Consumers have been urged to check the small print when renewing their car and home insurance after accusations that the industry is increasingly turning to hidden charges to boost profits during the downturn.

James Daley, of Which?, the consumer organisation, says: “Consumers need to be more careful than ever when buying insurance today. We’re concerned about the growing tendency for insurers to charge customers for making relatively minor changes to their policy, such as updating their address or adding a named driver. Charges should be proportionate and should relate to the actual cost involved. This should be a matter of pence, not pounds.”

Here Times Money rounds up the pitfalls to look out for in each of the biggest insurance categories.

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