Alot of people bemoaning the late issue of renewal notice. If you want to get the best value in the Insurance Market it is best to take control of the situation and start the process yourself, contact your own broker/company first well in advance and start the shopping around. Working in the industry I would recommend that while car insurance is mainly price driven commodity, there are differences in quality. I would be looking at protected bonuses, breakdown assist, personal accident etc and of course claims handling reputation of the company. You can save €50 at renewal and end up paying a lot more if you have an accident especially if you are not fully informed on the product.