Why is it important to know how you’re charged for your motor car insurance? Because by knowing how you’re charged, you can somewhat get the best premium not only by comparing quotes, but also by influencing the factors that determines your auto (car or motorcycle) insurance pricing.

Insurers charge different premiums according to the risk they have to undertake. Most insurers in Singapore set the car insurance premium according to a range of factors. In general, the following are major factors that insurers take into consideration:

- Make and Model of Vehicle, Engine Capacity & Age of vehicle
- Nature of Vehicle Usage (private/corporate/commercial use, etc.)
- Age, Sex and Occupation of Driver
- Driver’s experience (No. of Years)
- Claims History of Driver
- Type of Cover (Third Party, Comprehensive, etc.)

Insurers will give each risk factor a weighting based on a range of statistics and their (insurers’) past claims information.

What do these information mean to you? You certainly may not want to change your vehicle nor change the type of cover nor the nature of vehicle usage. But you can try getting 6-7 quotes from different insurers because even though their coverage may be the same, their premiums may differ – sometimes by a long shot!

Some drivers also opt to insure their cars under another driver in their family who is more senior and who has more driving experience. Why do they do this?

In the perception of motor insurers, according to their statistics, a female has less risk than a male; a married individual has less risk than a single; and a more senior person has less risk than a young lad. (well, at least this is how the insurers see it)

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Car Insurance Terms That Can Save You Some Money

In Singapore, knowing these motor car insurance terms may save you a couple of hundred dollars as you are shopping for an auto insurance package for your vehicle.

The idea is to know what you need and what you don’t. For example, you may not need a courtesy car or towing/roadside assistance. Adding these into your coverage may cost you a little more than you’ll need to pay for.

So get familiar with these terms now:

Motor Premiums
This is the amount ($) you pay to insure your car from eventualities. Ensure your premiums commensurate with your risk profile. Always make sure that you’re not over-paying for your car insurance (or motorcycle insurance).

Excess Amount (aka Deductible)
Find out the amount that you might be required to bear when a claim is made. Eg. If your claims amount to $2,000 and the deductible is $600, you’ll have to bear $600 while the rest will come from the insurer’s pocket.

Every insurer will impose excess on policies – the higher the excess, the lower the premium charged and vice versa. And each insurer will state their excess amount when they make their offer (quote) to motorists.

No Claim Discount (aka No Claim Bonus / No Claim Entitlement)
No Claim Discount (NCD) reduces your car insurance premium significantly. If you have an NCD of 20%, you’re given a 20% discount of the premiums that you’re supposed to pay. You are entitled to NCD on renewal if you have not made a claim for a year. This is how NCD is calculated for subsequent years:

If a claim is made during a policy year while you are still enjoying NCD, the NCD will be reduced at the next policy renewal. The reduction of NCD is computed as follows:

Windscreen Damage
Many insurers provide you with windscreen cover (free of charge) but apply an excess of $100 for each claim. (check insurers’ policy)

Personal Accident Cover
Some insurers offers personal accident covers for you and your passengers as part of their insurance plan. (This may or may not be necessary for you, depending on whether you have an existing personal accident coverage)

Repair Options
Restrictions on repair workshops and new part replacement applies. Usually cheaper premium policy will tend to have more restrictions. This contributes to the advice that the cheapest motor car insurance may not be the best.

Towing/Roadside Assistance
Some insurers provide towing and roadside assistance in their plan.

Courtesy Car
Some insurers provide a courtesy car while your vehicle is under repair.

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What are different types of car insurance available in Singapore?

There are three main categories of motor insurance. Each category provides different coverage, affecting your right to claim should an accident occur:

(Most car owners in Singapore opt for the Comprehensive Cover, as it gives the best protection)

#1: Third Party Only Coverage, which covers:

- Death or injury to other parties
- Damage to other parties’ property

#2: Third Party, Fire and Theft Coverage, which covers:

- Death or injury to other parties
- Damage to other parties’ property
- Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle

#3: Comprehensive Coverage, which covers:

- Death or injury to other parties
- Damage to other parties’ property
- Fire damage to, or theft of, your vehicle
- Accidental damage to your vehicle
- Personal accident cover (for private cars only)
- Medical expenses (for private cars only)

Optional Benefits for Comprehensive Policies
(which may be subject to payment of additional premium)

- Windscreen damage
- Damage arising from riot, strike and civil commotion
- Damage arising from flood and windstorm
- Liability of passengers for acts of negligence
- Personal accident benefits for passengers
- Additional excess
- No-Claim Discount protection (for private cars only)

These Optional Benefits may seem like icing on the cake, but you may find them important nevertheless. Many reputable insurers include these benefits into their coverage while others don’t.

If you feel that these optional benefits are important to you, you can add them as Riders inside your car insurance policy. Nevertheless the total car insurance premium may increase as a result.

Note: You can only sign up for a Third Party Only motor insurance if your car is fully paid up. And if you want to get a TPFT (third party fire & theft) policy, you have to seek the approval of the Hire Purchase company first.