car will be worth if it is written off or stolen. Whereas a market value policy pays you what the insurance company thinks your car is worth at claim time based on an independant valuation. And often, that can be less than you expected. So it’s worth talking to AA Insurance who only offer agreed value policies with their comprehensive Car Insurance.

No Claims Bonus. Sometimes referred to as a no claims discount, a no claims bonus is a discount you get on your premiums when you’ve held vehicle insurance for a year or more without making a claim. After your first full year of insurance, you’ll usually receive a no claims bonus of around 30%. The discount increases with each year of claim-free insurance up to a maximum of about 60%. But if you make a claim the discount is then reduced.

AA Insurance takes the benefit of a no claims bonus a step further. They offer a no claims bonus that’s guaranteed for life.  If you have five years of claim-free driving with comprehensive Car Insurance in your own name for those five years, you can get their maximum no claims discount guaranteed for as long as you keep driving, and no matter how many claims you make. So with a Guaranteed No Claims Bonus For Life you’ll never lose your maximum no claims bonus while you remain insured with AA Insurance.

Discounts. It’s well worth asking about any discounts you can get with an insurer. For instance, AA Insurance offers AA Members exclusive discounts on comprehensive Car Insurance, as well as Home and Contents insurance. You don’t need to have more than one policy to get these discounts, and the discounts will get bigger based on how long you’ve been an AA Member.

Excess. The excess is the amount of money you contribute when you make a claim. It can be affected by various factors like who’ll be driving the car, where you park your car overnight, whether your car has an alarm or an immobiliser, and what type of car you own. AA Insurance offers a ‘no fault no excess policy’ which means if you’re not to blame and you can give the name and address of the driver at fault, you won’t be charged an excess. Your no claims bonus won’t be affected either.  So make sure you read the fine print of your policy to avoid any nasty surprises when it’s time to claim. 

It’s also worth considering various excess levels. If you choose a higher excess, you can reduce your premiums. AA Insurance offers a wide range of excess options so you can choose the premium you’re most happy to pay.

Courtesy Rental Vehicle.  This is also something worth looking for as part of your policy – being offered a rental vehicle, or a contribution towards one, while your vehicle is being repaired. It can save you a lot of hassle and a lot of money.  AA Insurance will assist you with getting a rental vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired or if it has been stolen.

Accommodation, towing and storage costs.   Again, this is something you should check for in the fine print of your policy. If you have an accident out of town, see whether your insurance covers you for somewhere to stay, towing of your vehicle, and even storing your vehicle while it’s being repaired. These are things that can end up costing you a lot of money if you don’t have the right kind of insurance.  AA Insurance will contribute towards emergency accommodation if your vehicle becomes undriveable after an accident.  They’ll also pay the reasonable cost of towing your vehicle to the nearest repairer or place of safety after an accident, as well as for storage of your vehicle after you have lodged the claim.

Get a quote online. Finally, it’s worth checking out what your car insurance will cost you. With AA Insurance, you can do it all online. In fact, you can even purchase your comprehensive Car Insurance online. Just click here and your new car can be insured before you know it.