One 70s movie begins with a scene, when the nail-biting insurance agent cramming an unfortunate manual worker into a plethora of unnecessary insurance products, and then after the protagonist realizes he doesn’t really need them, he can barely terminate these. In the age of price comparison sites, we can no longer be in such a situation, but it is worth knowing what insurance we are looking for so that we can select the right product.
Haftpflichtversicherung – Liability insurance
The very first insurance that I would take out after moving to Germany is the so-called Haftpflichtversicherung or liability insurance. In some countries, this insurance does not have a long history, but for the Germans it is the first and most important insurance, without which we must not start our life in Germany. Trouble can happen very quickly, e.g. the child pulls the side of the neighbor’s new Audi A6 and we get into debt for several years.
My girlfriend soaked the neighbor´s flat, because she had twisted something wrong in the shower drain while cleaning. Our trainee broke the hob while cooking in the rented apartment, which the owner wanted to be paid for.
Small things, but it can cost a lot of money right away if you don’t have insurance. The cost of a Haftpflichtversicherung for a couple of 2 people is approx. 50-60 € / year. This 4-5 euros a month can really be endured because if we need it, it will pay off quickly. You can use the Check24 price comparison page to choose the right insurance. Here I suggest the “Empfehlung der Stiftung Warentest beachten?” screening for insurance, as this also covers the main damage events (eg water damage, damage to rental property, insured amount of at least EUR 10 million).
Hausratversicherung – home insurance
It is also worth taking out this insurance when you settle in Germany, as the apartment you rent can be damaged at any time. The monthly premium for this insurance is between 2.5 and 3.5 €. On the Check24 page, you can compare offers on the Hausratversicherung tab. In this case, too, I propose to select the criterion “Stiftung Warentest empfiehlt: Voller Schutz bei grober Fahrlässigkeit”, as in this case offers will be listed that also pay for claims for negligence. Based on the zip code and exact size of the insured flat, very good insurances can be found among insurers working only digitally.
+1: Rechtsschutzversicherung – legal protection
This is not the most important insurance, after a while it may be worth taking out. The monthly fee for insurance is very high, but we must not forget that if we get involved in some legal procedure, this insurance can greatly reduce our burden.
+2: Hundehaftpflichtversicherung – for our lovely pets
If we have a dog, regardless of its size, it is worth tying a Hundehaftpflichtversicherung on it. The Haftpflichtversicherung only compensates for damage caused by cats, if our dog causes damage, it can be a very expensive expense depending on the damage event. Many people don’t think about it, but if our four-legged friend causes a road accident, we are liable with all our assets for the damage caused.
Source of photo: “Designed by vectorjuice / Freepik”