If you are planning to buy a car, it is very important to be properly insured. However, how do you make the right choice between all the different insurance companies that can be found on the internet? There are several factors that need to be taken into account to take out good insurance. For example, a choice has to be made between third party, limited hull or full hull insurance. Discounts such as the no-claim based on claim-free years must also be taken into account when comparing insurance policies. But how do you ultimately know which car insurance is best for your car and, more importantly, how do you find the best price?
What kind of car insurance do you need?
In order to make the best choice for car insurance, it is better to carry out a good preliminary research than haphazardly on the recommendation of someone else or an advertisement somewhere to take out insurance. A different insurance is ideal for every situation. Therefore, make sure that it is clear what you are looking for and only then actually start the search. It is advisable to start this research well before purchasing the car. Such research is essential as it can save hundreds of dollars in expenses over time. One euro per month in insurance money can add up to large amounts over the years. Always be careful with offers: these often expire within a certain period, after which the monthly amount becomes significantly larger. In general, the more complex the offer is, the more catches can be found.
The first consideration that must be made is whether the car should be covered for third-party insurance, limited Casco or full Casco.
Third party insurance: this stands for legal liability. This is the cheapest and simplest car insurance and is therefore mandatory. Without third-party insurance you are breaking the law when you own a car or drive someone else’s car. This insurance only covers damage that you cause to others with a car.
Limited Casco insurance: The more expensive option is the Liability Limited Casco insurance. This insurance is most suitable for slightly older cars (from 4 years). This insurance includes everything from the liability insurance and compensation for damage to the car as a result of events such as: fire, theft and burglary, damage due to storms or other natural damage, collisions with animals and cracking of the windows. What exactly is insured can vary between the different insurance companies. Always read the policy carefully to see exactly how much is insured.
The Casco insurance. This is the most expensive and most complete insurance. It contains everything from the previous insurance policies, but it also reimburses the damage to your own car, even if you yourself are the cause of the damage. Usually this car is closed with new cars up to 5 years old because otherwise the costs are usually excessively high in relation to the value and condition of the car.
Costs in case of repair versus value of the car.
Before you make a choice for a specific insurance policy, it is a good idea to determine the current market value of the car. This can be done with various tools that you can find online such as those of the ANWB, Independer or RDW-Kenteken. You can then estimate how expensive it will be to repair the car in case of serious or minor damage. Use the current market value and the repair costs to put the insurance costs into perspective: a 6-year-old Suzuki can better only insure third-party liability, but a six-month new BMW almost always requires full hull insurance. Also check how expensive the insurance is for approximately 5 years compared to the regular liability insurance. This allows you to see how much you can actually save or spend extra.
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Compare prices
There are several tools available online to compare the price of insurance. Although many websites claim to be independent, you can never be sure and it is sometimes more convenient to check the researched price yourself. The websites of Independer, ANWB, De Consumentenbond and Prijsreken.nl have popular tools to compare the prices of different insurance policies. To be on the safe side, you can also use two of these tools next to each other, in case of price difference you can go for the cheaper option.
When you compare the prices, however, you see that there are possibilities to insure more than the car. For example, it is possible to take out damage insurance for occupants and you can often insure an extra car or accessories at a discount. In addition, it is important to look at the No Claim and find out whether the insurance also applies to the Netherlands and abroad. These topics will be discussed in more detail below.
Passenger insurance
In an accident, the most serious damage may be caused to the driver and passenger, not just the car. That is why it is often possible to purchase an additional passenger insurance. This also includes compensation for damage suffered by passengers and the driver in an accident involving a car. This insurance includes damage to clothing and luggage, but also transport costs and medical costs in the event of an accident. In the most serious case, this insurance will also pay out funeral expenses.
In addition, it is sometimes possible to take out passenger accident insurance. This is an insurance whereby compensation is only paid out in the event of permanent disability or death, which is therefore cheaper than the comprehensive passenger damage insurance.
No-claim discount: claim-free years
If you drive for a longer period of time without damage, you can build up a discount with the insurance company. This means that in the future you will have to pay less money per month because you have proven that there is little risk of an accident. The no-claim discount is the percentage that you have to pay less. However, if you do end up in an accident, this no-claim discount will disappear or be reduced. If the accident was not your fault and the guilty party can compensate the total damage, the no-claim discount will remain intact. Insurers also use the no-claim to prevent customers from compensating for minor damage. For example, if you have a scratch reimbursed, this can save you 200 euros, but because the no-claim discount disappears, it can ultimately cost you more.
No-claim protector
Some insurance companies offer a no-claim protector. This ensures that if you do drive damage, the no-claim remains intact. This can be useful if, for example, you already have 10 claim-free years with the same insurance company. However, if you switch to another company, you do not include this: for another company, the no-claim will be calculated by the claim-free years before the switch. The damage for which you used the no-claim protector at the first insurance company will reduce the no-claim discount here. The no-claim protector is a complex supplement that you should only use if you have some understanding and experience in the field of car insurance, you have built up a large number of claim-free and are fairly certain that you will not switch to another company soon.
accessories
Are accessories also insured? If supplied with manufacture: yes. Not always if they are applied later. However, with some insurers it is possible to indicate that you want to insure extra accessories. Many full hull insurance policies also cover accessories. For example, if you have had an expensive sound system or leather seat cover installed, it is a good idea to insure it. Then compare the prices based on the insured accessories, but also keep an eye on how expensive the insurance is without insuring these accessories.
Extra discount for a second family car
When you own several cars within a family, you can usually receive a discount from the insurance company. You often get a better no-claim discount or the claim-free years count for both cars. This can save you a lot of money. It is therefore almost always advisable to insure several cars at the same time. However, this makes getting off the insurance more difficult and involves nearly twice the money, so do some more research before making this decision.
In addition, it is sometimes possible to insure a trailer or caravan. In general, the more you insure, the more discount. For larger bundles, contact the insurer to have everything insured together and to determine a personal higher discount.
Where can you have your car repaired: within the Netherlands and abroad
Always look critically at the repair locations. It is a great advantage that you can have the car repaired in almost every municipality and you do not have to go to the other side of the country to find a garage linked to the insurance company. For example, it is wise to find out whether the insurance company also allows the repairs to be carried out by your own garage. Some insurers also offer to visit an affiliated repairer so that you get a replacement car and you do not have to pay a deductible. However, always carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages against each other so that you do not end up paying more costs for a quick repair.
It is also essential to inquire whether the car is also covered by the relevant insurance abroad. You can often find this information on the green card, the international car passport. In the countries on the green card, the damage is usually compensated.