Owning a car means you will be bound to some important commitments. Let us list down a few: monthly instalment payments to the bank (the period depends on the agreement), annual car services, and last but not least – renewing car insurance and road tax every year.
Everything on the list falls under priority. But in this article, we would like to explain insurance renewal. The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has made it compulsory for every vehicle owner to renew it annually.
However, when should you renew it? Is there any particular timeframe that you should be following? Read on as we discuss the matter.
When should you renew car insurance?
Do you have to renew insurance despite buying a second-hand car? Yes, you are required to renew it every year.
Car insurance protects against third-party liability and in case of untoward events. Examples are accidents, fire, and theft.
To renew your insurance, you can do it as early as two months before the expiration date. You may get a reward discount for renewing early, thus lower insurance premiums.
Make sure you renew your insurance before the expiration date to avoid summons.
How to check the expiration date for an insurance policy
What is in store if you are late or skip renewing insurance?
You will be liable for summons at a roadblock for driving without a valid licence. Some people would use common excuses to escape the situation. Examples of cliches baits are:
“I did not realise the expiration date“, or “I forgot to renew“.
You can check the expiration date through:
- Check the expiration date in the policy
Check the policy or insurance cover note to confirm the expiration date.
For further ease, you can keep the cover note and policy in digital form. You may either scan the document or snap a photo as copies.
Secondly, if you prefer an easy way, you can check it online using I-Search at MyCarInfo. No service is charged.
Some of the information you can get through “I-Search” includes your:
- Insurance provider
- Type of cover
- Status of insurance policy
What happens if you delay renewing insurance?
Insurance premium increases
Your insurance premium will increase upon late renewal past the expiration date. Some insurance companies may charge a higher premium if your insurance has expired.
Hence, the best time to renew insurance is as early as two months before it expires. In addition, your clean records every year may get you a good discount. Who knows?
NCD rate decreases
To your knowledge, each NCD can remain for only a year.
Your delay in renewing insurance (exceeding the expiration date – usually a year and above) will affect the percentage of your accumulated NCD rate over the years.
Example:
Say if your NCD has reached 55%. However, you have not renewed your insurance for a year. As a result, your NCD will reduce to 45% and continue to decrease for as long as you do not renew.
Renew insurance before it expires
Make sure to renew your vehicle insurance before it expires to prevent losses. Gap insurance also means that your vehicle is not covered. Should anything happens to your vehicle during the period you do not renew the insurance, you will not be able to claim for the damage. So be careful!
In brief, always check your expiration date. Renewing insurance has been made a breeze today, thanks to the internet! You can do it online at Bjak for a speedy service. Kindly visit Bjak’s website now to get up to 15 quotes and choose the lowest one!
Bjak is one of Malaysia’s biggest insurance comparison websites, offering policies from over 10 brands. Get your free insurance quote from Bjak today!
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