This checklist is the tick-box companion to the switching article: every step in one line, in order. It's timed for autumn – the year-end campaign season – but works the same way for any renewal date: just count the dates back from your own.
- The list has five blocks: preparation · comparison · new policy · cancellation · verification.
- The golden rule throughout: new first, then old – no gap, no overlap.
- Print it or save it – ticking isn't a formality: if it isn't ticked, it isn't done.
Block 1: preparation
- ☐ Renewal date identified (policy / notice / enquiry)
- ☐ Day 60, day 40 and day 30 in your calendar
- ☐ Documents at hand: policy, latest notice, vehicle registration
- ☐ History data gathered: insurer, policy number, claims history ID
- ☐ Your own wish list: which add-ons you need (accident cover, legal protection, assistance…)
Block 2: comparison
- ☐ Fresh quotes for identical cover (calculator or broker table)
- ☐ Premiums viewed together with their terms (commitments, schedule, method)
- ☐ Add-ons compared item by item
- ☐ Service picture considered (claims handling, administration)
- ☐ Decision recorded in writing – the comparison table filled in
If the decision is to stay: the list here switches over to the "staying" branch of the renewal checklist – that's just as valid an outcome.
Blocks 3–4: new policy first, then cancellation – in this order
- ☐ New policy recorded, start of cover = the renewal date
- ☐ Commitments reviewed (only promises you can keep)
- ☐ Payment method set up for the NEW policy (direct debit/standing order)
- ☐ Only then: cancellation sent to the old insurer – in writing, with policy number and signature
- ☐ Cancellation verifiably ARRIVED at the old insurer by the deadline (by midnight on day 30 before the renewal date) – if posting it, allow for delivery time; send it by registered mail or through a confirmed electronic channel.
- ☐ Confirmation received and saved
Block 5: verification and close-out
- ☐ New policy has arrived – five-point check: start date, vehicle, registered keeper, class, add-ons
- ☐ First premium settled on time
- ☐ Old policy's final statement followed up (any refund)
- ☐ Every document filed
- ☐ Next year's reminders set
If you get stuck on any line, that's exactly the right moment to ask for help – as a broker, I can run the whole list for you: you're left with the decision at the end of block 2, the rest of the ticks are mine.
When to reach for this list
This list comes up in three situations. Planned switch: open it 60 days before your renewal date and work from block 1 – the classic use case. Year-end campaign relevance: for calendar-year renewal policies, during the autumn weeks – the process is the same, just the dates are tighter. And on "suspicion": if your renewal notice premium surprised you, blocks 1–2 (preparation + comparison) can be run through even without a decision yet – only move on to block 3 if the comparison points to switching. What the list can't do: decide for you – that comes from a completed comparison table and honest weighing-up. What it can do: aim to make sure that once you've decided, not a single step gets missed.
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