Do you renew your insurance policies on a comparison website or via a broker?

In this day and age, we probably all have many different insurance polices, covering a range of needs such as car insurance, travel insurance, home insurance and pet insurance. 

But how do we know how to get the best most appropriate deal to meet our needs?

In recent years, price comparison websites like Confused.com have cropped up, and the competition is extremely high for insurance companies to deliver a policy that is as cheap as possible … but is cheap always the best?  How can we be sure we are covered for all eventualities, by ticking boxes online.  How do we know at a glance that we are comparing like for like?

Many people turn to one of the big four comparison sites to look for the cheapest insurance (moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, comparethemarket.com and confused.com), but is this always the best way? The policies you’ll be offered are fairly generic so if you want a policy that meets your individual circumstances it might be better to use a broker.

Getting expert advice does not cost you more. Unlike comparison sites they have specialist expertise and can give you advice on the products that best suit your needs.

Find the right product for you. A broker will ask you about your personal circumstances to find you the right policy. They’ll also be able to tell you if you’re already covered by your existing insurance policies so you don’t overlap, and they will often get you a good deal by comparing prices and product features. They can also be more flexible on price than comparison sites.

So what are your views?  Are you happy to renew your insurance policies using price comparison websites? Or do you prefer that personal touch, and talk to a broker to ensure your needs are met? Is price the most important element when you renew, or does the quality and specification of the policy to meet your needs have a higher priority?