Have you ever noticed each year that your car insurance is due at the end of December and this adds to an already stressful and expensive time of year? If your car insurance is due at the end of December, then why not take the time now to get a range of free quotes for your car and use the holiday period to fully assess each insurance policy while the kids are busy playing with all their new toys?

This is a good time of year to do it after the Christmas rush is over and before the new year begins. It is a time of year when so many of us either “chill out” or “warm up” in a relaxed atmosphere and this is a great time for planning ahead into the new year. One of the things that a household has to plan for in any new year is the household finances and when working outside the home there is often too many other distractions and to do a comprehensive comparison of car insurance quotes and the policies terms and conditions, ends up becoming a rushed job.

Car insurance quotes can be very variable. Terms and conditions can differ hugely across different insurance companies and for different year models of automobiles.

One of the best ways I’ve found to assess my car insurance quotes is to draw up a list of positively “must have’s” to “would be nice” to “not essential”. By doing the comparisons this way allows me to see at a glance what the differences are.

One of the big things to look for and take careful note of is the excess amount needed by each insurance company if putting in any claim. Some of these excess amounts are so expensive to deter minor claims such as a broken windscreen, that it is designed to put people off from claiming.

This might be good business from the insurance companies point of view but it could be disastrous for you the policy holder. Especially if you live in Australia on a gravel road or in the northern hemisphere where they add gravel and salt to the road to melt snow.

Gravel is notorious for breaking windscreens on cars and if you are going to have to pay out a hefty excess sum to have it replaced, then claiming compensation for the difference on your insurance policy may not be your best option.

Also take note of what your “no claim” bonus is and if you do claim a windscreen repair then is this going to affect your no claim bonus and drive next years premium higher than just paying out for the new windscreen yourself?

To get the best car insurance quote, you need a few insurance companies quotes to compare. Once you know what your full range of insurance options actually are, because they all differ just so much that without careful assessment you may end up paying for a clause that you don’t want. This is an unnecessary expense and I’m sure you could find better things to do with your money than pay it out to a large insurance company for them to share it amongst their shareholders.