Protected no claims, is it worth it? by takestock


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takestock
My insurance is due middle of next month, so , looking around for opinions, came across this:

Building up a no-claims discount over a number of years is the best way to reduce the cost of your car insurance premium, and while each insurer has its own scale, many offer a no-claims discount of up to 70 per cent for drivers who haven't claimed for over five years.

Typically, you will be offered the chance to “protect” your no-claims discount at this stage, and you may be tempted to sign up, to ensure that if you have an accident, this bonus will remain intact.

But given that motorists looking to protect a five-year no-claims discount could face a premium of up to £90 on top of the cost of annual car insurance, is this a benefit worth forking out for?

Beware of the “step back” scale


If you do decide to leave your five-year no-claims discount “unprotected”, you do need to be aware of the “step back” scale if you need to make a claim, as with most insurers, a certain percentage of the discount is lost for each claim.

This means that if, for example, your insurer offered a maximum no-claims discount of 65 per cent, the first claim would reduce the no claims discount to 50 per cent, and the number of no claims years to three, according to financial analyst Defaqto.

The second would then reduce the discount to 30 per cent, and the years to one, and the third would result in no discount being given - and the number of years to 0.

“The motorist could therefore lose a substantial discount unless they have paid to protect their no claims discount,” says Michael Powell from Defaqto. “So when a policyholder has reached the maximum discount available, I feel it is advisable to protect it.”

This is a view shared by Niki Bolton from insurer Esure who said: “Adding a small premium - in the tens of pounds - makes sense if it could stop your no-claims discount being reduced in the event of having to make a claim,” she says.

Charges can vary considerably

However, while the potential premium hikes for those who don't protect their no claims discount may make paying for protection seem very appealing, the charges levied on drivers can vary considerably, and while it usually costs between 5 and 10 per cent of the total premium, it can range from as little as a few pounds up to as much as £90 a year.

This means that the cost of the protection could cancel out the saving on your policy - especially if you don't make a claim for a number of years.

You also need to consider the level of protection provided, as insurers have varying limits, and some will only provide cover for two claims in a five-year period, while others allow two claims in three years or one a year - so it's vital to read the small print.

Your premium could still increase


Further, you need to bear in mind that even if you have paid to protect your no-claims bonus, that protection doesn't stop an insurer from reassessing a driver's risk in the event of an accident - regardless of how many years no claims the motorist's record shows.

“Many insurers will load premiums if a claim has been made on the policy,” says Simon Coughlin from M&S Car Insurance.


Seems I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't

So, do we all protect our NCB :confused:
Photobucket = Tossers

Dave....

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 16:27 #1 


goodlittlewifey
We had an accident on our daughters wedding day 3 years ago, and although it was a non fault accident,the other driver drove into us while we were stationary, our premium has still gone up because we were involved in an accident,and made a claim,but the other parties insure made out no problem, but we were still penalised for it and we DO have our policy protected,
we thought that was wrong as well

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 16:41 #2 

User avatar
Mick
(Site Admin)
In the event of a claim, your premium will be loaded, regardless of whether you have your NCB protected. However if protected a substantial discount is still applied. Lose NCB altogether and your premium can be astronomical.
That's my view and I'm sticking to it, even though I have not made a claim for 20+ years.

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 16:51 #3 

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starbug2
never had it . not always worth anything if you change insurance companies

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 16:58 #4 

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JohnDotCom
Not all companies load in event of claim.
I can claim twice in three years with no loss of NCD and no loading of premium as per it's policy details.
Section only applicable to over 50s with minimum 8 years NCD (I have 10)
The extra premium to protect in my case is only £10 and after 3 claims in five years would drop to 40% and then be loaded as per companies schedule.
So not all the same, having Advanced and former Class 1 Police driver licence helps to.
John

"My lovely car now sold onto a very happy new owner.
I still love this marque and I will still be around, preferred selling to breaking, as a great runner and performer"

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 17:02 #5 

User avatar
JohnDotCom
starbug2 wrote:never had it . not always worth anything if you change insurance companies


You take your proof of NCB with you as long as you have renewal notices and proof from last insurers shouldn't be a problem with the main companies.
John

"My lovely car now sold onto a very happy new owner.
I still love this marque and I will still be around, preferred selling to breaking, as a great runner and performer"

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 17:06 #6 

User avatar
starbug2
JohnDotCom wrote:
starbug2 wrote:never had it . not always worth anything if you change insurance companies


You take your proof of NCB with you as long as you have renewal notices and proof from last insurers shouldn't be a problem with the main companies.

ok , lets just hope we never have to claim :panic:

Posted 11 Apr 2011, 20:38 #7 


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