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‘Insurance brokers near me’: Are they the cheapest way to insure your car?

Many people like to buy insurance from a local car insurance broker – but you could be costing yourself a lot of money and missing out on some of the best deals if you limit yourself to just one source of information when you’re comparing car insurance policies.

Brokers have been around for a long time, of course – in fact, in many ways they were the precursors to insurance comparison services like Quotezone.co.uk.

Before the dawn of the internet brokers specialised in manually comparing quotes from a range of providers in order to help motorists find a more competitive price – an analogue version of what price comparison platforms do for drivers both young and old today.

Many people still turn to insurance brokers in their local area year after year in order to help them source and select the best deal, but the problem is that some brokers only have access to a limited number of UK insurers and their customers might not be aware that there are far better deals to be had elsewhere.

Read on to find out how using a local car insurance broker could actually be costing you money.

How do local car insurance brokers make money?

Local brokers usually receive some kind of arrangement fee, which can either be charged to the policyholder as a standalone fee, added to the overall cost of the policy or paid as a commission by the insurer, but either way it usually takes into account the time taken to source the most cost-effective policy with the right amount of cover.

However, the advent of the internet means the insurance comparison process is something that those looking for a new policy could easily be doing themselves from the comfort of their own homes, so there’s less need to pay for someone else to do it for you.

Whether you’re male or female, a student driver or a motoring veteran in your 50s or 60s, Quotezone.co.uk enables you to search policies from over one hundred UK insurance providers free of charge, including some providers that don’t work with local brokers, which makes it rather more likely that you’ll find a suitable policy at a highly competitive price.

Why do different brokers return different quotes for the same policy?

Although brokers search the market on your behalf to help you find the best deal, different brokers may quote different prices for the same policy even when it’s from the very same provider.

This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s because the relationship your local car insurance broker has with a provider can significantly impact the deal they can get and therefore the price you pay.

While this can occasionally mean an insurance broker near you might get you the best possible price, in many cases it can mean you’d be able to find a better quote through a price comparison website.

At Quotezone.co.uk we compare brokers’ prices as well as quotes from a large number of UK insurers, making it more likely that you’ll be offered a competitive price for your chosen level of cover.

Won’t I get a more tailored quote if I use an insurance broker near me?

Local insurance brokers almost certainly know your local area better than a large, centralised insurer is likely to do, but unfortunately that local knowledge isn’t likely to result in a more tailored price.

Insurance providers use a wide range of data points when calculating their premiums, including your local area’s crime rate and road traffic accident rate, but they use official police data and insurance claims data when assessing those factors so local knowledge plays very little role.

The relationship your local insurance broker has with car insurance companies is likely to have a more significant impact on your quotes, because some brokers are able to negotiate preferential deals with some providers.

However, since there’s no way to be sure ahead of time which broker has the best relationship with particular insurance providers, the best approach is to compare quotes from hundreds of providers at the same time and then go with the firm that offers the best overall insurance policy at the most competitive price.

Can a broker help me get a higher level of coverage?

Local car insurance brokers have access to the same three levels of coverage you’ll find on a price comparison website:

• Third party car insurance
• Third party, fire and theft
• Fully comprehensive insurance

Of course, there is the possibility that a broker might be in a position to negotiate for some sort of optional extra to be thrown in for free, such as breakdown cover or legal expenses cover, but it’s important to consider whether these freebies are enough to offset the possibility that you might be missing out on a cheaper insurance quote elsewhere.

Can a local insurance broker help if I have a driving conviction or criminal record?

While insurance comparison platforms like Quotezone.co.uk can often help to find insurance for drivers with driving convictions or those that have had their licence endorsed with penalty points, these specialist cases do sometimes call for specialist insurance providers, which some brokers might be able to help to arrange.

It will depend on whether your local broker has an existing relationship with these specialist insurers, of course, but if you are struggling to find car insurance quotes online it could certainly be an avenue worth exploring.