How to Save on Your Car Rego and CTP Insurance

“Oh yay, it’s car rego time” – said no one ever. If you’ve wondered what that annual (or bi-annual depending on how you choose to pay) hit to the hip pocket payed for, here’s a quick breakdown:

Registration fee – helps to pay for the road network

Compulsory third party insurance fee (or CTP)  –  covers you for any legal liability if you cause an accident that injures or kills someone

Administration costs – admin costs for processing your rego payment

There’s not much you can do about registration or admin fees, but if you live in NSW, Queensland or ACT, it pays to shop around for the best CTP insurance (in all other states, this is provided by only one state-owned or government-licensed insurer).

Things that can affect your CTP insurance prices:

Clean record: Having a clean driving record is the most important factor that helps lower the price of your CTP insurance – makes sense really.

Age of driver: Young, inexperienced drivers are more likely to have accidents so premiums tend to be higher. If you don’t need to insure any young drivers, shop around for a policy that offers a discount for more experienced drivers. That said, if you have a younger driver that is likely to drive the vehicle, it’s always better to make sure you choose the right insurance cover.

Vehicle you drive:  The age and type of vehicle affects CTP insurance because modifications on certain engines or the body of the vehicle may make it less safe on the road and older cars also may pose a higher risk of being involved in accidents.

When loyalty can pay: you may be eligible for discounts on your CTP if you already have other insurance policies with a particular insurer.

Business or private use: Whether vehicles are used for business purposes or private use affects premiums for CTP insurance.

Shop around – Different insurers use different criteria to determine the level of risk associated, while following government guidelines if they wish to offer discounts or add loading on CTP prices. So it’s always a good idea to shop around. There are some very handy comparison sites such as http://www.greenslips.nsw.gov.au   in NSW and https://maic.qld.gov.au/  in Queensland.