Whether you work in an office or spend your time as a freelance or self-employed artist, there seems to be a significant portion of our lives which requires the kind of administrative vigilance we might usually leave to those employed in the finance sector. If you are scatter-brained or not, it doesn’t hurt to have a filing cabinet somewhere with all those essential numbers and names: home insurance, mortgage rates, tax codes, ISAs, National Insurance enquiries, NHS prescriptions.

Another one of these essential records is your car insurance. If you are a motor vehicle owner in the UK, it is essential that you can supply adequate evidence of correct and up-to-date insurance: if not, you could find yourself running into trouble if you have any kind of accident (or even just an MOT); and you can forget about being able to take your car on a driving trip across to France, or indeed anywhere on the continent.

Whilst we might groan with despair when we realise it’s that time of year again, renewing or changing your car insurance policy need not be a complete headache. Take the time to do some research: you may discover that your current provider is no longer the best value for money. Your insurance policy and driving status changes as the years go by: you might need to add kids as named drivers on one of the cars; or there may have been motor incidents in the past year which could alter the complexion of your policy.

There are certain bonuses and extras to look out for when it comes to making the final decision on your insurance. One thing of import are the No Claims Discounts (NCDs): if you have accumulated several years without a claim, you could save up to 70% on the cost of your car insurance. A good place to try is the Cooperative: it is one of the few companies which also offer NCDs on named drivers – usually the discounts only benefit designated vehicle owners, meaning that years of good driving as a mere named driver can often go unrewarded.

The other obvious offers to look out for are on accident cover and breakdown recovery. Many providers can provide breakdown cover for your car as far afield as Europe; sometimes this incurs a minor extra cost, of around an extra £1 a week (around the £50 mark for your year’s insurance). Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other more unique features: the Cooperative also endeavours to carbon offset a percentage of your emissions. Ultimately, it is for you to decide.