Drivers are burdened by rising costs. Switching car insurance could save you money – something to watch out for.
Munich – For drivers who want to save money, there is an important date every year: November 30th is the deadline for changing car insurance. In most cases, the contracts then allow termination at the turn of the year, when many insurers adjust their tariffs. Which currently often means one thing above all: they are rising. A cost comparison of the various providers is all the more worthwhile. Because by switching vehicle owners can save several hundred euros per year.
Car insurance: This is how switching providers saves money
Basically, every vehicle owner is legally obliged to take out motor vehicle liability insurance that includes a certain minimum of benefits. The liability insurance of a privately used car covers personal injury of 7.5 million euros and property damage of 1.12 million euros as well as financial losses of up to 50,000 euros. Damage to the vehicle or the person who caused the damage is not insured here.
Changing your car insurance can save you a lot of money. (icon picture)
© Alexander Limbach/Imago
–
Car insurance: This is how the tariff is made up
Depending on the provider, a whole range of parameters can be relevant for the costs of motor vehicle liability insurance, such as higher sums for damage coverage.
The so-called no-claims class of the owner, in turn, has a particularly large influence on the amount of the respective tariff: the longer a vehicle owner has been accident-free, the higher his no-claims class – and the cheaper his tariff. But: The insurers evaluate the no-claims classes differently. As a result, savings can potentially be made with another insurance company with the same no-claims class.
Auto Insurance: Beginners in big cities pay the most
The vehicle and the place of registration also influence how much insurance costs. By means of type and regional classes, insurers can understand which vehicle models appear where more frequently in the accident statistics. From this, insurers derive the potential risk of damage: The higher the statistical risk of a vehicle model in the respective region, the more expensive the insurance is in the end. This means that novice drivers like the VW Polo often have a higher and therefore more expensive type class.
Big cities like Hamburg or Berlin, where there are more crashes due to the high vehicle density, are usually classified in more expensive regional classes than sparsely populated, rural areas like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Car insurance: do you recommend partially or fully comprehensive insurance?
In addition to motor vehicle liability insurance, vehicle owners have the option of insuring the vehicle with partial or comprehensive insurance. In addition to third-party damage, they also cover damage to your own vehicle. Depending on the car insurance, you will find very different services, according to which the price depends. Partial casco insurance covers damage caused by storms, hail, floods or lightning. Glass breakage and cable damage are also covered. Anyone who has biting martens in the neighborhood does not necessarily have to take out comprehensive insurance. Depending on the insurer, certain circumstances can also be insured by means of an additional contribution.
Car insurance: Research, compare, get advice
Significantly more expensive fully comprehensive insurance policies are primarily recommended for leased vehicles, new vehicles and high-priced vehicles. Something to consider when buying a new car: The ratings of the different insurers differ. Some providers pay the new value compensation for a few months, other insurers even longer than a year. In the case of fully comprehensive insurance in particular, vehicle owners should take a very close look at which aspects must be covered by the insurance and where there is potential for savings.
You can find even more exciting car topics in the free newsletter from 24auto.de, which you can subscribe to right here.
Car insurance: The insurance broker can also help
If you want to find the right insurance at the best price-performance ratio, you have to do some research. Online calculators help with the first price comparison. For this purpose, it is best to have the registration certificate part I (“vehicle registration document”) and the previous insurance documents to hand. Alternatively, drivers can turn to an independent insurance broker – especially if they have taken out other policies, keyword: combination discounts. All of this involves some effort, but it can save you a hundred or two a year. (jen/lem/spot)
List of rubrics: © Alexander Limbach/Imago
–
