Need a Car for that Job You are Eyeing - DirectAsia Insurance

You’d think that living in a cosmopolitan city like Singapore with its advanced public transport system means you’d not really need a car for your daily commute. While having a car is largely seen as a luxury by many Singaporeans due to its high price, you might be surprised that those in certain jobs certainly see having a car as a necessity more than a want.

If you are considering a job switch or are a new graduate considering your career options, you might want to look out for the following professions where you require a car, lest you step into it without realising how tiring or unviable it is to go about your daily job without having your own transport.
 

• Insurance Agent

Despite the fact that you’d probably not have a base income, some insurance agents or financial planners really love the flexibility of the job and the altruistic nature of helping others in need. But because you’d likely only be able to meet your clients at times where they are not working and to their convenience, it could mean travelling far to where they are working or staying, and even during after-work hours or the weekends.

For those who might have to travel to a few appointments within a day, it can be very time-consuming and inconvenient to be taking public transport, especially for the long-term. This situation may put new agents in a double bind since they are still trying to build their career but may increasingly find the need to own a car.
 

• Property Agent

Somewhat similar to an insurance agent, a property agent will likely have to move to several places within a day to bring clients for property viewing. Since most of their customers will likely only be free after work or be free during the weekends for viewings, they would likely require a car as well for easy mobility.
 

• Private Personal trainer

We’re not talking about the ones who work at a single gym here; rather, it would be those who work on a freelance basis who probably needs to go to the gym that their clients are at. Some of them even travel to their clients’ homes, some of which could be staying in landed properties and can be hard to reach via public transportations. Moreover, they may have to carry certain sports equipment with them, such as light dumbbells, gym balls and resistance bands, which make having a car much more convenient.
 

• Sales jobs which require frequent client visits

Depending on your company, some may offer you a company car for you to make your sales calls and client visits. However, there will be some companies that explicitly states that you’d need your own car in their hiring criteria. Taking a cab on daily basis can be very expensive and eat into the commission you earn. If you foresee that you’d be considering such sales role for your long-term career, buying a car might make more sense.
 

• Side gigs that require frequent travelling within Singapore

You might be in a cushy office job that only requires you to sit at your desk and return home on time at 5 pm. You might then think about taking up a side job that let you earn some extra cash. In such instances, having a car might be extremely helpful for certain side jobs. Such jobs include being a professional photographer or videographer which requires you to bring your heavy equipment with you to different events, tutoring or if you are have a side gig working in events as an entertainer.

Ultimately, getting a car in Singapore is seldom an economic decision. Most people understand that even if you are taking a few cab rides a day, you will still end up saving money compared to buying a car on your own. However, it’s hard to put a price tag to convenience - the time saved from waiting for a cab, being able to put any kind of heavy equipment you need with you in your car, not to mention the potential of taking up an extra side job.
 

Car Insurance for different usage

Since using your car for commercial/work requires more use of your car compared to using it for leisure, you might need to select a different usage for your car insurance. At DirectAsia, we define your car usage using the 4 categories below:

Private use: You are only using your car in the course of your private life and for leisure.

Private use and commuting to work: You are also using your car to go to and from your office.

Private and business use: You are also using your car for and during the course of your work.

Off-Peak Car: You drive a car with a red registration number plate in Singapore. This option can help you save on car fees and taxes, in return for reduced usage during peak hours.

However, we understand that there might be just a few times a year where you’d like to use your car for business use. In such cases, you do not need to select Private and business use to make a few business calls. This is so long as you inform us when you plan to do so and you can make business calls up to five times per policy year at no extra cost.

Note that if you use your car outside of your declared usage and you forget to inform us beforehand, an additional excess of S$1,500 would apply if you are involved in an accident during this usage. If you have incorrectly declared your usage at the quotation stage, that is, you are using your car frequently during the course of your work but only took Private Usage, or if you drive frequently to your workplace but only took up Private Usage, insurers reserve the right to reduce or reject your claim altogether.

To stay protected, always be clear about your insurance coverage and feel free to reach out to our friendly customer service officers if you have any questions!