I guess all mummies would agree that we do wear different hats every day (or almost hourly), and to some extent, we even wear more than one hat at a time. We wear the doctor’s hat, the chef’s, the teacher’s, and many others.
Of all the tasks, being a driver is the one task that I used to avoid during my early years of being a housewife. The traffic was tiring, the search for parking space has always been adventurous, the risks of accidents will always be there. At some point, the time and money needed to maintain the car costed more than the car itself. At least, that is what I thought. I would just leave the ‘car business’ to my hubby.
When we had our second son, my hubby was assigned to an overseas work assignment. I remembered how panicked I was when I realised that our road tax and car insurance were about to expire in a month and my hubby would only be back in two months. He told me to just let the agent deal with it. However, being the unofficial finance minister of the house, I insisted on finding out more than just abiding by what the agent quoted.
So, here are some guidelines that might be beneficial to all the so-called ‘domestic finance ministers’ and ‘CFO’ mummies to refer to when it is time to renew car insurance.
Questions You Need to Ask About Car Insurance
Before you vigorously start searching for the best deals on car insurance online, it would be helpful to know what, why, and how you can buy or renew your car insurance.
What is car insurance and what are the types that are available?
You are taking such a big risk to drive around or even to own a car without car insurance. Not to mention, it is also against the law in Malaysia to drive a car without valid car insurance. Undoubtedly, once you are behind the wheel, you are exposed to all kinds of road accident risks. Some might be major and some might just be tiny little incidents. One thing’s for sure, most of the time it will cost you if you are not well covered.
Car insurance is to help mitigate the associated costs and lessen your burden. Instead of paying the damages out of your very own pocket, the annual premium you have paid for the insurance policy will get it all (or most of the cost) covered.
There are three basic types of car insurance that mummies should know about:
- Third-party coverage is the basic insurance plan that protects third-party damages, injuries, or death. It will not pay for your own damages.
- Third-party theft and fire cover the damages of your vehicles due to fire, explosion, lightning, and burglary; on top of the third-party damages and injuries caused by your negligence.
- Comprehensive coverage is the insurance package that protects all that were mentioned earlier – plus, accidental damages of the insured car.
Insurers do have other add-ons coverage, such as the breakage of windscreen, flood, and other damages at different rates.
Why do you REALLY need a car insurance?
In Malaysia, it is compulsory to have car insurance for your vehicle to be on the road. Should an incident happen due to our negligence, the third-party damages are securely covered.
How do we score a good car insurance?
The best value for money is more than just a lower premium rate, but you might want to check a few things before making that decision. Here are some tips on what to look out for when you are shopping for car insurance.
Mummy Tips for Buying Car Insurance
In buying or renewing your annual car insurance, you might want to consider the following:
The coverage and type of insurance
The coverage of your vehicle usually is the market value of your car. For estimated value, you might just want to check out online, based on your car model and its year. Cars do depreciate in time, hence, you will see the coverage reduce annually and so will the charges.
Calculate your risks wisely and find the best type of insurance for your vehicles. You might want to consider a third-party coverage, only if the car you are insuring is your third or fourth car and you seldom use it.
The charges
Do what we do best – window shopping, ladies! Go online and check on various insurers and their charges. You do not want to overpay or even underpay without knowing what you are paying for and what you will get in return.
Do understand that the insurance premium paid does vary based on certain criteria of the risk factors. For example, a young driver might need to pay higher. Your occupation and where you reside also are factors to be considered for the premium charges.
The condition of your car and your claim history are no doubt going to be part of the risks considered.
Brand of the insurance and its service reputation
This is one of the MOST important criteria you might want to consider when buying car insurance. I kid you not. There are so many insurers in the market that will leave you spoiled for choices.
Being a mummy, I am very particular with the insurer I go with. Not because the insurer gives nice souvenirs and gifts, but it is more than that. Having a baby and a toddler in the car seats while driving in KL traffic will always be a challenge for any mummies. To make it worse, imagine if you happen to accidentally knock the car in front of you, and your car just goes stall (and your husband is not in town). Yes, I am talking about my own previous experience.
Having good customer service means you do not have to wait for so long to get connected to their representatives and they will come to your rescue immediately whenever you are in need 24-7. This is what I would describe as the best customer care service ever! And that is why I have made Berjaya Sompo Insurance as my preferred choice based on my own personal experience, and friends who have good claims experience with them, too. On top of that, their insurance premium and the coverage they offer always make me feel ‘safe’ and at peace whenever I am behind the wheels with the kids.
Buy insurance online
Mummies, in the days we are living today, buying things online must not be limited only to dresses and handbags. As a matter of fact, you will gain more when you buy your car insurance online.
Really? How is that possible, you may ask? Well, by buying online…
- It is cheaper as most insurers are giving rebates via online
- You could just buy it anytime at your convenience
- You could get instant access to the insurance documents
- Simpler and not complicated. Even if you are not one of those digital-savvy moms, you could easily buy insurance online without any headaches
Get SOMPO Motor Insurance With Lower Premium Online!
Having SOMPO Motor insurance makes your life easier as it saves you the time and hassle in getting your car insurance renewed every time. I am sure all mummies are familiar with the waiting game.
Here are 5 simple steps in getting the best car insurance deal – from a mummy who lives for the best offers:
- Click here to start.
- Get your quote by keying-in your I/C number, postcode, vehicle number, and email address.
- Once your premium charges have been generated, you will need to fill in some details on the package type and add-ons.
- You will be given a summary of the policy.
- Proceed with payment and voila, your insurance is renewed. Yup, you are now covered!
Benefits of getting your car insured with Berjaya Sompo
- Extra savings on your private car insurance premium when you opt for voluntary excess. A voluntary excess is an amount you will have to pay upfront if you make a claim. Agreeing to pay a voluntary excess should lead to a lower annual premium.
- Free Special Perils Coverage of up to RM10,000 at no additional cost.
- Agreed Value of Sum Insured for your vehicle.
- Free All Drivers Coverage – no need to name additional drivers.
Terms and conditions apply.
So mummies, worry no more and drive safely, and peacefully!