Budgeting for Car Insurance

Car insurance takes a portion of your monthly budget, so it's worthwhile to make a plan and budget well for it. Here is an article by Vincent Rogers about this topic.

How Much Should I Budget for Car Insurance in 2012

Car insurance is one of those essential annual costs that always needs to be accounted for and included within your budget forecast for the year. However, the big problem facing many motorists is working out exactly how much they are going to have to spend in 12 month's time. Well, here's a quick guide how you can budget in 2012.

As you may have noticed, some UK car insurance policies increased in 2011, in part due to the increase in VAT (20% from 17.5%)as well as a rise in the tax applied to most forms of cover (6% from 5%). There are currently no indications that any such rises in Government levies are likely; however the knock on effect could still be felt by motorists in 2012.

So what can you expect to pay? Well, a good starting point is to work towards your current policy cost. Even if you have not made a claim within the last year or have purchased a new car, it's the amount you pay could still increase. If your renewal quote is higher, it may be worth having a look around to see if you can find a better deal elsewhere.

It does become a lot more complicated if you have had a driving conviction, a collision or have upgraded your vehicle though. Accurately estimating what impact this may have on your policy is extremely difficult and therefore will only become apparent as and when you obtain a quote for your new cover.

Remember that due to the tax rises in 2011, the usual increase that comes with any of the issues mentioned above will be amplified even further. As such you may find that your policy cost is multiplied to a rate that was far beyond what you have been paying. This is an unfortunate by-product of the amplified risk rating that you may incur as a result of any such discrepancy or alteration to terms.

You should also bear in mind that a change of address or usage for your vehicle may also see the cost of coverage changing. So don't be too surprised if you find yourself getting quoted more if you have made a fair few adjustments. Again, you should really budget for any such issue and expect your policy to increase as a consequence. Whilst it might be preferable to stay at the same rate, unfortunately this isn't always possible.

Fortunately, whilst you can't always solidly predict your future policy costs, you can at least budget for any eventuality. A little saving can go a long way remember, so having the funds to deal with any eventuality can certainly help you to stay on top of costs - regardless of what may happen.

In many regards, what we pay for car insurance is out of our hands and therefore it's not something that you can do a great deal about. However, as previously mentioned, if you're not happy with the quote that you're given from an insurer, you do at least have the opportunity to look elsewhere when your policy is up for renewal. You may not be able to better the quote, but at least you can see what else is available.

If cost is a real issue, you can also look to reduce your level of cover. Remember that this will increase your own personal risk, particularly if you need to make a major claim, but it's certainly a better option than going without car insurance at all. So whatever 2012 brings, makes sure you're covered.

Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For for cheap car and home insurance, he recommends Budget Car Insurance

Source: EzineArticles.com.

Thank you very much, Vincent!
Nadav

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