Motor insurance

Things to think about when taking out motor insurance:

• Will you get a courtesy car?
• Is your car covered abroad?
• What is the maximum limit for different types of claim?
• Are personal belongings left in the car covered?
• What's the excess you'll be charged for different types of claim?
• What's not covered?

What is a no-claims discount?
Most companies offer a discount for each year you don't make a claim (usually for up to four or five years). The maximum discount you can build up is around 65 per cent. Once you have built up your maximum no-claims bonus, you can normally insure against losing it by paying extra. You can usually transfer this no-claims discount to other insurers too.

Breakdown cover
For an extra charge you can often add breakdown cover to your motor insurance. There's lots of different levels available, from basic cover which just tows you to a garage, to policies which cover restarting your car if its parked outside your house, and the parts and labour costs of repairs. You can also take out separate breakdown cover as a stand-alone policy.

Making a claim
For information on making a claim visit our making a claim section.