Retaining old insurance documents

Stephen_Leak

I've just changed cars (to a little diesel, 64mpg, £30 tax) and duly rang my insurers to advise them of this. They advised me that they would send the new documentation and then advised me to destroy all the old ones.

Now, as a lifelong financial squirrel, I'd planned to sentence them to my financial gulag box file for the next 6 years.

Is there any compelling reason why they should be destroyed?

Is there any possible potential reason why they might be required in the next 6 years?

rev_henry

If you're dishonest, you could continue driving round in the old car, then when you get pulled over for no insurance on the ANPR you can produce your old certificate. Which of course will prove to be not worth the paper its written on when plod calls up your insurance company. Alternatively if you had an accident in your old car and produced that old cert, the person you crashed into wouldn't know and would probably accept the details on it.

But if you're a dishonest person then you would ignore their directions to destroy the old cert. So it kinda makes sense...a bit...

Evilm

No reason you NEED to destroy the old ones, if you tried to use them incorrectly the insurers database would be checked and they would be refused as it was invalid (having been changed to the new car).

I'd keep them for the peace of mind!.

blued

I used to keep so many documents but these days I destroy most things that come through the mail. So long as your NCB is listed in your current insurance details I cant see any reason to keep it. Almost everything is online these days anyway.

Quentin

It's a good idea to keep a paper trail of your NCD once you reach 5 years.

Many insurers don't bother issuing total years proof after you hit the max of 5, and you may have a problem proving you have (say) 10 years without a claim if your renewal notice just states something like 5+ or "max" and you are going to an insurer who offers cheaper premiums to those with in excess of 5 years.

Stephen_Leak

Thanks to everyone.

It looks like I'm "squirrelling" them, then. As my Mum says, they don't cost anything to feed.

And even the possibility of being able to hit an unco-operative insurer with them sometime in the future and saving some money as a result makes the tartan bits of my DNA go all tingly!

Yorkie1

I have retained mine for 6 years, which I believe is the limitation period for court proceedings. Otherwise I'd struggle to remember who covered me for which period - just in case I ever needed to go back to them.