How your premium is calculated

The main factors influencing the cost of your insurance policy are:

Age of the driver
Sex of the driver
Performance of your vehicle
Number of years you have been driving
Use of the car on a daily basis
Postcode in which the car will usually be kept

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How do I make a claim on a Motor Insurance policy?: You should also take the time to familiarise yourself with the claims procedures at each new motor insurance company you use. Each company has a slightly different claims procedure, it is imperative that you understand both what is covered and how you should approach making a claim against your policy.
What are the road tax rates by specific type of vehicle?: The collection and administration of road tax is done by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). The DVLA is responsible for all regions of the UK. Their aim is to facilitate safe and responsible driving throughout the UK. In addition to road tax they are also responsible for keeping a registry of all vehicles and qualified drivers.
Who do I contact if I have a complaint against a finance house?: First you must address your original contact you dealt with, ask them for their job title and then request that the provide you with the name of the person who handles complaints. Traditionally, finance houses are required by the FSA to have a complaints procedure, and you should ask for details of this.
Am I insured to drive someone else's car?: Many motor insurance providers will allow their comprehensive policy holders to drive any other vehicle, as long as it is already insured by another driver. This means that you can drive your friend's car BUT it is likely that you will only be insured to third party level.
How your premium is calculated: The main factors influencing the cost of your insurance policy are:

Looking at all of these factors as a whole the insurer will calculate your annual premium.
Insurers take a view on the market as a whole, they statistically analyse the risk of claims in different areas of the market and work back to offer each their premiums. This always applies, whether or not you are a good driver, you will always be offered the premiums that your characteristics allow you NOT your skills.

The group most likely to pay high premiums are young, adult males with a high performance vehicle with relatively little driving experience. In these cases premiums may be as large as £5,000 to £10,000 per annum.

Another example, female drivers in their early fifties with a small low performance vehicle who have been driving the majority of their life will pay a significantly lower premium than the young males mentioned above.

Type of car

Cars are categorised into 1 of 20 insurance groups. The higher group, the higher the premium. These groups are defined by a number of factors, such as:

The cost to repair certain body parts
The ease of replacement of certain body parts
The ease to find certain replacement body parts
The acceleration of the vehicle
The value of the car when new
The car's resistance to theft

By collating this information, a sliding scale is calculated for the car which will ultimately correspond to the premium necessary to cover the vehicle.