According to current model calculations from the comparison portal Verivox, an 85-year-old driver pays up to 172 percent more for fully comprehensive insurance than a 55-year-old – for the same car, the same no-claims class and the same place of residence. Age is the only deciding factor.

The first surcharge begins at the age of 65: a 14 percent surcharge compared to a 55-year-old. At 75 it is already 69 percent. At 85, more than double that.

Why insurers calculate like this

The pattern sounds unfair. Driving accident-free for decades, building up a high no-claims rating – and still paying more than a young new driver?

“Insurers calculate purely based on risk,” explains Aljoscha Ziller, managing director of Verivox Versicherungsvergleich GmbH. “Statistically, the probability of serious accidents increases again in old age. This is directly reflected in the contribution.”

For insurers like Allianz or Zurich, age supplements are a stable income model. At the same time, the pressure on car manufacturers is growing: Anyone who makes mobility too expensive in their core target group of 65+ will sell fewer cars in the long term.

The trick with the child – but not for everyone

Seniors generally have one way to save: the car is insured through a younger family member or registered in their name. The senior remains registered as the driver and retains full insurance coverage.

Sounds easy. But it only really works under certain conditions.

Anyone who insures the child’s car as a second car automatically starts in a low claims-free class – usually SF 1/2. In this constellation, an 85-year-old saves just 16 euros, according to Verivox’s calculation. So one percent. The effort is hardly worth it.

Transferring a no-claims class brings real money

In addition to a tariff check, the decisive lever is the transfer of the no-claims class. The younger relative can take on as many damage-free years as he or she already has a driving license.

This changes the calculation significantly. A 75-year-old driver saves 163 euros a year – a decrease of 17 percent. For 85-year-olds it is 808 euros, i.e. 53 percent less.

If you go one step further and transfer the insurance, registration and no-claims class completely to the child, you get the most out of it. For the 85-year-old: savings of 917 euros per year, a loss of 60 percent. For the 75-year-old: 281 euros less, i.e. 30 percent.

For 65-year-olds, the effort is not yet worth it

Anyone who is only 65 should do the math soberly before acting. “The age-related surcharge is usually still moderate here,” says Verivox managing director Ziller. “At the same time, many have a very high no-claims class. A transfer can then even increase the premium.”

The tip: The strategy only becomes truly profitable for most people from the age of 75. Anyone who uses it earlier risks paying more than before.

Methodology: Verivox used a VW Golf VIII 1.0 TSI with an annual mileage of 10,000 kilometers in Berlin as the basis for the model calculations. All variables except age and no-claims class are identical.