You just bought a used car. A second-hand one (or third, fourth, etc.). Of course you want to insure your 'new' purchase well. But what kind of insurance suits your car best?
Third party insurance
WA stands for statutory liability. With WA insurance, you are insured for personal injury and material damage to others if you cause an accident yourself. In the Netherlands, WA insurance is required by law. If you drive around uninsured and cause an accident, the financial consequences are often incalculable.
WA + limited airframe
A WA insurance only covers damage that you cause to others. Do you also want to be insured for things like theft, natural damage and glass damage? Then you take out a WA insurance plus limited hull, or 'WA-plus' for short. This insurance also covers certain damage to your own vehicle, unless caused by yourself. Most older cars (>5 years) in the Netherlands are insured this way.
Does your car have a limited current value? In other words, is your car older than ten years with a lot of kilometers on the counter? Then it might be wiser to 'just' take out a third-party insurance and keep some savings on hand.
WA + fully comprehensive (Allrisk)
Do you have a young used car (current value)? Then you will at least be reimbursed for the current value. This way you can purchase an equivalent car. If your car is less than one year old, you will even be reimbursed for the new value with most insurances.
The three insurances mentioned above increase in premium. Your premium is further influenced by the number of claim-free years, your no-claim discount and by a possible deductible. It is often cheaper to pay small damage out of your own pocket (or not to claim) in order to maintain your no-claim discount.
What kind of car do you have (age, mileage)? And how did you insure it? Let us know in a comment!
