Car insurance

When you get a quote, we’ll estimate the market value of your car based on averages of the make, model, and age. If you want a more accurate idea of your car’s value you can use our free car valuation tool.

When you get quotes through our site, you’ll usually see ‘soft searches’ on your credit report. These are nothing to worry about. They’re only visible to you and don’t affect your credit rating. A ‘soft search’ is usually just used to confirm your identity.

The only time you’ll see a ‘hard’ search is if you choose to pay for your car insurance monthly. This is because the insurer needs to check you can cover the payments of the contract, usually over 12 months.

A no-claims bonus (NCB), or no-claims discount (NCD), is a discount you get from your car insurance company. You get it for each full year you drive without making a claim. The longer you go without making a claim, the bigger your discount becomes, as insurers see you as a lower-risk driver.

On top of these savings, many insurers offer the option to protect your no-claims bonus. This means that even if you do have to make a claim, your NCB remains. You usually have to pay a bit extra for this protection, but it provides peace of mind and potentially saves you money in the future.

NCB is usually only given to the main policy holder and not named drivers. Some insurers may offer named drivers who’ve not made a claim a discount if they choose to take out their own insurance policy. This is sometimes called a named driver no-claims discount.

If you’ve built up a NCB driving a different type of vehicle, such as a motorbike or van, you may be able to transfer this to a car insurance policy. Not all insurers allow it though. Whether you’re transferring an NCB from another vehicle or using an existing one for your car, your new insurance company might ask for proof of your NCB.

You can easily get this from your current or previous insurer.

You're required to tell your insurance company about any accidents even if you decide against making a claim.

1. Collect information

Exchange details with any other drivers involved. Make notes and take pictures as evidence. If the police are involved, get a crime reference number from them.

2. Contact your insurer

Ideally you should contact them within 24 hours of the incident. Check your policy details for any time limits for claims.

3. Provide information

Tell the insurer what happened, describe the damage and supply the images you took.

4. Discuss costs

Find out how much you need to pay for your excess and what your insurer will cover.

5. Complete forms and documents

Your insurer will help you through the process, and provide any forms that need to be completed.

6. Pay your excess

Your claim won't be settled until you pay your agreed excess.

For more information see our guide on how to make a claim.

You might be able to drive someone else’s car if you have a comprehensive car insurance policy. Check your certificate of motor insurance which should tell you whether your policy has the Driving Other Cars (DOC) feature. Not all policies offer it.

Even if you have it, it only entitles you to third-party cover on someone else’s car and should only be used in emergencies. If you want to be fully covered for a short time, consider a temporary car insurance policy, or get yourself added as a named driver.

Yes, you can add named drivers to your car insurance policy. To add another driver, you’ll need their:

• Age
• Occupation
• Details of any accidents and claims
• Details of any motoring convictions

Depending on the driver, this might raise or lower your car insurance costs.

It's important to remember that the person who does the bulk of the driving should be listed as the main driver. And any named drivers only use the car occasionally.

In an effort to treat customers fairly, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has created rules that stop insurance companies from penalising loyal customers. This was a practice known as price walking.

The rules state that insurers are required to offer customers who renew their policy a price that's not higher than if they were a new customer buying in the same way. The FCA believes this should save customers £4.2 billion over the next decade.

This doesn't mean that your renewal price is going to be less than last year. A range of factors come into how car insurance prices are calculated, but you shouldn't be penalised by staying with your existing insurer.

But there still might be savings to be had. Even if your price is the same or a bit cheaper than last year, it's always worth shopping around.