FAQs
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Does Accord offer Car Insurance with coverage period of less than 1 year? |
Unfortunately, no. However, some of our Car Insurance partners offers policies beyond a year to match with the driver's road tax expiry date.
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Do I submit my claims to Accord? |
Once you are involved in an accident, please call our 24-hour Emergency & Accident Helpline at 9223 9933 immediately. Our dedicated accident handling specialist will guide you through the entire process and assist you every step of the way.
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Do I really have to take up your Any Workshop option if my car is still under warranty? |
Car Insurance and Car Warranty provide different types of coverage. Generally, Car Insurance covers accidents while Car Warranty covers mechanical breakdown and failures. Drivers may choose between Authorised Workshop or Any Workshop for their accident-related repairs.
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Do I have to report minor accidents if I have privately settled with the other driver? |
We strongly encourage you to do so. Despite having settled privately, the other party involved may still claim from their Car Insurance. This may result in having to pay much more than your Car Insurance at-fault claim excess.
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Do you provide Car Insurance for private hire vehicles? |
Yes, we provide quotations for private hire vehicles which will also include personal use vehicles under scheme R10/R11.
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What type of motor insurance coverage should I buy for my car? |
Insurers offer three main types of motor insurance policies. Optional benefits are available to meet your individual needs.
There are 3 types of motor insurance
Comprehensive Cover
As the name suggests, comprehensive car insurance offers the broadest range of coverage, providing peace of mind for car owners who want maximum protection.
This type of insurance covers third-party liabilities, fire, and theft, as well as damage to your own vehicle, regardless of who is at fault in an accident.
Comprehensive coverage can include car accident repairs, medical expenses for both drivers and passengers, and even coverage for personal belongings inside the vehicle.
This comprehensive coverage is particularly recommended for new car owners, young drivers, or those with expensive vehicles who want to ensure they are fully covered.
Additionally, comprehensive policies often come with optional add-ons such as Roadside Assistance, Towing, and coverage for Loss of Use, providing further convenience and protection.
Third Party, Fire and Theft Cover
If you're looking for slightly more comprehensive protection without paying for full coverage, consider Third Party, Fire, and Theft car insurance.
This plan includes all the benefits of third-party insurance but adds cover for your vehicle in the event of a fire or theft.
This means if your car is stolen or damaged by fire, you can file a car insurance claim to cover the cost of repairs or replacement.
This type of car insurance plan is ideal for those who want to protect against common risks without the higher premiums associated with full coverage.
It's particularly suitable for car owners who park their vehicles in areas where theft or vandalism is more common.
Third Party Cover
Third party insurance is the most basic form of car insurance coverage and is a legal requirement for all car owners in Singapore.
This type of insurance covers you against claims from other people if you cause an accident.
Specifically, it covers property damage and injuries to third parties involved in the incident.
However, it's important to note that third party insurance does not cover damage to your own vehicle or medical expenses for yourself or your passengers.
This makes it a budget-friendly option for those looking to meet the legal requirement but still carry some level of liability protection.
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Why I should not just renew my motor insurance with my current insurer? |
Recently due to the high claims in Motor Insurance the premium have went up substantially, therefore,
your current insurer might not be able to give you a competitive rate and with us helping you we are
confident we can do better than your current insurer and help you to save money on your
motor insurance.
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How long in advance should I be searching for my motor insurance renewal? |
Tentatively 3 months in advance is advisable so that you have ample time to renew your Road Tax and car inspection if you need to.
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Who do I pay my car insurance premium to? |
You will be paying directly to the insurance companies that you decide to take up after giving you the comparison.
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How will my road tax be renewed? |
You can choose to renew it through Online Banking, AXS machine and Singapore Post Office.
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What is excess? |
Excess, also called deductible, is to the first amount of the claim which the insured has bear.
If the insured has an excess of $500 and the total repair costs $3,000,
then the insured has to pay $500 while the insurer pays the remaining $2,500.
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How will it affect my premiums? |
By having a lower excess will result in paying higher for the premium. However, certain insurance companies
will waive off your excess if you enjoy 40%-50% NCD. Therefore, it depends on the offering of the insurance
companies, therefore, should seek for insurer who offer low excess but yet competitive premium.
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Why should there be an excess? |
The insurer normally imposes some excess as this would serve as a form of co-insurance.
With an excess, the insured would tend to be more careful because if a claims occur,
the insured also has to be out of pocket and contribute towards the claim.
In general, the higher the excess, the more careful would be the insured and hence the
lower risk of having a claim.
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Very often, I see terms such as Excess: $500 (Section 1 only). What does the Section 1 only mean? |
Your insurance policy is divided into many sections. Section 1 normally covers own damage claim.
When you buy a Comprehensive motor insurance
policy, you are covered for own damage, ie if your own vehicle is damaged, you can get the insurer to pay for the damage, whether or not you are at fault.
Thus, Excess: $500 (Section 1 only) means the excess applies to an own damage claim only.
Take this scenario: If the insured hits another vehicle and his own vehicle's damage is $6,000 and the
third party's damage is $8,000, then the excess of $500 shall only apply to his own damage,
ie he pays $500 and the insurer pays $5,500 for his own damage of $6,000. For the third party claim,
the insurer would pay the full amount of $8,000 .
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In some cases, I see terms such as Excess: $500 (Section 1 & Section 2 separately). What does this mean? |
Section 2 in the policy, on the other hand, deals with third party claims. So if there is an excess on
Section 2 as well, it means if there is any third party claim payable this excess shall apply. Using the
same example above, the insurer pays $500 and the insurer pays $5,500 for his own damage of $6,000. For
the third party claim, the insured has to fork out also $500 while insurer would pay $7,500 for a claim of $8,000.
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What if I see: $500 (All claims). What does this mean? |
It means the total excess applicable for every accident. Using the same example above, the insured pays
an excess $500 while the insurer pays $13,500 (the sum total of $6,000 and $8,000, less the excess of $500).
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Is it common to have excess for Section 1 & Section 2 separately or on a All claims basis? |
No. Such excess is not common. The insurer would normally impose such excess for special cases,
e.g. when the vehicle is a high performance or luxury vehicle or when the insured's profile is not favourable.
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Does Accord offer Car Insurance with coverage period of less than 1 year? |
If you have not made any claims for a year or more, you are entitled to a No-Claim Discount (NCD). The NCD reduces the policy premium for the following year. This is your insurer's way of recognising you for having been a careful driver. The following table shows how the NCD is set by all insurers across the industry.
| Claims during the period of insurance |
NCD on renewal |
| 1 |
50% |
| 2 |
20% |
| 3 or more |
Nil |
Please check with your insurer whether NCD cover is available.
Before making any claims
If the total repair costs incurred is likely to be lower than the current discounts/rebates on your premium (also known as No Claim Discount).
Refer to the following table to know how much discount on the premium you get to enjoy.
| Private car policies |
Commercial vehicle and motorcycle policies |
| Period of insurance with no claim |
Discount on renewal |
Period of insurance with no claim |
Discount on renewal |
| 1 Year |
10% |
1 Year |
10% |
| 2 Years |
20% |
2 Years |
15% |
| 3 Years |
30% |
3 Years or longer |
20% |
| 4 Years |
40% |
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| 5 Years or longer |
50% |
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Will I lose my NCD if there is a break in ownership of my vehicle? |
Most insurers in Singapore will allow you to keep your NCD should there be a break in ownership for up to 24 months.
Some insurers set the timeframe at 12 months. You should contact your insurer for details.
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What is the premium difference without COE? |
When the sum insured does not include the COE, the general practice is for insurers
to offer a 5% discount off the basic premium computed from the market value of the vehicles.
This is because the sum insured does not impact the premium pricing as much as the public might think.
Most insurance claims are for repairs rather than total loss. Therefore,
the weightage given to premium pricing for the COE component is correspondingly
lower since the bulk for the premiums charged goes towards paying partial loss.
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What are the factors affecting your premium? |
An insurance company considers many things when calculating an insurance premium.
Most premiums are based on basic third party cover with the cost of extras added on.
The main thing that will determine the cost of your insurance is what you actually want to be covered for.
The following are always taken into account:
Before making any claims
Whether you are driving on a full or provisional licence makes a huge difference to the cost of your
motor insurance
premium. You can expect to pay hundreds more in extra, if you only have a provisional licence.
Size and age of car
The engine capacity and age of the car play a large part in determining the cost of your premium.
The older the car, the more difficult it can be to insure. Many insurance companies believe that the older a car is,
the more accident-prone it becomes. A new car is more expensive to replace than an old car and will cost more to insure.
Likewise, the more powerful the car you drive, the more it will cost to insure.
Age of the driver
The young and the old represent high-risk categories and pay more for insurance.
Value of the car
The value of a car is taken into account for third party, fire and theft and for comprehensive insurance.
What you have the car insured for, however, is not always what the insurance company will pay out in the event of a claim.
In the event of the car being a write-off, the insurance company will only pay out what it feels the car is worth,
which, more often than not, is less than the car is actually insured for. There is very little to gain by over-insuring
a car and, equally, you should not under-insure it either.
Experience
All insurance companies will ask if you have ever had insurance in your own name before.
If not, they will ask if you have ever driven under someone else's insurance without incident.
This will be taken into account when calculating a premium. Insurance becomes less expensive with experience
and a clean driving record.
Profession and use
Some professions are considered to be more at risk than others and will have a loading put onto their premium.
What the car will actually be used for is also taken into account. A standard policy covers the vehicle for social,
domestic and pleasure purposes, but not for the carriage of goods. If the car is being used for business,
then a loading will apply. If the car is being used commercially, then an even higher loading will be imposed.
Excess and extras
Most insurance policies contain some type of an excess clause. This means that the policyholder is liable
for an agreed amount towards the cost (e.g. the first $550). The premium will cost more if this clause is
taken out. It pays to shop around, because what might be considered an extra in one company (windscreen breakage,
car hire in the event of the car being off the road, loss of personal effects, etc.) could be standard in another.
No claims bonuses
A no claims bonus is built up over the years and gives the policyholder a substantial reduction in the cost of
his or her premiums. The ceiling for a no claims bonus is usually 50%, leaving someone who has never had a
claim without it affecting your no claims bonus.
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Why am I paying a higher premium when the market value of my vehicle is depreciating? |
The premium for your motor insurance policy is calculated using certain risk factors such as vehicle model, capacity, driver's age among other factors.
Market value of the vehicle is not a direct risk factor as it does not influence the claims received from third parties for property damage and injuries.
Further, the repair costs for motor vehicles has increased over the years. Hence, there is a need to increase the premium to ensure a sustainable business.
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Why is that my renewal premium is higher even though I did not make any claim? |
Insurance is based on the concept of pooling of risks. If the overall claims experience is bad, premiums will
be increased across the board for all motorists irrespective of whether a claim is made or not. However,
the premium increase borne by those with a clean driving record will be lower than those with accident claims
because the latter will have an additional loading on the claim and thereby pay even more.
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What's the difference between authorised scheme or any workshop scheme? |
In Singapore, there are two types of motor insurance scheme. Authorised Workshop or Any Workshop.
It is easy to understand that authorised workshop scheme has lower premium because the insurer has
control of the repair cost. Most of the motor cars are covered under authorised scheme in Singapore.
People usually opt for any workshop scheme because they have super model cars which can only be fixed
in designated workshops.