Many new drivers suffer a great deal from the extortionate costs that are involved when you first start to drive. It is a great new freedom to have and so it should be enjoyed, unfortunately if you are worried about the costs of motoring then it does remove a piece of that enjoyment, not only is there the obvious cost of a car, but there is the maintenance on the vehicle, the road tax, the cost of petrol and of course the major cost of getting insurance as a young driver.

It is a fact that one in three new drivers crash in their first year, which explains why insurance costs are so high for young people, but there are ways to lower this cost.

You should spend time going to car insurance comparison sites. Many of the forms only take a few minutes to fill out and if you try three or four comparison sites you will have covered nearly all of the big insurance companies. A huge mistake that many new drivers make is to try just one comparison site and take the cheapest quote.

Some sites have now realised that there are even better ways to reduce your annual premium. This is achieved by not only comparing the big insurers but to also get quotes from smaller more niche companies, ones that specialise in certain areas of the market. This way you get the best of both worlds, you get quotes from the mainstream insurers, which can be cheaper sometimes than the specialist ones but also you get these niche insurance quotes, between the two you are sure to make significant savings on your insurance costs, and that money can then be spent to ease the burden when you need to keep refueling.

Boat-owners may be advised to ensure a lack of insurance does not leave their finances sunk, following the results of a new study.

In research carried out by Saga it was revealed that hitting an underwater object while out in the water will set the average boat-owning consumer back by 2,419 pounds. Additionally, it was indicated that some three per cent of insurance claims on a boat have resulted from a craft sinking. Other popular claims on a boat insurance policy were indicated as including incurring accidental damage while cruising, a vessel flooding while in a moored position and wind damage.

Following on from a lack of insurance, those consumers who find that their vessel has been the target of theft or has been struck while at sea may find that they have to dip into their own pockets to pay for repairs and to replace items. In turn, this might have an impact upon their capacity to meet other areas of financial demand such as personal loans, credit and store cards, mortgage repayments and household bills.

The threat of criminals was also advised as another consideration for boating Brits to take into account. According to Saga theft is the second most frequent event that consumers will claim for. Overall, the typical claim for a burglary costs 1,820 pounds. However, to help protect against this seafarers were advised to ensure that outboard motors and life rafts are secured to the main vessel with good quality chains and locks. Meanwhile, not leaving items loose on deck or in the cockpit was also recommended. In addition, consumers were advised that the boat trailers which are attached to cars are often a target for thieves and that to protect their vehicles they should fit a trailer lock to the hitch and purchase a wheel clamp.

Furthermore, the financial services provider pointed to police reports claiming that items made from bronze and copper are becoming increasingly sought after by criminals. This was attributed to the rising value of such materials in recent years. Consequently, Saga reminded consumers that boats often contain features such as plaques, bells and statues which can be made from hard-wearing bronze and are often in open view. “Whilst it’s not feasible to remove or store these items without difficulty, it’s worth being aware that trying to mask them from view may make the opportune thief look elsewhere for easier pickings,” the firm asserted.

With the warmer months beginning to arrive, those Britons looking to take to the water and buy a boat might wish to consider getting a low-rate secured loan. By selecting a loan, borrowers may be able to purchase the vessel of their dreams quickly, leaving them with an affordable level of repayments to make. In addition, the financial assistance that a secured loan provides could help budding boats-men and women to take out a comprehensive boat insurance policy. A secured loan could also be of help to those buying a car, after a money supermarket survey revealed that if the approximate 425,000 new cars bought last month were paid for via a loan instead of a forecourt finance deal then drivers could avoid paying an additional 420 million pounds in interest.