There are several aspects to breakdown cover that constitute the basic rules for comparison and buying. The first rule when you compare breakdown cover is to be aware that the basic level packages can vary greatly. Where one company might include home start in their base package another company may not. And where some companies will tow your car back to your home, others will only bring your car to one of their affiliate garages. Presumably, this is done so that the proprietor can get a shot at your repair job.
Rule number two is that in most cases the Tow Company is also the local garage. All of the United Kingdom’s largest roadside assistance companies contract out the majority of their towing and roadside assistance to local garages. These garages make a pittance on the actual towing but hope to profit greatly from the incoming repair of a stranded motorist.
The most important rule to be aware of when choosing breakdown cover is that you may purchase cover based on either yourself in any vehicle or on any vehicle with any driver. Because breakdown cover prices are somewhat based upon vehicle age it is often cheaper to choose cover aimed at your person, not your car. But if you have a household with many different drivers in it you will be better off to purchase cover based specifically for each vehicle.
When you compare breakdown cover, the price varies among all of the largest breakdown cover companies in the UK. While RAC might appear lower priced than AA their service may offer less with the basic package. A company such as Green Flag Breakdown may be less well known but probably contracts with the very same garages to render assistance as does AA. The whole key to breakdown cover buying is to study all of the options available. Review and compare all of the levels of breakdown cover available with an eye to price for included service.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Breakdown cover
Whether you require basic roadside assistance, home recovery, full UK cover, overnight accommodation or European breakdown cover myfinances.co.uk can help you search the market for the breakdown policy that meets your requirements. Breakdown cover is a policy that allows the holder to access emergency repairs or recovery if their car breaks down on the road. With more drivers travelling further and further distances, knowing that you're fully covered in the event of requiring emergency roadside assistance is essential and can provide invaluable peace of mind to all drivers – especially those more vulnerable. Motorbike and van cover are also available, as well as caravan and trailer rescue and recovery.
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
Motorbike breakdown cover, Separate or add on?
Consumer assistance website for the area of car and motorcycle breakdown cover, Breakdownchoices.co.uk reports that motorbike breakdown cover has recently shown a huge rise in popularity. The factors contributing to this jump are, increased weight of motorcycles creating a situation where is no longer practical for the operator to push the motorbike to a repair centre, complexity of the motorcycles themselves requiring greater technology and a wider range of tools for repair, and a general unwillingness of motorbike operators to wait in unfair weather conditions for assistance.
These factors led to Breakdown Choices adding to their website charts and analysis for breakdown cover comparison featuring motorbike cover. An important feature of this analysis is that many of the United Kingdom’s better known breakdown cover providers do not offer motorbike breakdown cover. Breakdown Choices has sifted through all of the United Kingdom’s best cover providers to furnish visitors to the site with a definitive list of the best cover alternatives.
As many of these companies listed are primarily car breakdown cover providers this allows anyone wishing to compare breakdown cover an excellent opportunity to choose either separate motorbike breakdown cover or to purchase said cover as an additional option to their current or planned automobile cover. Prices for motorbike breakdown cover as shown on breakdownchoices.co.uk begin at £28.50 from RAC. One must always remember whenever purchasing breakdown cover that basic cover will only allow for towing to the nearest garage. It is recommended that purchasers opt for more complete or level three protection.
Source
These factors led to Breakdown Choices adding to their website charts and analysis for breakdown cover comparison featuring motorbike cover. An important feature of this analysis is that many of the United Kingdom’s better known breakdown cover providers do not offer motorbike breakdown cover. Breakdown Choices has sifted through all of the United Kingdom’s best cover providers to furnish visitors to the site with a definitive list of the best cover alternatives.
As many of these companies listed are primarily car breakdown cover providers this allows anyone wishing to compare breakdown cover an excellent opportunity to choose either separate motorbike breakdown cover or to purchase said cover as an additional option to their current or planned automobile cover. Prices for motorbike breakdown cover as shown on breakdownchoices.co.uk begin at £28.50 from RAC. One must always remember whenever purchasing breakdown cover that basic cover will only allow for towing to the nearest garage. It is recommended that purchasers opt for more complete or level three protection.
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Pac-10 Position Breakdown: Secondary – UCLA
Since his arrival in Westwood, head coach Rick Neuheisel has been tirelessly working to infuse UCLA with elite talent. By almost all accounts, his first two recruiting classes have received rave reviews with a variety of blue-chippers electing to play for the Bruins. Nowhere is the blue-chip talent more evident than in the secondary, and this season could be the coming-out party of several young and dynamic defensive backs.
With a sturdy defensive line led by All-American Brian Price, and arguably the best linebacking corps in the conference, this promising secondary could make UCLA’s defense downright frightening for opposing offenses in 2009.
The Bruins defensive backfield played very well last season, finishing 8th nationally in pass defense. Although the unit lost two starters to graduation (CB Michael Norris and S Bret Lockett), many believe the DB’s could be even better this season.
The group is led by an All-American cornerback looking to finish off his tremendous career in style.
Source
With a sturdy defensive line led by All-American Brian Price, and arguably the best linebacking corps in the conference, this promising secondary could make UCLA’s defense downright frightening for opposing offenses in 2009.
The Bruins defensive backfield played very well last season, finishing 8th nationally in pass defense. Although the unit lost two starters to graduation (CB Michael Norris and S Bret Lockett), many believe the DB’s could be even better this season.
The group is led by an All-American cornerback looking to finish off his tremendous career in style.
Source
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Unpack the current account to save money
For banks desperate to raise their profit margins, so-called packaged current accounts are a cash cow. As the name suggests, packaged accounts offer all the facilities of a standard current account but with added extras such as travel insurance, car breakdown cover or identity theft protection services. In return for these services, the customer is charged a monthly fee – which can be as high as £25 – for the running of the account. In part, the packaging process is a way to get customers to pay for something they used to receive for free – current account banking.
Eager to secure themselves such a potentially lucrative monthly income stream, banks now offer a combined total of 57 packaged accounts, up more than a third from 41 in April last year, according to financial information service Defaqto. In that time, the average monthly fee hasgone up by a quarter from £12.79 to £15.12. At the same time as luring customers to their packaged accounts, many banks are making their free current accounts less appetising with 83 per cent paying just 0.10 per cent interest or less, and almost half (49 per cent) paying no interest at all, according to the latest figures from comparison site Moneyfacts.co.uk.
Barclays will increase the monthly fee on its Addition Active Account from £14 to £15 next month. Barclays' other packaged account costs just £3 per month but offers only cardholder protection and extended warranty cover of one year on electrical appliances bought for the home. Elsewhere, the monthly fee can jump to an eye-watering £25, as with the HSBC Premier Bank Account, which offers a fairly broad range of benefits including a dedicated "relationship manager", worldwide family travel insurance, commission-free foreign currency and discounts on hotels and European flights.
With more banks offering packaged current accounts, consumers may have more choice. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the increase has made these accounts any more attractive. For instance, common benefits include travel insurance and breakdown cover but are they really worth it?
"The main consideration is whether you actually want the incentives offered and, if so, whether it is suitable and cost effective to get it through the added value current account," says David Blank, a principal banking consultant at Defaqto.
The key is to calculate how useful the various benefits will be. The first step is to calculate the monetary value of the benefits on offer. Simply looking at the promotional material is unlikely to be an accurate way to determine potential savings. Lloyds TSB, for example, offers three Added Value Accounts, the cheapest of which costs £3 per month for two months and £7.95 thereafter – bringing the annual fee to £76.95. The main extras with this Silver package are European travel insurance, AA breakdown cover and international mobile phone insurance. Silver account holders can also get a travel money prepaid card and a money transfer card for free.
Lloyds says these benefits are worth as much as £437, which taking into account the monthly fee, would lead to savings of up to £342. While this may sound impressive, it changes on closer inspection. Firstly, the bulk of the savings calculation is based on the inclusion of Lloyds' own European travel policy for two adults at £115 as a price guide, not an average price across all travel insurance providers. A savvy shopper could find an annual European policy for as little as £30. It's a similar story with the valuation of the breakdown cover at £77 for an AA policy, which may be worthwhile for some customers, but is by no means a best buy.
"The key really is to have a careful look at whether the benefits advertised are really worth the cost of maintaining these accounts," says Pierre Williams, the head of research at MoneyExpert.com. In addition, there is no point in consumers paying for an account that offers benefits they will never use. So, the inclusion of family travel insurance, as with Abbey's Reward Bank Account, is of little use to a single person with no children. Similarly, breakdown cover for an account holder with no car is worthless.
As well as taking the time to look into the various extras on offer, consumers need to concentrate on accounts that suit their lifestyles. For those likely to maintain a healthy balance, for example, a decent interest rate should be the focus. Conversely, anyone needing to use an overdraft on a regular basis should look for an account with the lowest overdraft charges. Abbey launched the Reward Bank Account last month, priced at £10 per month, with a market-leading credit interest rate of 6 per cent AER (fixed for a year) on balances up to £2,500, as well as an interest-free overdraft for the first £100. The account offers annual worldwide family travel insurance for two adults and four children, with cover for winter sports and Green Flag motoring assistance.
Source
Eager to secure themselves such a potentially lucrative monthly income stream, banks now offer a combined total of 57 packaged accounts, up more than a third from 41 in April last year, according to financial information service Defaqto. In that time, the average monthly fee hasgone up by a quarter from £12.79 to £15.12. At the same time as luring customers to their packaged accounts, many banks are making their free current accounts less appetising with 83 per cent paying just 0.10 per cent interest or less, and almost half (49 per cent) paying no interest at all, according to the latest figures from comparison site Moneyfacts.co.uk.
Barclays will increase the monthly fee on its Addition Active Account from £14 to £15 next month. Barclays' other packaged account costs just £3 per month but offers only cardholder protection and extended warranty cover of one year on electrical appliances bought for the home. Elsewhere, the monthly fee can jump to an eye-watering £25, as with the HSBC Premier Bank Account, which offers a fairly broad range of benefits including a dedicated "relationship manager", worldwide family travel insurance, commission-free foreign currency and discounts on hotels and European flights.
With more banks offering packaged current accounts, consumers may have more choice. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the increase has made these accounts any more attractive. For instance, common benefits include travel insurance and breakdown cover but are they really worth it?
"The main consideration is whether you actually want the incentives offered and, if so, whether it is suitable and cost effective to get it through the added value current account," says David Blank, a principal banking consultant at Defaqto.
The key is to calculate how useful the various benefits will be. The first step is to calculate the monetary value of the benefits on offer. Simply looking at the promotional material is unlikely to be an accurate way to determine potential savings. Lloyds TSB, for example, offers three Added Value Accounts, the cheapest of which costs £3 per month for two months and £7.95 thereafter – bringing the annual fee to £76.95. The main extras with this Silver package are European travel insurance, AA breakdown cover and international mobile phone insurance. Silver account holders can also get a travel money prepaid card and a money transfer card for free.
Lloyds says these benefits are worth as much as £437, which taking into account the monthly fee, would lead to savings of up to £342. While this may sound impressive, it changes on closer inspection. Firstly, the bulk of the savings calculation is based on the inclusion of Lloyds' own European travel policy for two adults at £115 as a price guide, not an average price across all travel insurance providers. A savvy shopper could find an annual European policy for as little as £30. It's a similar story with the valuation of the breakdown cover at £77 for an AA policy, which may be worthwhile for some customers, but is by no means a best buy.
"The key really is to have a careful look at whether the benefits advertised are really worth the cost of maintaining these accounts," says Pierre Williams, the head of research at MoneyExpert.com. In addition, there is no point in consumers paying for an account that offers benefits they will never use. So, the inclusion of family travel insurance, as with Abbey's Reward Bank Account, is of little use to a single person with no children. Similarly, breakdown cover for an account holder with no car is worthless.
As well as taking the time to look into the various extras on offer, consumers need to concentrate on accounts that suit their lifestyles. For those likely to maintain a healthy balance, for example, a decent interest rate should be the focus. Conversely, anyone needing to use an overdraft on a regular basis should look for an account with the lowest overdraft charges. Abbey launched the Reward Bank Account last month, priced at £10 per month, with a market-leading credit interest rate of 6 per cent AER (fixed for a year) on balances up to £2,500, as well as an interest-free overdraft for the first £100. The account offers annual worldwide family travel insurance for two adults and four children, with cover for winter sports and Green Flag motoring assistance.
Source
Monday, September 28, 2009
European breakdown cover 'a holiday essential'
Motorists have been advised to take out European car breakdown cover to protect their vehicles and their wallets while they are on holiday.
According to Saga Breakdown Assistance, the average cost of breakdown repairs on the continent is over £550, while the cost of recovering a vehicle and returning it to the UK can top £2,000.
Despite the potential costs involved, the insurer said many drivers are leaving themselves at risk of a holiday headache by failing to properly prepare for a European road trip.
The company found that 20% of drivers over 50 do not check their engine oil before setting off and one in seven fail to measure tyre pressure, despite carrying extra luggage. Among the under-50s, 25% do not check their oil or tyre pressure before driving on the continent.
Furthermore, only 55% remember to pack an emergency breakdown kit, including details of their car breakdown cover, before they travel abroad.
"When you add up the cost of calling out assistance and repairing your car, it really does make sense to take out breakdown cover," said Saga Group executive chairman Andrew Goodsell.
Saga has also recommended that holidaymakers take out travel insurance to cover themselves for medical expenses, lost luggage or cancellations before they go away.
Source
According to Saga Breakdown Assistance, the average cost of breakdown repairs on the continent is over £550, while the cost of recovering a vehicle and returning it to the UK can top £2,000.
Despite the potential costs involved, the insurer said many drivers are leaving themselves at risk of a holiday headache by failing to properly prepare for a European road trip.
The company found that 20% of drivers over 50 do not check their engine oil before setting off and one in seven fail to measure tyre pressure, despite carrying extra luggage. Among the under-50s, 25% do not check their oil or tyre pressure before driving on the continent.
Furthermore, only 55% remember to pack an emergency breakdown kit, including details of their car breakdown cover, before they travel abroad.
"When you add up the cost of calling out assistance and repairing your car, it really does make sense to take out breakdown cover," said Saga Group executive chairman Andrew Goodsell.
Saga has also recommended that holidaymakers take out travel insurance to cover themselves for medical expenses, lost luggage or cancellations before they go away.
Source
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Breakdown cover customers offered F1 experience
Consumers looking for car breakdown cover can be in with a chance of winning a "behind the scenes" Formula 1 experience if they get a quote through insurer Green Flag.
Its latest draw is offering tickets to the forthcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza, near Milan.
To enter, racing fans need to request a quote for car breakdown cover from the Green Flag F1 website by 26 August.
The prize includes two Super Grandstand tickets to the race, three nights of hotel accommodation and £200 of spending money per person.
Winners will also get to visit the AT&T Williams team garage.
Previous draw winners Mr and Mrs Bedford of Lincoln won a trip to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where they met motorsport legend Sir Jackie Stewart.
Mr Bedford said: "I have always been a fan of Sir Jackie Stewart and it was a real thrill to speak to him."
The Italian Grand Prix takes place over the weekend of 11 to 13 September.
Source
Its latest draw is offering tickets to the forthcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza, near Milan.
To enter, racing fans need to request a quote for car breakdown cover from the Green Flag F1 website by 26 August.
The prize includes two Super Grandstand tickets to the race, three nights of hotel accommodation and £200 of spending money per person.
Winners will also get to visit the AT&T Williams team garage.
Previous draw winners Mr and Mrs Bedford of Lincoln won a trip to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where they met motorsport legend Sir Jackie Stewart.
Mr Bedford said: "I have always been a fan of Sir Jackie Stewart and it was a real thrill to speak to him."
The Italian Grand Prix takes place over the weekend of 11 to 13 September.
Source
Friday, August 28, 2009
Breakdown cover comparison must include European cover
If you are in the process of breakdown cover comparison make sure you examine every bit of your cover policies features. All too often people buy breakdown cover only to find out that their plan does not render the degree of assistance they thought it did. A case in point is motorbike breakdown cover. Many reputable companies such as RAC, AA and Gem, provide this cover. But not a single one of these firms gives complete motorbike breakdown cover. For this one should try Bennett’s Bike Insurance and Breakdown.
Another example is in the area of European breakdown cover. No one wants to find out on a back road in France that their cover expires once they leave Central London. While AA does offer this service, it is only available on a case-by-case short-term quote basis. For complete European breakdown cover you will want to use Green Flag Breakdown. There are as many plans for cover, as there are scenarios for breakdowns. The best way to understand them all and in turn choose a plan that suits all your needs is to visit Breakdownchoices.co.uk. All the most desirable breakdown plans are reviewed and placed into easy to follow charts. One can tell at a glance which plan is best for their particular needs. So, whether you have a motorbike and a car, or an older car driven by many members of your household you will be able to find the best roadside assistance protection at the best price with totally free Internet assistance from Breakdown Choices.
Source
Another example is in the area of European breakdown cover. No one wants to find out on a back road in France that their cover expires once they leave Central London. While AA does offer this service, it is only available on a case-by-case short-term quote basis. For complete European breakdown cover you will want to use Green Flag Breakdown. There are as many plans for cover, as there are scenarios for breakdowns. The best way to understand them all and in turn choose a plan that suits all your needs is to visit Breakdownchoices.co.uk. All the most desirable breakdown plans are reviewed and placed into easy to follow charts. One can tell at a glance which plan is best for their particular needs. So, whether you have a motorbike and a car, or an older car driven by many members of your household you will be able to find the best roadside assistance protection at the best price with totally free Internet assistance from Breakdown Choices.
Source
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