When you change jobs, it can affect many different areas of your life. Your daily routine, your friendships, and your finances are certainly affected, but you expect those changes. What you may not be expecting is to be able to get a change in your car insurance premium.
Most car insurance premiums are calculated based on averages. Traditional insurance companies analyse transport data and use it to calculate how many miles the average full-time driver travels in a year. They create their rates according to the averages, with additional fees thrown in for accidents, parking tickets and claims costs.
However, when you change jobs and the result is a shorter commute or a switch to a part-time driving schedule, you may no longer fit the average mould. You have a completely different risk profile based on the amount of time you actually spend on the road. Unfortunately, your insurer probably doesn’t differentiate between you and the average driver, so your insurance premium effectively subsidizes the behaviour of others.
Fortunately, there are a few new car insurance companies in the Australian market that are willing to differentiate your risk level and offer you a better price for your insurance cover based on your new risk profile. The catch is that you have to search for them and switch your insurance over. Most traditional insurance companies are quite happy to continue with the status quo, even if it means you’re paying too much for your insurance.
These new companies are able to differentiate thanks to their more inquisitive quotation process. They ask more than simple surface questions, like name, age, driving and accident history. They want to know more about how often you drive, how far, and whether or not you keep your car in the garage most of the time.
It may seem intense, but the process moves swiftly. The questions create a more accurate profile of you as a driver, and an insurance company who can be more accurate in risk assessment can offer better rates for the level of risk assumed. The whole thing can be done online at your convenience, as well.
Using this advanced cover customization technology, these insurers can offer you a premium price specifically tailored to your true risk profile. When you change jobs, you can adjust your coverage with them. After all, those who only drive part time or only short distances shouldn’t be paying the same rates as traditional full-time drivers.
Thus, if you’ve made a job change, you will want to see what you could be saving on your car insurance. There’s no reason to pay high premiums based on driving habits that simply don’t describe your life. Whether you’ve switched to a shorter commute, started working from home, or shifted to public transport most of the week, you owe it to yourself to find out how the changes in your work situation could be putting more money in your pocket.
