Giving false information will lead to the insurer cancelling the policy, so you need to be honest and careful when describing what you do for a living and giving your occupation to the insurer. Sometimes, your exact profession may not appear on a standard list of jobs on an insurer’s website, but it’s important to get it as accurate as possible.
What are the worst jobs to have?
Some categories are more expensive for obvious reasons. One group of drivers who pay higher premiums are professional sportspeople, including racing drivers and footballers.
Unfortunately, there are less obvious reasons why other groups of drivers are asked to pay higher premiums. For example, the unemployed are typically charged more than many people who are in jobs.
Generally, students and other younger people also pay more, as insurers tend to see them as a greater risk given their limited experience of driving.
Also on the list of those who are hardest hit are people who work unsociable hours. That includes employees such as night club and casino staff. One of the reasons for this is that they tend to park their cars in places that are less secure while they’re at work.
What are the best jobs to have?
At the other end of the age range, and the price scale, are retired people who tend to enjoy the cheapest premiums. They have more experience, typically cover fewer miles than the average driver, and many will have built up large no claims bonuses by avoiding accidents for a number of years.
State enrolled nurses also benefit from lower premiums, and groups such as magistrates and teachers also tend to pay less than average.
Historically, women were deemed to be safer drivers than men and paid less for car insurance for women as a consequence. However, gender equality laws mean that the gap between the two no longer applies.
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Why jobs matter
Some people have a personality that makes them well-suited to a particular job, while others work in a profession that can shape the way they live their lives, including how they drive their cars.
However, the main thing that feeds into premiums is the evidence of which categories of employment tend to make the highest number of claims. So, even if you consider yourself to be a particularly safe driver, if you work in a job that is regarded as high risk, you will be penalised.
What to do about it
Even if you are in an industry that attracts higher premiums, you can still take action to make vehicle cover cheaper. If you’ve been driving for a long time without making a claim, you’ll have built up a no claims bonus that feeds through in the form of lower premiums.
You can also cut costs by signing up for a higher voluntary policy excess. That means you will pay more towards any claim. The higher the amount you agree to pay, the less risk there is of you making multiple claims. The insurer will share the benefit of that with you in the form of lower premiums.
Making sure your car has effective security systems in place and parking on a driveway or in a garage overnight can also help to bring your premiums down. Make sure you shop around for a good deal on your cover too, and don’t automatically renew with the same provider year after year without checking to see if you can get more competitively priced cover elsewhere.
