Go direct for the cheapest car insurance deals

The price of a bottle of milk can vary quite substantially depending on where you buy it. Corner cafes are notorious for overpricing basic goods; but it's a case of supply and demand. If you run out of milk in the middle of the night, remember that your corner café is not there because he wants to make sure you're not inconvenienced. In fact, even at a higher price, he is probably not making a huge profit. The same is true of car insurance policies. You can afford to, in fact you must, shop around for the best deal; if you don't, you'll be paying the insurance equivalent of corner café prices.

People don't understand insurance. They are afraid of the small print and loathe to admit it.

In fact, it is easy to compare apples and apples and even easier to find information on all those technical terms bandied about by brokers with dollar signs glinting in their eyes.

Comparative insurance web sites allow you to compare insurance quotes online from direct insurers at the click of a mouse button. You should compare at least three insurance quotes. Personally, if the price varies by 10% I'm not too fussed. A bargain is not a bargain if it's not a bargain - a higher premium may be offset, for instance, by cash back bonuses (which incidentally are not necessary based on you not making a claim for x number of years. An insurer may specify, for example, that claiming for vehicle theft does not nullify your no claims bonus.)

In the good old days when you went shopping you used to be able to offer cash for a discount. If you don't ask, you won't get. Nag your insurer for the best deal.

• Do I get a pensioner's discount?
• Do I get a discount if I pay my premiums in an annual lump sum?
• What discount do I receive when I put in a gear lock AND an immobiliser?
• What deal can you offer me if I simultaneously take out household insurance with you?
• What annual mileage do I need to stay under to receive a discount?

There are a number of web sites that list companies against whom clients have raised complaints. Use these web sites to check out your insurer. The number of complaints raised is less important than the response by the insurer to the complaint. If an insurer patently bends over backwards to respond to clients' complaints, you have a winner.

The internet has put a new spin on the way the insurance industry operates. In the old days, a tired man with holes in his shoes knocked on your door and drank all your whiskey. Today, most direct insurers have their own web sites and you can get a quote directly from them quite easily. Insurance companies will generally contact you back if that's what you want.

Direct insurers market their special offers vigorously, so you can see at a glance what add on value you're entitled to; for instance, free roadside assistance, money back/ no claims bonus options, online 24/ 7 insurance policy management and claims tracking, etc. What you get for your buck is a lot more transparent.

Going direct, you can also cut out the middleman's commission and administration charges. Unless you're in a situation where you think you may need someone to fight an insurance giant on your behalf, you can save quite a lot of money.

Going direct for cheap car insurance best deals is becoming more and more popular. In fact, about 30 percent of insurance products are sold either over the phone or online. Insurance companies make it even easier by allowing you to sms them or fill in a form online requesting the insurer phone you back. Sure saves money on sharecall; the most annoying telephone service yet introduced by phone companies. But that's a rant for another day.