Insurance is one of those things we hate having to buy because it seems as though we're handing over quite a large sum of money, and hoping to get nothing in return! None of us want to imagine that our brand new, shiny and expensive items will come to harm, but the fact is that accidents and problems do occur, things get stolen, dropped, broken, crashed and the cost of replacing or repairing these expensive items can often be so enormous that it almost seems as though we're paying for the item twice.



Whether it be for your home, your car, a mobile phone or your pet, insurance comes in an amazing array of styles and types, and offers you a huge number of choices which can at the same time both bewilder you with options, and also provide you with the opportunity to find a package that seems tailor made for you.

The first step is to start online. Online insurance quotes are often lower than in call centres or shops as the company has fewer overheads you're doing all the paperwork and their computer is carrying out all the calculations. All the company has to do is take your money. The best place to start is by using the comparison sites that are so prevalent today. These will allow you to enter your details and your requirements, and then they check those details against a list of insurance providers and display the results in a table. This shows you very clearly what is available, and it is simple to organise the quotes by price.

However, these comparison sites only have a limited number of providers on their list, and so it is a good idea to use two or three of them to get a full idea of what the market is able to offer you. Make a note of the companies and prices given. Don't focus entirely on price of course, as very often this can be to the detriment of another feature of the policy that would be worth the extra few pounds.

Once you have identified the insurer that sounds good to you, then visit their website and complete the online form. It is very important that you do two things whilst filling in the form. The first thing is to make sure that you are completely honest. If you are dishonest in any way, this could invalidate your claim. For example, saying that you park your car in your garage at night to lower your quote might sound a good idea at the time, but when your car is stolen and the insurance company come to check the scene, they will notice the lack of garage and simply walk away - effectively leaving you uninsured. This will also affect any future insurance quotes you have as these companies share data, and if you have been dishonest to one, then others will know and increase your premium accordingly.

The other thing to do when filling in the form is to try a few combinations. I once entered the number of miles I drive in an average year and got my quote. Out of curiosity I tried both increasing and decreasing this by just one thousand miles. The difference in the quote was as much as ten percent!

The final piece of advice is to always try to pay for your insurance in one go up front. Although most insurers offer you an instalment plan, you will end up paying much more in the long run as a result of the interest.