The way to better car insurance

(09.11.2020) At the end of the year, the car insurers lure again with new premiums. Because most contracts can only be terminated at the end of the year. There are good reasons, especially for seniors, to take a close look at their contracts.

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Motor vehicle insurance fees, especially for seniors, are often secretly increased in January. Many insurers increase the premiums when the car driver has passed 55. With this approach in particular, the insurance market is extremely confusing.

No claims discount versus upgrade

Affected seniors who have driven without accidents may not even notice the clandestine increase. Because in some cases the individual no-claims bonus compensates for the upgrade, so to speak, because those discounts have generally risen in parallel with the increase in age supplements. Incidentally, the trend is currently to take into account up to 45 accident-free years instead of 35.

Different age supplements

The Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) recommends the increase only after 68 years. Against this actuarial determination, the Financial tip-Editorial note that the accident rate only increases significantly beyond the 75th mark. The comparison portal also determined Verivox at the turn of the year 2020 an increase in the age supplement by 15 percent for fully comprehensive and 18 percent for liability tariffs. However, the consumer can only find out which insurance is charging how much age supplement from which year if he inquires with his insurance company.

Difficult to compare tariff calculations

Protecting your own interests in car insurance is not that easy. The insurers calculate the tariffs independently according to the type class and age of the car at the time of purchase, place of residence (regional class), annual mileage, users and their age, number of claims-free years, employment relationship and more. You grant discounts for garage, automobile club membership or multiple contracts with the same insurer. In doing so, they do not necessarily follow the recommendations of their general association. They currently want to win new customers with discounts for e-cars, telematics concepts, billing that is accurate to the kilometer or new letters of protection.

Check contract

These questions help to clarify the matter individually for yourself:

• From what age does my insurer increase the age supplement? And how high is he?
• If I have been driving accident-free for many years: Does my insurer have a no-claims discount scale that is cheap for me? (The peak value is up to 60 damage-free years.)
• Are accidents caused by gross negligence also insured?
• Are collisions with animals of all kinds or only with wild animals insured?
• Are my details still correct? Roughly the amount of kilometers driven? Or the children listed in the policy?
• Is fully comprehensive insurance still appropriate given the age of the car?

Identify cheap providers

The Finanztip editorial team recommends using the Check24 or Verivox to find out the most affordable car insurance for you on the Internet. A calculation mask there spits out offers in seconds if you have entered your data. The results should then be presented on the website of Huk24 to compare. This experience has shown that this inexpensive provider has no contract with the two portals.

Alternatively, you can contact the Stiftung Warentest For 7.50 Euro let the cheapest providers choose. However, if you are basically satisfied with your insurer, you can also call to find out whether there is still room for improvement, for example by switching to annual payments.

Cancel and conclude a contract

In the event of an increase, the customer has a special right of termination. Otherwise, you can usually cancel at the end of the year. The termination must be available in writing to the insurer on the reference date, November 30th. The new contract should be concluded beforehand for the period after January 1st.

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