One company that is well know for offering good value is Hastings Insurance. The insurance firm is also known as Hastings Direct and is part of Hastings Insurance Services UK.

Hasting Insurance offers cheap car insurance quotes. The insurance company keep premiums low by comparing the plans offered by a large number of leading UK insurers. The firm say they can find low cost car insurance to suit most car insurance groups.

The firm also offer a range of other insurance products. In addition to car insurance, Hastings Insurance offer van, classic car, motorbike, home and travel insurance. Polices can be arranged over the phone or online. Various incentives are available, including online application and introductory discounts.

Past and present Hastings Insurance customers rate the firm as being good value for money. Feedback from customers reports that they believe the firm offer low premiums, good customer service and an efficient claims department. The free phone number was also mentioned as a great benefit. Online customers can benefit too, from great discounts offered online.

Whatever insurance company you choose, be sure to read the contract carefully. Make sure you have the right level of cover for your need. Whilst it is important to make sure you purchase enough cover, it is also important to make sure you do not pay out for more than you need. If you take time to compare a variety of insurance products, you should be able to find a good value plan that fulfils your need.

It is however also quite easy to look into insurance products yourself, you will need patience and tenacity to gather information about different polices and from different brokers but by taking the following points into consideration you should find the process straightforward:

• First and foremost you need to know exactly what type of policy you want and need.
• When you have decided which policy suits both your insurance needs and your financial capabilities you should contact a number of different insurance providers and request quotes.
• When deciding which life insurance policy is the most suitable for your needs and requirements you need to be aware of the following;
• • What and how payment is made following the death of the policyholder.
  • If the policy has critical illness and/or accident cover.
  • If it has income protection or unemployment cover.
  • Does the policy carry mortgage protection and mortgage life insurance.
  • Does it offer Family Life Insurance?
• If you take out a life insurance policy later in life you need to expect the premiums to be higher than that of perhaps a 20 year old. It is advisable to work out the premiums and also the payment dates and compare it to the return on investment.
• When looking into the premium amount and how much you need to put by each month you need not only look into how much you can afford now you also need to consider what your financial situation will be in the future.
• Always ensure that you read and understand the terms and conditions of the policy before making any commitment.

Of course you could save time and legwork looking into life insurance by going online and visiting the websites of various UK based online life insurance brokers. The process is very easy, time saving and also very convenient as you can do this 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

According to a spokesperson for the bank, anyone over 18 with a family should think about protecting them by taking out life insurance.

Figures from the Association of British Insurers indicate that £160 million was paid out in pension and life insurance in 2005.

But one in three Britons has no life insurance and many do not renew their policies.

Claire Moyles, of Sainsbury's Bank, said: "There's a £2.3 trillion protection gap in the UK so there's a massive amount of underprotection. It's obviously not top of everyone's agenda.

"Part of the reason the gap exists is because people are taking out a mortgage without any life insurance."

She advised: "Anybody aged 18 plus with a family really needs to be thinking about protecting their family and protecting their mortgage."

Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) indicate that £1 million worth of fraudulent claims are made every day.

And insurers are covering claims worth £480 million each year. This has gone up threefold since 2003.

The organisation claims that around one in 11 claims made are fraudulent, of which 85 per cent involve an exaggeration of the value of the loss.

Household insurance is the area of insurance where fraud most commonly takes place, with a typical scam being the purposeful damaging of a carpet, with the policyholder then claiming the damage occurred accidentally.

Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the ABI, said: "Fraudulent insurance claims cost £1.6 billion and add £40 a year to the premiums paid by honest customers.

"But the industry is fighting back. Insurance cheats are more likely to be caught than ever before. And cheats will pay a high price as future insurance and credit will be more expensive and harder to obtain."