Insurance is a word that can inspire terror in people with busy lives and limited reserves of patience, and understandably so. No claims discount, excess, policy exemptions, minimum requirements ? quite what any of these terms mean, and exactly how they relate to you, are somewhat ambiguous. But we are relatively lucky in this day and age to be able to buy an insurance policy online, without having to go down to the local insurance company office or trawl the phonebook for numbers of companies. Back then there was no way of comparing prices without hours of tedious phone calls or getting face-to-face quotes.

Now there are a host of product comparison websites that can give you an overview of the best deals out there in seconds. Of course, it has to be said that these sites can't give you all the details of the policies out there ? you're still have to do some legwork yourself ? but they are a great way to start your search. All you need to do then is pick a policy that looks promising, and take a look at the providing company's website.

All the major companies worth their salt have up-to-date, user friendly sites. A few clicks and you have all the details of a particular policy on the screen in front of you. There will usually be a brief summary of what the policy covers and what it doesn't (insurers are required by law to make customers aware of their policy's prominent exemptions). But really you need to look a little deeper than just a general summary. On the same page you should find a PDF document that you can download, containing all the policy documentation, as well as one containing an in-depth summary. It is up to you how thoroughly that you check the policy details, and going through the whole legally worded document can be soul destroying. So long as you're happy that you are buying what you require ? you alone are responsible should the policy turn out to be inadequate.

All of which means you can find and check the best policy quickly and with a minimum of fuss. Once you have chosen a policy, all you need to do is enter your details, tailor the level of coverage to suit you, and set-up a payment agreement. Many providers allow for payment in instalments, although they do charge interest on the outstanding amount. The cheapest way is to pay the whole premium in one go. And the best thing about ordering online is the substantial savings you can receive. For example, Co-Op home insurance policy comes with a 15% online discount, as does Churchill home insurance.