Category Archives: Auto Insurances

Online Car Insurance in Australia Is it a distant dream

Getting Online Car Insurance in Australia is nowhere near what it is in the UK and US markets. Over there you have all the major insurance companies and underwriters allowing online aggregators to act like a broker between them and consumer. But where are the car insurance comparison websites in Australia? Currently they only offer 1 underwriter and that is comparing apples with apples.

Over the last 5 years in Australia, competition through comparison websites has come online for a range of products including travel insurance, health insurance, gas/electricity prices, home loans and credit cards. So why hasnt the car comparison market opened up! The answer is because none of the general insurance heavy weights want to jump on board and support car insurance comparison websites.

All the quotes I have received online from a comparison site show policies from a Budget owned and underwritten policy. You are getting the same policy features and the same underwriter. In fact the only difference in most of the policies is the price and the brand name the consumer sees. The underwriter determines the risk profile of a driver and a retailer takes an arranging fee or commission. So it is important to have several underwriters when comparing. That is the true test of comparison.

Each underwriter has its own formula for pricing a policy and they can vary massively. I got online quote using the same profile and found a company could be $2000 more expensive for a particular individual but be $80 cheaper for another. These swings make it vital for more than 1 underwriter when comparing.

What needs to happen is one of the larger car insurance providers such as Allianz, Suncorp, CGU, Vero, GIO, QBE, AIG need to participate and join Budget offering comparison online. At the moment the big boy companies go through brokers to sell their product and if they went online it could kill the retail broker industry. Budget however, is a South African based company and in comparison is relatively new to the market. Unlike the others, it has used the internet and website owners to get their products to market much like Suncorp, AIG and Allianz use brokers.

Unless one of the big 5 insurance companies want to join Budget and do business with online car insurance aggregators, then it may be a while until the Australian people join the US and UK and see real online competition.

Determination of Car Insurance Prices

You mght b surprised t w many factors g int car insurance prices. The obvious nes include the type of car nd coverages that you buy, but that’s just te beginning! The wy you use your car, where ou live, if you pay your bills on time and who u r an l b considered. It l boils dwn to this: wt s your probability of avng car accident nd tuall needing ur insurance company to pull throug fr you?

For insurance companies t stay afloat, th mut price ter premiums carefully wh being competitive. They invest in studies, performed t determine what types of people and situations re mr r less liky to lead t an insurance claim. Then, risk i determined wih affects car insurance prices. To make things mre interesting, dffrnt insurance companies ondr diffrnt factors. That i why it important t check with more than on company on price and insurance options.

Following r om f th factors involved nd why. The Car And Its Uses The type of car that yu want to insure plays a major part n car insurance prices. A mre expensive car wl prbbly b mor expensive t repair or replace thn es expensive car. Plus, ome cars are proven t b es susceptible t damage and occupant injury than others!

Where nd wn w you b driving? There ar mr chances fr damage f you drive n populated area versus rural community or small town. Larger cities naturally experience mre car theft, accidents and vandalism beaue there ar more people crowded together!

The “when” refers t distance nd time. Some people do quite bit of driving very day becuse tey mgt ha a long commute or th us their cars for business purposes. Those folks pose a greater risk thn say, fr instance, somon wo works frm home.

Who You Are I tnk we’ ll heard jokes but young, single males gettng t shaft n car insurance and, rightly so. The studies report tt drivers undr 25 ha higher chances f accidents nd tt ge for single people nd males too.

Explaining Car Insurance Policy And Its Premium

A comprehensive car insurance policy is a must as driving may be fun but at the same time it involves high risk in case of any eventuality. Third party insurance is a statutory obligation in our country but you can choose your preferences from collision coverage, comprehensive coverage and personal injury protection However, you must go in for a car insurance policy that provides total protection to you, your vehicle, your co-passengers and third party liability as while driving you and your associates are also at risk.

How is car insurance premium calculated?

Car insurance premium is calculated on the type of insurance and other factors as explained below:

Types of car insurance: Third Party Liability, Own Damage, Personal accidental coverage. Depending upon the insurance type you opt, your premium would be determined.
Cubic Capacity of Engine: Engine size is one of the important factors in calculating the premium. The higher the cubic capacity if engine, the higher the premium.
Car Model/Type: The new car demands more premium. As the car ages, its value is depreciated and the premium decreases.
Registration place: The city in which vehicle is registered is considered while calculating the insurance premium. If your vehicle is registered in Delhi and you use it in Chennai, then also the premium would be calculated on the basis of your registered state. The premium is higher in the metros as they are more prone to vehicle theft and accidents.
No claim bonus: If you do not make any claim during one policy year then you can avail discount on your next premium. The discount starts from 20% and can be increased progressively upto 50% on the Own Damage premium and is not extended towards Liability premium.

No Claim Bonus is portable and you can get the benefit if you purchase a new car as it is provided to the insured and not the insured car. It is basically a reward for safe driving habits of the policy holder. It is applicable, even if you want to change your insurance provider. You need to show the NCB proof from your previous vendor and can avail NCB discounts from your new provider.

The factors discussed above are the major factors that determine the insurance premium. However, apart from that there may be several other factors such as age and profession of the policy holder and the safety devices installed in the car that are used in calculating the car premiums.

What To Do As You Sign Up For Your Car Insurance Plan in Singapore

For first-time car insurance plan shoppers in Singapore, it will be very perplexing as you are confronted with a great deal of legalities and also words you cannot comprehend. However car insurance is as easy as ABC when you’ve got a little advice from professionals. This short article attempts to provide clarity so you can sign up for any auto insurance of your choice effortlessly.

There are numerous car insurance programs you can find out there. Hence you’re pampered for choice. While you shop to get a motor insurance plan, you might come across a few that you like. With your budget you are thinking about, you will arrive at a decision with some searching and studying. Finally, you should have the car insurance protection you seek. As you look through the quotations, use plenty of counsel from pros or search online about terminology and concepts you can’t understand.

While you purchase a vehicle insurance policy, take note that the insurance company requires certain references and a number of documents from you. This is required to authenticate whatever you state on the form is true. In addition, it facilitates any insurance claims you may make in the future.

One thing you are required to produce will be your driver’s permit. You might also be asked to show your identity card. Insurance companies need to be sure that the price they give you is correct just before providing the certificate of insurance which finalizes their commitment to you. It will help the admin manager make sure your name is printed correctly according to the identification card furnished.

You might like to send in the renewal document within the application form to make it a lot easier for the insurance company to issue the no-claim bonus. With this record, the discount that you are eligible for shall be shown. All your accident records may possibly be reflected here. Everything within the renewal notice is dependable and true. So insurance providers could use it to process the discount instantly.

If you got your driver’s license from another state, a number of insurance providers (like NTUC) might need you to convert your driver’s permit prior to providing you with an insurance coverage. Otherwise you might have to shell out more for the automobile insurance because of lack of driving experience locally. Even so, large insurers will usually take your whole driving experience into mind. Whatever it may be, instructions from the current insurance company verifying your no-claim bonus standing may be necessary to get the discount you need.

When applying for a vehicle insurance policy, be sure you grasp the important terms and clauses. If you don’t, ask a representative to explain them to you in plain english to make sure you understand what to expect during eventualities.

What To Avoid When Buying A Car Insurance Policy

Buying motor car insurance may appear simple on the face, but there are some mistakes that people tend to make, which can prove to be costly. So when buying insurance, you need to avoid these temptations and costly mistakes to make a right choice. As all car insurance policies are not the same, you need to think hard before arriving at a buying decision. Discussed below are some common mistakes people make while they buy car insurance, and you need to make sure that you dont make those.

Do not be tempted to save money

The bare minimum car insurance that is mandatory under the Indian law is third party liability insurance. Many people in an attempt to save money, go just for this and avoid a comprehensive coverage that would include cover for own damage. A common reason for people to avoid an own damage cover, is that they are too confident about their driving. But it is essential to realize the extent of liability one may have to bear is significant. It is not possible for anybody to predict a bad day, when you may meet with an accident despite the best driving skills. If you are really interested to bring your premium cost down, a better way is to opt for a higher voluntary deductible, rather than completely avoiding the insurance.

Avoid coverage that you do not need

While you buy a car insurance policy, there would be a host of benefits which either does not make sense for you or you can simply avoid them because they really make your premium swell. There is also likelihood that the coverage you have brought under your car insurance policy is duplicated. For example, if your manufacturer warranty is still active, it makes no point for you to go for an engine protector cover. Likewise, look for any other clause or add-on, which you can potentially look forward to exclude and save costs.

Avoid the lowest price trap

In any business transaction, getting the lowest possible price is obviously important, but should not be sole criteria for choosing your product. Same principle applies to car insurance as well, as the cheapest may not necessarily be the best for you and there are chances that you may end up spending more on your car than you would have desired. Such a situation may happen, if you choose the lowest cost policy at the cost of skipping some important policy coverage benefits.

Avoid buying without comparing between policies

The car insurance market is a competitive one and you can spot attractive benefits if you can take some time out to shop around, before finally buying a policy. Once you have decided your insurance requirements, it is advised that you do an online comparison to know which policy offers you your desired car insurance coverage at the lowest cost.