Welcome to Kirberts

David Thomson

So, you have kept your old faithful car and now it has turned of age… Or perhaps you feel like treating yourself to that classic car of your dreams. Well, these special babies have special needs and one of those being classic car insurance. It can seem quite daunting when faced with the task of finding the best deal, which is when it can prove helpful to use a specialist broker who will be able to search the market place on your behalf.

So what sort of cover is required? That depends on how you wish to enjoy your car. Firstly, you need to estimate your annual mileage, as there are policies to suit the various mileage options: 1500, 3000, 5000 and 7000 miles etc. Then ask yourself will you be driving only on sunny days and just for the sheer joy of it, or are you going to become a classic car enthusiast? If it is the latter, then you need to look at policies that could include rally cover, for those uncompetitive and un-timed events of course. These can be upgraded to suit the more spirited owner who wishes to take part in sporty events. Track day cover may also be an option for those who wish to see what their baby (and themselves) can do on the racetrack.

For those who wish to gain some income from their classic car, perhaps by using it for wedding hire. There are policies that cater for wedding hire either by the day or for a year.

The monetary value of a car can influence the cost of the policy. It is often difficult to put a price on a classic car because their condition varies. Therefore, it may prove wise to obtain a valuation before seeking classic car insurance, although not all insurers require an agreed value. As with the insurance for your everyday car, certain details will affect the cost of your classic car insurance. For example: the make and model, the excess amount your are prepared to pay in the event of an accident, where you live and where you will be keeping your classic car overnight, are all factors that will be considered.

If you plan to go touring, you will need to look at policies that can contain free Green card cover and perhaps full breakdown and recovery services for the UK and Europe. You may also wish to consider having the option to retain salvage in you policy and the inclusion of windscreen and window cover.

With classic car insurance, there are often discounts that are available if you belong to a classic car club or are a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorist. The price may also be discounted if you are an experienced driver and if you have owned your car for more than three years. A number of insurers will offer discounts if you insure multiple cars with them, even if the second car is you everyday car. With this plethora of options and insurance providers all vying for your business, using a specialist classic car insurance broker will help you find the best deal.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to giving consumers the best insurance deal. They offer great value home, life and car insurance.

TOKYO - Japan’s Toshiba Corp will announce plans to cease production and sales of HD DVD players on Tuesday, the Nikkei business daily has said.

David Thomson

Finding the best car insurance policy is an individual thing, after all what is important and necessary for one person may not be to the liking of another. Therefore, it is important that you ask yourself what you really need from a policy.

Firstly, you need to consider what type of motor insurance you require, do you need fully comprehensive or will third party, fire and theft suffice? You may have always had fully comprehensive but with some cars as they age, their depreciation does not make it financially variable to continue with that level of cover. However, if your car is old enough to be classed as a classic, then there are insurance policies tailored for the specialist car that maybe of interest to you.

Then you need to consider other elements, which go to make up the policy contents. For example, how much excess are you willing to pay in the event of an accident, the higher the excess amount the lower your premium. In addition, the number of optional extras you wish to include in your policy, like the availability of a courtesy car when your own is away being repaired after an accident, or the inclusion of legal expenses which maybe important to you.

Whom you are and what you plan to do with your vehicle are all important considerations when seeking the best car insurance for you. It is important to assess accurately the annual mileage you drive in your car and whether you use your car for just pleasure or for commuting as well. Some insurers consider certain types of drivers to be of a lower insurance risk than others and cater their policies for that section of the market. Drivers over fifty years of age can often enjoy reduced premiums for this reason. However, most providers set a maximum age to which car insurance is available; then seeking a specialist insurer that caters for that niche of the market is required.

If you have any No Claims Discount (NCD) built up during your previous car insurance policies, would you require that protected. Drivers’ NCD can yield a high percentage discount off the total price, which could prove worthwhile having its protection included in your policy. It is noted that some insurers will offer this protection even if you have made a claim or had an accident within the past five years. However, this protection is often built into the end price. Therefore, you really need weigh up its benefits and determine if this is the best car insurance for you.

It maybe shrewd to consider obtaining your car insurance from the insurance provider of another type of policy you have, like house insurance. A significant discount could be achieved by doing this. However, just because you have been with one company for years does not necessarily mean that they will give you a good price to reward your loyalty. That is when using a specialist car insurance broker could help you obtain the best car insurance policy to meet you needs.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to giving consumers the best insurance deal. They offer great value home, life and car insurance.

David Thomson

So what are car insurance brokers? Simply, they are companies whose occupation it is to give professional independent advice and help the customer obtain the best deal for a certain type of service, in this instance, car insurance. Most are regulated advisors and members of a professional body, for example the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).

You may wonder why bother using a broker and so what if the broker is a member of some organization or other. Quite simply, it is often more time and cost effective to use a broker as they have access to the whole market place and are often best placed to find you the right deal. We all know what an arduous chore finding new or having to renew car insurance can be. That is why when seeking car insurance it can be such a relief not having to trawl through the vast number of insurance providers, choosing whom to approach and then telephoning. With a broker, you only have to give your details the once and the broker does the searching for you. You can specify your budget and any special criteria, then the broker does all the hard work for you, it is rather like using a professional shopper.

Regarding membership of an organization, you would not normally ask advice from a stranger without doing some sort of background check, to verify that they are creditable. Therefore, using a broker who is affiliated with a professional body gives you peace of mind, as they have to fulfill certain criteria in order to obtain membership. For example with BIBA, they must be registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), be impartial, not acting for any particular car insurance company and meet strict solvency and financial standards. Thus, they are duty bound to put the needs of the customer first. You can then be assured that their information will be impartial and their recommendation will be sound.

With the broker’s access to the market place and wide range of product knowledge, they are often able to locate a car insurance that meets your individual requirements faster and easier than if you did it yourself. They are excellent at negotiating discounts and often have access to special rates not available to the public. You can rest assured that their findings and recommendations will be unbiased and the best deal for you. This can be of a great consideration in this modern age where time and money are of the essence.

In addition, it is useful to use car insurance brokers because during the life of the policy, the broker is at hand to provide assistance should you need to make a claim or should you encounter problems with the underwriter.

This all sounds wonderful but how much will it cost to use car insurance brokers you might ask. Well, in short, it will cost you, the customer, nothing as the insurance company who provides you with the motor insurance policy pay the broker a commission.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to giving consumers the best insurance deal. They offer great value home, life and car insurance.

David Thomson

The task of obtaining car insurance quotes can be an arduous one. However, the problem of deciding which insurance provider to approach and how to ensure that you have found the best deal could easily be resolved by using a specialist car insurance broker when searching for quotes. You only have to give your details the once and the broker, who is independent and has access to the market place, can then supply you with the car insurance quotes as required.

Once you have the car insurance quotes, it is prudent to read the contents of the cover provided carefully to ensure that it fulfills all your requirements. If you choose to have fully comprehensive car insurance, you may wish it to include additional extras. A free courtesy car should your vehicle be in the garage for repair after an accident, or the inclusion of free windscreen repair. The peace of mind provided by having legal expenses, as an optional extra may also be desirable.

The price of car insurance quotes can be greatly influenced by the amount of excess that you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more the amount of the excess is increased, the lower the premium becomes. The number of years No Claim Discount (NCD) accrued also influences the cost and you need to judge whether you wish to protect it. A number of insurers will offer this protection even if you have made a claim or had an accident within the past five years. However, this protection is often built into the end price and they may stipulate that you must remain with their company for a number of years. So when reviewing the car insurance quotes, it pays to keep that in mind.

Other factors to consider are motoring convictions, also the age and sex of the driver. Certain types of drivers are generally deemed safer, like women drivers or drivers over the age of fifty. In addition, memberships of motoring organisations such as the institutes of Advance Motorists can be rewarded with more favorable car insurance terms. How the vehicle is kept will help reduce its insurance risk. You need to specify whether it is garaged overnight or parked off road and if a car alarm and or an immobilizer is fitted. How the car will be used, just for pleasure trips with low annual mileage, or used for commuting. If you plan to use your car for business use, then you must seek the appropriate cover as this is deemed to be outside the normal everyday use covered by the average car insurance policy.

Often insurers will give reduced premiums if you also have another insurance product with them, for example, house insurance.

When you have decided upon the car insurance quotation that best suits your needs, your method of payment can actually affect the price you pay. Your budget may dictate that you can only afford to buy car insurance if you pay monthly; there is normally a surcharge on the policy reflecting this. However, some insurers will allow payment using two installments without incurring a fee. If you can pay annually and you choose to buy your car insurance online, this will often yield a further discount, sometimes as much as 20%. All these factors need to be considered when obtaining car insurance quotes and a specialist broker could help you with this.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to giving consumers the best insurance deal. They offer great value home, life and car insurance.

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