first car- need advice about insurance

maryqwerty

hi all,
im a lady driver, 18 yrs old. i just got my full licence and am saving up for a cheap car.
the question i wanted to enquire about was car insurance for me.
how much should i expect to pay for one years car insurance?
also this may sound stupid but i havent a clue about insurance, what if i insure my car for a year, can i pay it all in one amount and not have to worry for the year?
suppose i get my car inured for a year by paying X amount, what happens after the year is up if i cant afford to pay for another year?
is it ok to leave my car sitting there uninsured for a few months?
and when i finally go back to insure it again, lets say 8 months later, will i have to pay for those 8 months i missed or just simply pay for a year again?

Nearly a grand if you're female. Check 123.ie for a ballpark quote

You can pay it all in one go or direct debit monthly

Don't think you have to catch up with insurance but I'm not sure

annieoburns

I think you would have to get a form from gardai certifying that the car was 'off the road' for x amount of time. Same system for saving on car tax.

chris85

annieoburns wrote: »

I think you would have to get a form from gardai certifying that the car was 'off the road' for x amount of time. Same system for saving on car tax.

no you dont. you just havent got it insured. Car tax is a different matter.

You can stop insuring it at any point and pick it up at a later time. You wouldnt have to then pay for the break. Bear in mind if the car is stolen from where it is while uninsured then you have no comeback on it. You have no one to claim off. Also dont park it on a public road without insurance as cant be done for failure to display insurance as well as no tax which i would presume it would be out if not insured.

bazz26

There are too many variables to take into account by insurance companies when calculating a premium for anyone here to tell you how much it will cost. You will need to ring around every insurance company and broker in the phone book for the best quote. Note the different benefits on each policy from the various companies as the cheapest quote doesn't equate to the best cover and vice versa.

The policy is usually taken out for a 12 month period and you can either pay the premium up front or monthly installments via direct debit. Note however that most insurance companies charge you interest if you choose to pay by monthly installments.

Once the 12 months are up you can choose not to renew it as long as the car is no driven or parked in a public place. Note however the no claims bonus or NCB you earned while you were claims free under the old policy, expires after 2 or 3 years if you choose not to get another policy.

Also there you only pay from the date when the policy is taken out, in other words if you decide you cannot afford to renew the policy for 8 months then you don't have to pay for the 8 months you didn't have insurance.

bazz26

annieoburns wrote: »

I think you would have to get a form from gardai certifying that the car was 'off the road' for x amount of time. Same system for saving on car tax.

That only applies to motor tax. Insurance only runs from the date the policy is first activated upto the date it expires or is terminated.

Ms. Chanandler Bong

My 19 year-old friend was quoted E2000 for both fully comp & 3rd party last year. Didn't make any difference which one she went for. You say you're buying a cheap car: if you can't afford to replace it straight away if you crash (most people can't!), you're better off going for fully comprehensive. This means if you crash/damage your car, the insurance company will cover you, regardless of whether or not it's your fault. 3rd party fire & theft is exactly as it sounds. You're covered if the damage is done by a third party, if your car is burned or stolen only. _Not_ if you crash it/damage it yourself.
It may be cheaper for you to be a named driver on your parents insurance but be careful; some insurance companies will not count this as 'insurance history' when you do go out on your own down the line.
Quinn Direct is usually the best for under 21 year olds. Check out any of the price comparison sites 123.ie or bestquote.ie (I'm with them myself, they're really good I find). Bear in mind that if your car is modified in any way Quinn Direct is AFAIK the only company that will insure you.
Don't be tempted to lie to make your situation sound better ie say your car isn't modified when it is. The insurance company will use any excuse to avoid paying up if they can; don't hand them one on a plate!
Also a note for down the line when you have a couple of years' no claims bonus under your belt...you can insure your no claims bonus. Some companies offer it as standard (FBD springs to mind. They're not on comparison sites but in general I've found them to be higher than most companies) but not all. You can insure your no claims bonus for about E50 which isn't much but if you have 5 years NCB & then have to claim for something, you're back at the bottom of the ladder. Since 5 years' NCB can mean 50% off the cost of your insurance, it's definitely something to consider! I didn't know it existed until someone I know crashed & said "Thank God I got that!" I was all "WTF is that?!"