The cost of car insurance, according to business companies Data Monitor and Footman James and Company, is predicted to rise by up to a quarter in the upcoming year. An increasingly competitive market and larger settlements for compensation claims have caused insurance companies to increase the price of premiums. We tell you how to maximise your financial freedom and minimise your insurance costs.

The rise in the number of accident victims taking insurance companies to court, the higher garage repair bills for major insurance adjustors and the greater power of the NHS to file for compensation claims has caused insurance companies to lose money. Data Monitor has confirmed that insurers have raised premiums to ensure a more lucrative profit return; with a 20% increase in the last 12 months (approximately £100 added to the average premium), this percentage is expected to rise by the same amount in the next year. This means that motorists will be paying as much as one and a half times as much as they would have been paying two years ago, at no fault of their own.

Motorists are warned that they are going to have to be much more scrupulous and financially astute when deciding on which insurance company to trust and the kind of cover they personally require. As some car owners may be the victims of even higher premium rises according to the type of car they drive, what it is used for and the area in which they live, they should not only read the small print of their policy carefully to find out exactly the extent and nature of coverage that they are obtaining. They must also be prepared to switch their investments from traditional large-scale firms to upcoming ones, such as insurance programmes affiliated to supermarkets and banks.

Finally, at the moment, only 1% of car owners shop for insurance on the internet, while 56% purchase insurance directly from insurance companies, and 68% buy cover by phone. However, with numerous quota comparison websites, like the Co Operative, purchasing car insurance online is now the fastest and most convenient way to find the fairest deal for you. Motorists might also want to reduce the number of drivers covered in their insurance contracts, fit security devices in their cars to convince the company of the improbability of serious accidents, and select a limited mileage option.