Are you a teacher? A doctor? A barista? A marketing ninja superstar? No matter what your job title is, it can dramatically affect the cost of your car insurance premium – but why? And how do you get around it if your exact job title isn’t listed anywhere on an insurance website or app?
We’re here to break down why your job title matters when it comes to car insurance and what steps to take to make sure you get the most accurate quote possible.
Why can I never find my exact job title on any insurance website or app?
The first thing to understand here is that insurers use job titles to calculate risk levels for drivers. Certain jobs mean higher levels of risk and more claims. This is usually due to things like driving more miles or rushing to meet deadlines.
So when you go to fill out an application for car insurance, it’s important to provide accurate information about your job title so that you can get an accurate quote.
That said, most insurers don’t have every job title listed. Websites usually have a limited drop-down menu of options. That’s the only way they can get you an instant quote. So if yours isn’t there, don’t stress—that’s actually pretty common.
And, there are still ways to get an accurate quote.
What do I do if I can’t find my job title?
You might not be able to find your exact job title when you’re looking for quotes. But how do you navigate this? The general advice is to simply select the job title that most closely resembles what you do day-to-day.
Sometimes this is fairly straightforward. For instance, if you’re an administrative assistant, but that particular job isn’t listed, you might find an alternative like “office administrator” works just as well.
If you feel like the job title doesn’t provide enough context about what you do in particular, don’t forget that you’ll usually be able to select your industry as well. For instance, a mechanical engineer could work in lots of different industries, including manufacturing, defence, and power.
Simply stating you’re a mechanical engineer won’t tell your insurer much. But once you fill out your industry, you’ll usually give insurers the needed context to give you an accurate quote.
How does my job title affect my car insurance premium?
Your job title is just one factor that could affect your overall car insurance premium. We delve into some of the main ways to save on your car insurance here if you’re looking for ways to make a saving.
Insurers typically look at the risk level associated with a particular job title when working out your premium. So, for example, if you’re a call centre manager, and lots of other people who are also call centre managers make lots of claims, you’re likely to see a higher premium.
Equally, if you’re a teacher, but teachers, on the whole, make less claims, then you’re likely to see a lower premium. These are just examples, obviously. But, the point is, your job title is merely a factor that insurers use to work out what the risk of insuring you is likely to be.
Some occupations are riskier than others. Typically, if you’re in a job where you’re on the road a lot, you’ll likely see a higher premium. That’s because the more you drive, the more likely you are to be involved in an accident and make a claim.
Can I give a false job title to lower my premium?
You shouldn’t lie about your job title or any other information on an insurance form as this could invalidate any claim made in the future or even void your policy altogether. It’s also fraud. That’s it. There’s no wiggle room here.
What do we mean by that? If you’re a journalist, you’ll have to say you’re a journalist. You can’t claim you’re a copywriter, although there may be some overlap between the two roles.
Journalists are typically considered higher risk when it comes to insurance because they’re out and about often rushing to get to the scene of a breaking news story. That’s typically not the case if you’re a copywriter, so it would be inaccurate to say that’s what you do to lower your premium.
If you lie to your insurance company and get caught, your policy may be cancelled, and you may find getting car insurance really expensive in the future, and many companies will not offer cover.
What if there are two job titles that reflect my actual job?
That being said, if there are two job titles on offer that both accurately describe what you do, you could understand the impact the title has on the price. For instance, if both “administrative assistant” and “office administrator” are on offer, and you know that both accurately and honestly describe the work that you do, you could potentially pick the one with the lower premium.
But remember—honesty is always the only policy when dealing with insurance companies.
What if I have more than one job?
Things can get a little tricky if you have more than one job.
You’ll find that some insurers and comparison websites account for this already. They let you put in both jobs and base their insurance quote on that information. It’s common that the highest risk occupation is the one that is used in working out whether they’ll offer you a quote, and how much it will cost.
If this option exists, it’s simply a matter of finding the job title that best reflects your duties. And then doing it again for your second job.
But, if it doesn’t, you may need to phone your insurer, or chat to them, to get an accurate quote. Your second job might not increase your premium by much, but your insurer still needs to know.
Whatever options the site or app has, the first job you declare must be the one that occupies that majority of your working time. If in doubt, chat to your insurance company.
You might need to add business use if you have more than one job
If you’re planning on driving to two, separate job locations, your insurer might ask you to add business use to your policy.
Typically, if you’re planning on commuting to your place of work, you’ll normally be covered by a social, domestic, pleasure and commuting (SDPC) policy. But, some insurers specify that “commuting” only covers commuting to and from one place of work. You may need business use to travel to two or more workplaces.
Business use could allow you to travel to multiple sites and places of work. Your insurer will be able to tell you whether this is something you need if you have multiple jobs.
What if I change jobs after I’ve taken out a policy?
Changing your job is considered a chance in your circumstances. You’ll need to tell your insurer if you’ve changed jobs.
This might mean your car insurance premium changes. You could end up having a lower premium and even receive a refund if you’ve paid for an annual policy in one go. Or, you might end up with a higher premium, in which case you may need to pay an outstanding amount.
What if I don’t have a job?
If you don’t have a job, you’ll typically be given a few options to choose from when you’re selecting your employment status.
If you’re a homemaker or retired, you should say that. Your premium is likely to look different because your circumstances are different.
How your job title affects your car insurance premium
Your job title is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to working out your car insurance premium. But, it is an important piece, so it’s worth taking your time to pick the job title that most accurately reflects what you do.
It’s never a good idea to lie or mislead your insurer to get a lower premium. There are plenty of legit ways to lower your premium if you’re in a high-risk profession.
And if you really want to take your time looking through annual car insurance quotes, you could always take out temporary car insurance to cover you for a few days while you make a decision. Who knows? You might end up making a saving.
