Changing car insurance is worth it in many cases. Drivers who want to drive cheaper should compare providers and cancel the expensive policy. The contract should provide these services.
For many car owners, it reads like a good reference: the annual statement from the car insurer. If they have driven accident-free throughout the year, they slip into a more favorable no-claims class. That reduces the contribution by a few percent and the bill is even cheaper at the end of the year.
Many car owners are not aware that they still often pay too much. Even if the contribution falls, the underlying basic premium can still be increased – without this hidden price increase, the annual bill would have been even lower. Also, the prices of the car insurers are constantly changing, especially in the changeover season at the end of the year.
Because if you want to drive with a cheaper tariff next year, you still have until November 30 to properly cancel the old policy and switch to another provider. If you stay with your very first insurer, like 26 percent of all drivers, you will quickly miss out on savings of up to 60 percent.
1. Change to liability, partial or fully comprehensive?
Motor vehicle liability insurance is required by law. It covers damage to third-party cars and people. The price is based on the damage-free class. The car is protected against theft, storms or accidents involving wild animals with partial comprehensive insurance. If the policyholder pays a so-called deductible out of his own pocket in the event of a claim, the premium drops noticeably. The fully comprehensive insurance also pays for damage to your own vehicle, partial comprehensive insurance is automatically included.
2. Before changing car insurance: compare prices
Compare prices. The differences between the providers are large. You can easily save several hundred euros a year by switching. The price of car insurance depends not only on the provider, but also heavily on the regional and type class, i.e. on the place of registration and the car model. If you live in a region where accidents happen frequently or drive a car model that is often involved in accidents or stolen, you will have to pay more than the average.
3. Pay attention to the car insurance benefits
In addition to the price, the benefits of the insurance are also very important. Experts advise car owners to pay attention to the following points:
A minimum coverage is required by law in motor vehicle liability insurance. For property damage, it is 1.22 million euros, 7.5 million euros for personal injury, 50,000 euros for purely financial losses. However, if an accident becomes more expensive, the person who caused it must pay for all the costs themselves. Motorists should therefore agree on a sum insured of 100 million euros in motor vehicle liability insurance. This costs only slightly more and offers a higher level of protection.
The “Mallorca-Police” is a must for holidaymakers who want to rent a car abroad. It increases the country-specific level of cover in motor vehicle liability to the German level. Because the sums insured by foreign vehicle rental companies are not always sufficient to bear all the costs after an accident. However, this only applies within Europe.
Partial casco also applies to accidents involving game, but often only in the case of furred game. It is better if the insurance cover covers “animals of all kinds”.
Good car tariffs insure “all animal bites” and the consequential damage that arises from it. This includes direct damage to lines and hoses, but also to the engine.
You can read about the benefits that good insurance cover should also include in the large checklist for your car insurance.
If car owners drive accident-free, they can benefit from a more favorable no-claims class. The concern of losing these discounts when changing insurance is unfounded, because the no-claims class can usually be transferred to the new car insurance without any problems. The prerequisite for this is that motorists can prove their previous no-claims class.
To do this, car owners should have their previous car insurance company confirm the following in writing:
With this proof, drivers can secure their cheaper no-claims class and do not have to start all over again when changing car insurance.
Tip: The no-claims class can be secured for up to 10 years after you cancel your car insurance. If you would like to take out car insurance again after a longer break in insurance cover, you can start with your previous no-claims class.
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