Insurance quotes in Northern Ireland – avoiding the easiest option

Sometimes some of us are inclined to take the path of least resistance – and that may certainly be the case as far as car insurance quotes in Northern Ireland are concerned:

• if we already have a policy in place, in the run-up to annual renewal there may be a great temptation to do nothing and just renew the existing cover;

• there may be many reasons for that, not the least of which is that we may find the prospect of looking through long lists of potential insurance companies to be a fairly tedious prospect – particularly if we have previously had experience of searching for insurance providers that will actually write policies for Northern Ireland’s postcodes;

• of course, it doesn’t have to be that way – insurance quotes in Northern Ireland are now more easily and readily available than may have been the case for a long time;

• as our background situation has become increasingly normalised, so more and more insurance providers are now providing policies for our home areas;

• this is a refreshing change because it now means that there is a larger degree of choice and, frankly, a little more to think about than may have been the case in recent decades, when it may have been a matter of taking whatever cover could be found;

• even so, it must be acknowledged that it is still possible to waste time looking at advertisements for insurance only to discover that they are not available outside of the mainland UK;

• one possible way of avoiding this is to reference those sites that specialise in providing access to insurance companies that do provide cover for policyholders in Northern Ireland;

• all things being considered, although it might be unreasonable to ever hope to find the business of obtaining insurance quotes in Northern Ireland to be enjoyable, there may be no reason for it to be intimidating either – and getting to grips with it sooner rather than later just may be rather more in your best interests than simply following the status quo of automatic renewals.

Car insurance companies in Northern Ireland – your questions

Here are some classic Qs and As on the subject of car insurance companies in Northern Ireland.

Do mainland UK insurance companies operate in Northern Ireland?

Some do, some don’t.

The position is variable for historical reasons.  At one time car insurance here was very difficult to obtain and choice was limited, as you may recall.

Over recent years as the backdrop situation has changed, increasing numbers of providers are offering their products to NI postcodes.

Does shopping around now make more sense?

Typically yes but there needs to be a caveat or two on that.

Although more companies are operating here now, it can still be something of a nuisance trying to spot them amongst those that still do not.

Shopping around at random may consume a fair bit of your time fruitlessly reading details only to discover that the product isn’t available to you because you have a Northern Ireland postcode.

A more effective approach might be to look at those specialist sites containing numbers of car insurance companies in Northern Ireland.  It just might save you a lot of time.

Are premiums here the same as elsewhere?

That’s sometimes a rather controversial question because it is notoriously difficult to be sure that you’re comparing like with like, however, you may find that our premiums are a little higher than in some other areas due to the fact that our car crime statistics (on average) are still typically seen as being higher than on the mainland of the UK.

Can I save money by putting my insurance in someone else’s name?

This is called Fronting and is sometimes encountered in situations where (e.g.) a young driver is trying to obtain cheaper motor insurance cover by taking out a policy in the name of an older and more experienced (thereby typically cheaper to insure) parent.

The younger driver is then named as an occasional driver on the main policy.

This practice is deception and it may constitute an offence. In the event of a claim, insurance companies in Northern Ireland may have ways of checking the reality of the situation and if Fronting is discovered, it may lead to refusal of the claim.

Car insurance in Northern Ireland – what is the excess for?

Car insurance in Northern Ireland is no different from that elsewhere in a number of respects, including the fact that policies may contain what is called excess.

 

This is something that is sometimes misunderstood and occasionally resented, however, it is based upon some standard principles:

 

• car insurance in Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly competitive and insurers are under pressure to keep the price of their policies as low as is possible;

 

• they use a number of different techniques in order to try and do so and one of these is called excess (it is also sometimes referred to as the first part of a claim or the policy’s excess – and variations of thereof etc);

 

• the basic principle is that insurers may be able to offer more cost-attractive policy prices if the policyholder will agree to pay a specified amount towards the cost of any future claim – this payment is the excess;

 

• the reason that this may have a significant effect on the insurer is that it helps  them to avoid needing to administratively deal with very large numbers of relatively trivial accidents and potential subsequent small claims – as these may be under the excess threshold of their policies;

 

• some insurers may have a minimum obligatory excess on their policies but also offer a range of additional and entirely voluntary excess amounts with the end result typically being that the higher the excess you agree to pay, the lower the cost of your premium may often be;

 

• sometimes, some drivers believe that the excess exists solely for the benefit of the insurance company, whereas in fact, the reduction in the administration effort involved in processing many more small claims and the fact that they have been able to share some of the cost of claims with the policyholder, typically means that they will be able to keep their total insurance costs down to their customers;

 

• car insurance in Northern Ireland with excess may also benefit some drivers by stopping smaller value claims going through that may, if allowed, put at risk their no claims discount.

Getting hold of an insurance in Northern Ireland quote

Getting hold of an insurance in Northern Ireland quote may not, in itself, be overly difficult.

 

Over recent years, the position with regard to insurance has increasingly regularised and while nobody would pretend that the situation is yet entirely comparable to that elsewhere, today there is far more choice available than may have been the case even a decade ago.

 

However, there are a few tips relating to an insurance in Northern Ireland quote, that you may wish to keep in mind.

 

One of the key points is that with increased choice comes potentially increased benefit for the consumer, however, to take advantage of that suggests that you have been able to obtain a number of quotations to compare against each other.

 

Yet trying to get a number of different quotations may bring you up against something that is still, at times, an irritation to people in Northern Ireland searching for insurance – and that is the plain fact that numbers of insurers still do not offer their products in our postcode areas.

 

There is little that is more frustrating than going through the quotation process only to discover at a certain point that this product is not available to you.

 

There is a way that may help to get around this.

 

There are specialist sites where significant numbers of insurers operating in Northern Ireland are brought together, meaning that it becomes far easier for someone to obtain a range of quotations, safe in the knowledge that the products they are looking at are actually going to be available to them.

 

Once you have your NI insurance quotations, it becomes simply a question of comparing one against another so as to decide which is going to prove suitable for you.

 

While you are doing so, try to keep one important point in mind.

 

Insurance policies may vary in many things apart from the price.  Perhaps we are all occasionally vulnerable to concentrating on the price of something rather than the detail behind it.

 

In the case of insurance, that may lead to you selecting a product that is a less than ideal solution for your needs.  When you are looking at an insurance in Northern Ireland quote, try to spend time looking at both the cover provided and terms and conditions, rather than just the price.

 

Insuring your classic car in Northern Ireland

Classic car owners all over Northern Ireland will know only too well that the damage caused by forced entry, theft, vandalism, or a car accident goes way beyond the inconvenience and financial outlay of a normal car incident when a classic car is involved. This is what makes classic car insurance so important – the costs of repairing a classic car after an incident are so much higher.

The emotions involved are very different when it comes to classic cars as well. Classic car enthusiasts purchase and lovingly refurbish models themselves, spending painstaking months and even years to perfect a project, so damage or loss of any kind means that the time, love and effort put into the car was wasted.

All of the above illustrates just why it is so crucial to enhance the security of your classic car in order to prevent vandalism, loss or damage. It is also vital that you cover yourself just in case the worst happens, by carrying out a thorough survey of the market to find the very best classic insurance quotes before taking the plunge and purchasing a policy.

It is important to keep the cost of your car insurance as low as possible so that you can ensure you have enough finance available to keep the car running. Finding cheap classic car insurance is far easier nowadays thanks to insurance comparison websites like Moneysupermarket.com.

The beauty of price comparison websites is that they do all of the hard work for you. You don’t have to make a single phone call or visit to a classic car insurer to find out who is offering the best deal. Just enter your details on Moneysupermarket.com, click your mouse, and get ready to be sent the very best deals available to you.

3 Considerations for new shop owners

When deciding to start this new business venture there are a variety of considerations to take into account. You’ll have to make decisions on the location of your shop, your target market and the size of the premises; along with writing an accurate business plan detailing exactly where you’ll take the business. However, it doesn’t stop there. When you get to the stage of actually opening the shop there are a number of things you should consider in order to protect your business.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance protects your business against any potential claim made against you in the event that a customer suffers injury while on your premises. If for example they slip on a wet floor or trip over something in the shop and injure themselves, they may wish to make a claim against you for compensation. With public liability insurance in place, you’ll be covered for this sort of claim. Without this in place it could spell financial ruin for your business. Public liability insurance policies are able to be tailored to the specific nature of the business, so speak to an adviser and make sure you have the best possible policy in place for your new shop.

Employer’s liability insurance

You might not be employing staff immediately, but as the business grows it may become necessary to employ individuals to work in your shop. With this in mind, it’s equally important to ensure you have employer’s liability insurance. It’s a legal requirement that if you employ any staff – whether full or part time – you have to have this form of insurance. This covers the situation if a staff member suffers injury or illness at work. Without this in place you’ll be running the risk of both financial and legal issues likely to spell the end of your business.

Legal Requirements

Insurance aside, when employing staff you’ll also need to be aware of various other legal requirements and legal rights that your staff hold. It’s advisable to seek some advice on employment law enabling you to draw up legally binding employment contracts for all your staff members. When operating a shop you must also make sure you are fully compliant with all legalities enshrined in legislation such as the Sale of Goods Act and the Trade Descriptions Act.

The car insurance quote, Northern Ireland and suitable deals

It may be that you gave up trying to get a competitive car insurance quote Northern Ireland, some years back.

 

Perhaps you found it difficult, time consuming and ultimately fruitless – as a result, you may have been sticking with your existing cover simply because it is the path of least resistance:

 

• this may no longer be necessary;

 

• the fact is that over recent years, the situation for various forms of Northern Ireland insurance has changed out of all recognition;

 

• not only is it now typically easier to obtain a car insurance quote, Northern Ireland options have also increased due to the fact that more and more insurers are offering their products here (after many decades when choice was limited);

 

• that increased choice may also help in terms of achieving more cost-attractive solutions to your car insurance needs;

 

• of course, things are not entirely yet totally comparable to the insurance situation elsewhere and it may still be something of a frustration trying to find the specific insurers that do now operate in our marketplace;

 

• there are web sites available though, which have done some of the hard work for you – they may contain consolidated information relating to insurers selling car insurance into Northern Ireland;

 

• using these sites may allow you to quickly and productively gain access to other quotations and to get hold of something that you may be able to use to compare against your existing car insurance cover;

 

• of course, it may be advisable to avoid being too focused, initially, on the price of the quotations you see – it may be a more sensible approach to compare the quality of the cover first, as there may be little point in obtaining more cost-attractive cover if it does not provide you with the financial protection you need;

 

• so, it really may be worthwhile changing your current habits and seeking that car insurance quote, Northern Ireland and its insurance market is not what it once was.

Cheap car insurance in Northern Ireland

It may seem as if searching for cheap car insurance in Northern Ireland may simply be a question of comparing the headline prices of advertisements, however, it may be a little more subtle than that:

 

• it is important to keep in mind that a number of your own particular circumstances may significantly affect the final price of your insurance quotation and what is cheap insurance for another driver may not turn out ultimately to be cheap insurance for you;

 

• if, for example, you’re inclined to choose a powerful two-seater sports car for your next vehicle, then resisting the temptation and buying a less ambitious car may result in very significantly lower premiums;

 

• cheap car insurance in Northern Ireland may also be hard to find if you have driving convictions – these frighten insurers, with respect to their perceptions of your responsibility and that typically results in higher premiums;

 

• statistically, higher mileages may lead to a higher risk of accident, so if you can keep your annual mileage estimates down (but realistic) you may pay less as a result;

 

• typically, the more people you have on your policy, the more it may cost you, so keeping it to yourself and a named driver may help keep your costs down;

 

• vehicle customisation is a big market and major hobby but sometimes vehicle enhancements may mean that it is no longer compliant with the manufacturer’s specifications and the vehicle’s certificate of type – that may be something to avoid if you wish to find more cost-attractive insurance or invalidating any existing insurance you may have;

 

• vehicle theft is typically a major threat everywhere, so any steps you can take to reduce the chances of that happening (garaging your vehicle overnight, fitting additional security devices etc) may result in it being easier for you to find cheap car insurance in Northern Ireland.

I can’t afford motorbike insurance: Northern Ireland prices are too high!

Here are a few thoughts relating to motorbike insurance, Northern Ireland and your finances:

 

• if you decide you cannot afford motorbike insurance, Northern Ireland is no different from anywhere else in the sense that you will only have two alternatives – to not own/ride a bike or the hopefully unacceptable option of deciding that you’ll ride it uninsured and therefore, illegally;

 

• in spite of what you may believe, there is today far more choice available for various forms of Northern Ireland road insurance, than has been the case for a long time;

 

• some people make choices and decisions that unnecessarily inflate the cost of their cover – a few examples are provided below;

 

• affording a large and powerful bike is only half of the battle because you’ve also got to pay for the insurance on it – depending upon your individual circumstances, you may find the insurance cost to be considerably less of a burden if you drive a more modest and less ambitious machine;

 

• whether you’re talking about motorcycles, cars, vans or HGVs, insurers typically do not like to think that the policyholder is a reckless driver and if they do, the premiums will accordingly reflect their concerns – so be sensible, drive conservatively and try to avoid convictions and licence points;

 

• as you may know, theft and vandalism are typically an ever-present threat for a good bike and anything you can do to reduce those risks may be well received by insurers and rewarded with lower premiums – examples might include garaging your bike overnight (or parking it on a driveway) and fitting additional security devices;

 

• statistically, for motorbike insurance, Northern Ireland providers of cover may see a relationship between higher annual mileages and higher probabilities of an accident; so, if you keep your mileages down you may also see your premiums heading in the same direction.

Corporate and Work from Home Office Insurance

Office insurance generally comes in two formats, one that covers smaller concerns and SME’s (small-medium enterprises) and another, which covers larger corporations, or businesses that need to insure premises over multiple locations.
Many insurance firms start out with a basic package, which does have optional extras depending upon the nature of your business. For larger corporations, although some of the smaller insurers can cover many of their requirements, it is usual to adopt a larger insurance firm who have the flexibility to offer a tailor-made package to suit the given particulars.

Typically, within the basic components of any package’s cover you should expect to find ‘Business Contents’; this would includes general types of hardware, such as computer equipment and local servers, retrieval of office documentation (back-up software and hard-copy files) following a range of incidents such as explosion, fire malicious damage, theft and forced entry.

Along with this, you can expect cover for business interruption following a claimable incident. Within this section, you could expect to be covered for a loss of earnings/income whilst your business is not fully-functional. The amounts and indemnity period may differ from provider to provider so you would need to check the small print, should ever you need to make a claim.

Most firms also include ‘all-risks’, which can cover such occasions as your lap-top being damaged whilst you’re away from the office, or instances where you equipment is being exposed to a greater possibility of theft or damage than whilst in situ at the place of work.

Something else that a small business owner takes for granted is that cash flow will keep coming in for services or products provided prior to a claimable incident. However, without certain documentation, such as proof of delivery documents, receipts, etc., some more unscrupulous or larger customers may hold out on payment without this evidence. You can insure for this under ‘Loss of accounts receivable.’
It is also worth taking into consideration instances when you take your office out on the road.

If you have to make a presentation or display a stand at an exhibition, you are inviting people onto your premises, albeit temporary. Office insurance, because it incorporates the business for both Public Liability Insurance and Employee Liability, covers for the loss or damage to any goods whilst on the display and the safety of your customers and staff whilst out on the road.
If you are upgrading from a sole trader into an office-based environment where you are taking on employees for the first time, ensure that you are not duplicating your ELI and PLI.

In summary, the nature of your business will dictate your policy, as no two businesses are the same. Do check the small print!

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