Car insurance - Does no claims actually have value?

[Rac7777]

Hi all.

I need to renew our car insurance and I'm wondering if there is a benefit to staying with Direct Line for the sake of keeping 3 years no claims, or whether I'm better off switching to either Sheila's Wheels or Admiral who both quoted £20 cheaper and starting over?

Basically is moving and saving £20 worth it in the long run to lose my current accrued no claims or will it give me more leverage next year to renegotiate my car insurance?

Basically is having 3 years no claims actually worth any value?

Am hoping a human can actually explain it to me rather than trying to work out all the jargon that insurer's confuse you with!
Thanks!

You take your no claims bonus to your new insurer, don't you? You don't have to stay with the same insurance company in order to keep your no claims bonus, well as far as I'm aware anyway.

Most insurers take account of existing no claims bonuses. You don't have to stay with one.

You don't lose your no claims bonus unless you have an accident.

If you have 3 years with direct line and move to another insurer, you will take those 3 years with you.

It wasn't until I had at least 4 years no claims bonus that I saw quotes drop a bit. And as soon as I hit 4 years I paid a bit more each year to protect my no claims bonus, so if I had an accident I wouldn't lose it.

Your current insurer should give you your proof of no claims and then you use that in the price comparison sites to get a better deal

You only discover how important having protected no claims is when you have an accident where you aren't at fault.

I had two no fault accidents in one year - delivery driver drove into my empty parked car and then a newly qualified driver drove into the back of me at a red traffic light - and next year my insurance premium was the same. If I hadn't protected it, it would have gone up by £400.

My DS had an accident when he was 21 - his fault, no other vehicle involved and about £2k worth of damage. We were dreading his next renewal notice and the loss of his 2yrs NCB. His renewal came through 5 months after the accident and the premium was actually the same as the previous year. We actually rang up to discuss renewal and they knocked another £30 off! NCB is clearly a con. And yes the renewal notice did refer to both the claim and the deduction in NCB.

You take your no claims with you. I’m a car insurance whore, I go with whoever’s cheapest every year and take my 20+ years no claims with me.

Your NcB moves with you when you change insurance companies Op. you don’t have to stay with the same one!
We change yearly and go for the cheapest

You only discover how important having protected no claims is when you have an accident where you aren't at fault

If your insurer reclaims the cost from a third party, your no claims discount wouldn’t be affected anyway. But, yes, you’re an idiot if you don’t protect it.

As others have said, your no claims bonus goes with you. I change pretty much every year so just go with whoever is cheapest.

Ah. Thanks all.

Feel silly asking now! Adulting is confusing.