What do you look out for when choosing car insurance?

Hi!

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a car insurance plan. First, you'll have to consider the type of plan you want (typically based on the age and value of your car). Do you have an older used car? Then a Third Party or Third Party, Fire and Theft plan will be the plan for you. Otherwise, if you just bought your car and it's under financing, you'll want to stick with a Comprehensive plan.

Next, people typically look at their needs. Though car insurance plans all have fairly similar benefits, there are enough differences to make one plan better for one driver over another. For instance, are you a brand new driver who wants a lot of accident-related protection? Some plans have more medical, personal accident coverage and better accident-related services. What if you have a luxury car? Then you'd want something with high car accessory coverage, generous daily transportation allowance and a focus on personal service. However, you should always read the policy wording of each plan you're considering to avoid a misunderstanding that could lead to a rejected claim down the line.

At the end of the day however, most people consider price. This factor is the greatest differentiator - the most expensive car insurance costs over S$500 more per year than the current cheapest on the market (for the same driver and car model) even though the core benefits are roughly the same. Because of this, we recommend comparing policies based on your budget and your needs through guides such as this one to find a plan that fits that sweet spot.

The vast majority of consumers will typically hone in on price. Coverage breadth is usually secondary; in any case, with the commoditisation of motor insurance, there's not significant differences that exist between the different insurers. Some insurers will offer slightly better benefits (e.g. higher personal accident benefits, broader panel of approved workshops, etc.), but unless you're really keyed into the ins-and-outs of motor insurance, most consumers will focus on the lowest-priced cover.

The above explains the rapid rise of comparator sites (like the ones below), and online direct insurers.

Personal car insurance comparison - heavily used to get the best priced policies:

1. https://www.gobear.com/

2. https://www.moneysmart.sg/

3. https://www.motorist.sg/car-insurance

Personal car insurance direct - also heavily used for best priced policies:

1. https://www.budgetdirect.com.sg/

2. https://www.fwd.com.sg/car-insurance/

Direct insurance companies like Budget Direct or FWD tend to offer better rates than traditional insurance companies. You can use the comparison sites to look at rates from traditional insurance companies versus the online insurers.

Commercial car insurance - compare commercial motor policies:

1. Compare commercial vehicle insurance here. (https://www.providecover.com/types-of-insurance/commercial-vehicle-insurance/)