Job's a good 'un?
When producing a quote for someone shopping for insurance, the underwriters have access to an array of statistics, which are used to build a profile of the potential customer and assess risk. Occupation is one of the areas that can impact on an insurance quote. For example - statistically speaking - a potter may be a safer bet for brokers than a tree feller, which would then be reflected in the quotes offered.
But you may not be aware of how much of a gulf exists between some quotes offered to customers who submit different job descriptions, each of which legitimately describe the same job.
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Rocking the 'Quote Massage'
Using alternative ways to describe your occupation can dramatically cut the cost of car insurance, in some cases by almost 33%.
For example, at one end of the scale a legal professional would pay only £376.22 for a Fiat Brava if they were to describe themselves as a 'Lawyer'; but if they chose to describe themselves as a 'Barrister', the insurance for the same car would increase 22% to £459. At the other end of the scale a journalist describing themselves as a 'Journalist/correspondent', would pay £282.45 for the same car, but if they called themselves a 'newspaper reporter' they'd pay £376.22 or 33% extra.
Similarly a bricklayer would pay less than a builder; a publican less than a landlord; a roofer would pay half that of a thatcher; and a tree-feller less than a lumberjack.
The reason for this lies in the fact that insurers essentially keep a record of claims history against specific job titles. It may be a quirk of the statistics, but if an insurer finds a glut of claims associated with a specific job title, anyone with that title is likely to be penalised with higher premiums. This is why it is vital to shop around so that you get a range of prices from different insurers - many of which will have a different claims experience from their rivals.
Moreover, by considering the different ways in which you can legitimately describe your job and testing the impact of this on your insurance quotes, you can effectively 'massage' your quote to get a more competitive price.
However, one mustn't stray beyond the limits of how one's job can be reasonably described. Confused.com urges motorists not to lie when obtaining insurance quotes or purchasing polices. Providing false information can invalidate a policy and could prevent a claims payout. Not only could motorists end up severely out of pocket, but may be listed as fraudulent on a central fraud database. This could affect an individual's credit eligibility, significantly increase insurance premiums and reduce the number of insurers willing to provide cover.
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