| There is a wealth of options when searching for the | | | | - Branded providers - Over the last decade several |
| best home insurance deal. So how do you know | | | | well-established brands such as supermarket and high |
| which one is right for you? | | | | street chains have started to offer home insurance |
| Let's take a look at the different types of providers | | | | products. By applying their brand to the product they |
| you can choose from: | | | | normally have a deal in place to offer the insurance at |
| - Home insurance brokers - One of the oldest ways to | | | | a lower cost or with different incentives to applying |
| retrieve home insurance quotes, brokers have | | | | through an insurer directly. However, these brands are |
| contacts with several insurers and work to find you | | | | limited to the insurers or brokers they are in contact |
| the best deal depending on your circumstances. | | | | with. |
| However, they are limited to the insurers they have | | | | - The 'full search' provider - An increasingly popular |
| deals with. In their modern form, there are several | | | | method of retrieving home insurance quotes is to use |
| online insurers that act as brokers comparing quotes | | | | a 'full search' provider such as an online comparison |
| from as many as 20 smaller lesser-known insurers. | | | | tool. These tools have the widest selection of direct |
| - Direct insurers - There is a strong argument for | | | | insurers, brokers and brands and compare them |
| 'cutting out the middle man' by ditching the broker and | | | | like-for-like allowing you to select the cheapest policy |
| retrieving a quote from an insurer yourself - saving | | | | based on your circumstances. Generally these |
| yourself the cash a broker would pick up as | | | | companies make their money through advertising and |
| commission. The problem however, is that you have | | | | by agreeing to include a company in their listings. |
| no guarantee that the insurer is the cheapest and | | | | Consequently there is no extra cost to the consumer |
| contacting each one would be a time-consuming task. | | | | for using these services. |