Having said that, there are motor insurance brokers and there are motor insurance brokers! Before jumping in and going with the first one you find you should take a look at their credentials so that you can be sure that they are working in your best interests, and not just to line their own pockets.

It is important that you first find out what their qualifications are, if they are licensed to provide an auto insurance brokerage service (if applicable in your area), ask to see any customer testimonials or proof of results that they have, ask how many insurance companies they will be searching for you and if they are willing to give you free advice or not.

Naturally the number of companies that they will be searching on your behalf is an important point. Some insurance companies may reward brokers with higher commissions if they recommend their products and if a broker only sticks with these companies there is a good chance that you won’t be getting the best deal possible. The more companies they search the better your chances are of finding the best deal.

Their willingness to answer any questions or concerns before you engage their services is also a very important point. If they are unwilling to answer your questions without you signing up to use their services exclusively then they are more than likely just out to chase the dollars and may not provide you with the service you could get elsewhere. On the other side of the coin, they are there to do a job and get paid for doing this job so don’t expect them to tell you every little detail without a commitment from yourself to use their services.

Once again the internet is your friend when looking for a motor insurance broker. Many brokerage companies have websites will all the important information laid out for you, and let’s face it if they don’t have a website they are behind the times and are probably not worth spending your money with anyway! Before deciding to use one company or another it is always a good idea to phone them up to get an idea of the type of customer service you are likely to get from them before jumping in head first though. Their website might look all flashy and nice and have all the right information laid out for you but if they come across as a bit shady on the phone you will know to steer clear.

If you are prepared to do a little searching around your wallet may just reap the rewards!

Young and inexperienced drivers are seen by insurance companies a high risk, particularly the young males. Statistics show that this group is the most likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident and subsequently an insurance claim.

Having said that, there are a number of things that you can do to limit the amount of money either you or your college-going child has to fork out. The first thing to do is to check your current auto insurance policy and see if additional coverage for your young driver and their car can be tacked onto your existing policy. This can have two advantages, the first is a potentially lower rate for all of you because you are combining multiple vehicles on the one policy and secondly the insurance will be a lot cheaper than if your offspring was to try and get the insurance themselves. If you are already in good standing with your insurance provider adding one of your children to your policy should not be too much hassle for them.

Being able to pass the driving test is one thing but how do you think a potential insurer would look upon a young driver that has also completed a defensive driving course or advanced driving course? They would certainly look upon them in a better light than someone that has simply passed their drivers test and that is all they have done. Before rushing out to book the next available spot please check with your chosen insurer that they do in fact recognize such courses and offer cheaper rates for drivers that have completed the course. It would be a shame to waste all of that money if it makes no difference to your premium, although further driver education is always a good idea. If the insurance provider that you are looking at does not honour lower premiums for drivers that have completed these courses it may be a good idea to look around for one that does.

Another key point for reducing your student car insurance costs is insurance companies usually reward high achievers with lower rates. If you are seen to be a responsible young person that is working hard and getting good grades once again you look a lot better in the eyes on the insurance provider. That is not to say that they will only reward straight A students, no, they usually reward anyone with a B average or higher with the lower rates.

Perhaps the most important point to consider when looking for student motor insurance is to shop around. With the internet available just about anywhere at anytime you really don’t have any reason to settle for the first quote that you come across. There are a number of great sites out there that will have any number of quotes presented to you in a matter of minutes after entering some basic information about the type of insurance you require. It really couldn’t get any simpler!

Thankfully it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. With an internet connection you can simply fill in your details and have numerous quotes available to you in a matter of minutes and all from the one site. There are a great number of these broker type sites that work with any number of insurers to provide car insurance quotes that you can compare.

These services are usually free and it must be kept in mind that the website owners are compensated for the ‘leads’ that they send to the insurance companies so if they ask for money just to get you quotes try another site.

The fact that you can have the quotes within minutes is a great advantage and quite often when ringing around for quotes you will be put in a high pressure sales position which can cloud your judgement at the best of times. With the internet you can take your time and compare and examine quotes without feeling pressured into making a decision.

The first step is to have an idea of what type of insurance coverage that you are after, be it third party property, comprehensive insurance or anything in between and also have your vehicles details close by such as make, model, year of manufacture, mileage, registration number etc and a copy of any no claims discounts or relevant items from previous insurers. Once you have this information it is simply a matter of logging on and searching for motor insurance comparison websites.

You will be surprised at how many are out there, in fact it has been said that these types of sites are more popular than the insurers own websites. For good reason too, nowhere else can you get access to any number of motor insurance quotes in literally a couple of minutes. Sure beats sitting on the phone for half a day listening to sales dribble!

If you presently have a insurance policy on your vehicle your first port of call on the road to increased savings should be with that insurer. If you ask why you are paying the amount you do and ask them if there are any areas they can see where you can make a saving you might just be surprised, plus it saves the hassle of having to change companies. If you are looking for a new insurance policy then the first step to saving money is to get quotes from multiple insurance companies and don’t just buy from the first company you come across, even if they say they have the cheapest rates around. Using a online motor insurance comparison service is a great way of getting multiple quotes in lightning fast time and buying motor insurance online usually attracts a discount of anywhere up to 10%.

When you find a suitable insurer there are a number of ways that you can further lower your costs with them. Motor insurance premiums (the amount that you pay each year) are usually a little but flexible and you may find that one company will be willing to better a legitimate quote from another company to secure your business. Also if you find a company that you feel is right for you but their policy is a bit lacking it may be well worth asking what it will cost for the coverage that you need.

The majority of insurance companies these days also offer the choice of increasing your excess (the amount that you have to pay in the event of most claims) and lowering your premium. This way you can save on the yearly insurance bill but it must be kept in mind that in the event of an at-fault accident or theft etc that you will have to pay the higher excess. Also look for any extras in the policy that you could do without, for example one thousand dollars stereo cover is no good if you only have the standard radio still fitted to the vehicle.

And finally, read online reviews of potential insurers that you find. By the nature of the business there will usually be a lot of negative talk but if you take the overall feeling of the reviews into account you should get an idea of whether or not the company is worth doing business with. If you are a first-time car buyer or looking to upgrade to a new car keep in mind that your insurance costs may jump considerably when stepping up. And the clincher… try and keep your driving record clean! Easier said than done but if you do your best to behave you will reap the results of lower insurance premiums. Once there is a less than great driving record to consider insurance companies put you in a higher risk category and charge you accordingly, besides which you shouldn’t be breaking the law anyway!!

The first of these is to be listed on your parents insurance policy if possible. Often times the difference they will have to pay buy having yourself and your car listed on their policy will be less than what you would have to pay if you went out and got your own insurance. Of course this depends on your situation and if you are lucky enough to be able to do this some research is advised before hand to make sure that this is actually the cheaper way to go.

The next thing to think about is how the insurance companies will view you. Sounds crazy but if you can impress on them that you are a responsible young adult you may just be rewarded with a lower insurance premium. For example they may take into account whether or not you have a part time job as well as your studies. If your grades at school or college are high they may also take this into account. The completion of a Drivers Education Program or Defensive Driving Course is also looked upon favourably by the insurance companies, as well as being a great idea to equip yourself with the necessary skills needed for a life time on the road.

If you have no choice but to go it alone with your car insurance there are some things to take into consideration. The number of miles that you drive each year should be kept to a minimum if possible and also the type of car you drive will have a big impact on your premium. For example, think about what a insurance company is going to think of a 20 year old male driving a Subaru WRX compared to a 20 year old male driving around in a Ford Festiva. Yeah, okay, the Festiva is as boring as you can get but think of the money you will save and when you turn 25 the WRX will be a more likely proposition.

Another big one is the security of your car. Where possible you should park the car in a secure garage and if not fitted from factory, have a alarm/engine immobiliser fitted to your vehicle. These two things alone may save you hundred of dollars a year! And probably the most important tip, not just for your insurance costs but for your well being is to drive carefully. A traffic violation or even a very minor accident can send your insurance premium skywards, not to mention your parents blood pressure!

The numbers show that although their is little difference in the actual crash count – men versus women, men are likely to be involved in more serious accidents than women.

To further expand on this point, the number of men recieving demerit points for driving offences is almost double that of women drivers, indicating that women are more likely to follow the road rules, drive safely and claim on their Car Insurance less. The easiest way to take advantage of these discounts is to shop around for the best deal but keep in mind that the cheapest cover is not necessarily the best.

Although the premiums may be cheaper you may find yourself getting short changed when it comes time to make a claim. Several factors are used to calculate your Car Insurance premium and some of these include -

The type of cover that you are taking out such as Third Party Property, Third Party Property, Fire and Theft or Comprehensive Cover.
Whether the vehicle is garaged or not.
The amount of the ‘excess’ paid in the event of a claim. Some insurers offer a higher excess charge in return for lower monthly premiums. If you are a safe driver and have made a minimum of claims in the past this is one way to save on your monthly or yearly premium.
Any ‘extras’ that are written into the contract such as a hire car when your car is off the road for any length of time and new for old replacement if the vehicle is written off within the first two years of it’s life.
These are just a couple of factors that come in to play when calculating the cost of your car insurance and all can have an impact on the final price. The most important point however is to know what your insurance company is going to do for you in the event of a claim and to have adequate coverage that will get your vehicle back on the road as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Initially only offering Insurance Cover in Ireland, they now also offer Insurance in the UK.

Quinn Direct don’t just offer Car Insurance, they have a range of products from Car and Van Insurance to Home and Business Insurance and also offer Breakdown Cover.

Young and first-time drivers are also catered for with free breakdown cover included in their young driver policies. Audio cover can also be arranged for your stereo gear that as a young person you simply must have!

On the other end of the scale, mature drivers are also catered for with their level of experience and no-claim time taken into consideration when calculating premiums. There is also optional windscreen replacement cover that can come in handy if you should suffer windscreen damage.

As is pretty much the normal these days there is an option to pay your premium in monthly instalments, although this does attract a fee and paying in full if possible is the cheaper option.

The reviews we found of Quinn Direct Car Insurance are that they often have the cheapest quote, particularly when insuring provisional license holders but once the driver moves to a full license the premiums can be a bit steep. Some people have reported ordinary customer service while others are impressed with the way their claims were handled.

Over-all a mixed bag of opinions on Quinn Direct Car Insurance. Obviously the cheaper premiums would appeal to young drivers and this seems to be the market that they target the most but of course it must be kept in mind that circumstances change and you need to know that you are getting a good deal no matter where you are in life.

The ReviewCentre.com gives Quinn Direct a rating of 1.8 stars from a possible 5 stars from 12 ratings and 150 reviews.