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Meaning of Depreciation in Insurance & How to Calculate It?

What is Depreciation in Insurance?

Depreciation Rate for Vehicles

Depreciation of a motor vehicle depends on the number of years it has been in use. The following depreciation chart will help you understand the concept better:

Age of Vehicle % Depreciation
Up to 6 months NIL
6 months to 1 year 5%
1 year to 2 years 10%
2 years to 3 years 15%
3 years to 4 years 25%
4 years to 5 years 35%
5 years to 10 years 40%
Over 10 years 50%

How Fast Does Your Car Value Decrease?

Same as your iPhone, your car’s value too decreases very fast. When you buy the car it is new and after a few minutes, it is already used. The value of your car decreases to 91% of the initial market value the minute you purchase it. Its value drops quickly once it is used.

The car value continues to drop year after year. Car depreciation calculator uses the following values:

After 1 year Your Car's Value Decreases to 81% of the Initial Value
After 2 years Your Car's Value Decreases to 69% of the Initial Value
After 3 years Your car's Value Decreases to 58% of the Initial Value
After 4 years Your Car's Value Decreases to 49% of the Initial Value
After 5 years Your Car's Value Decreases to 40% of the Initial Value

How to Calculate Depreciation in Insurance?

Follow the steps below to know how to calculate depreciation in insurance:

Step 1

Determine Replacement Cost Value (RCV)

As much as it is, determine the present value that can be used to replace the item with its similar one. For instance, your motor vehicle cost is ₹16,79,320. This is will be its RCV.

Step 2

Assess Life Expectancy

Set up a well-defined period in terms of years that the product takes before it degrades. For example, if a motor vehicle has ten years of expected life, it will be 10% (100%/10 years) consigned to becoming obsolete each year.

Step 3

Calculate Depreciation

Multiply the annual depreciation by the number of years the item has been in use. For example, if the motor vehicle is two years old, it may have depreciated by 20% (2x10%).

Step 4

Determine Actual Cash Value (ACV)

The value obtained is obtained by deducting the total depreciation from the RCV. In this case, the motor vehicle's ACV would be ₹13,43,456 (₹16,79,320-₹3,35,864).

Step 5

Submit Documentation

Always ensure that you procure receipts for the replacement or receipts for repairs of your claim from the insurance claim professional to gain back additional depreciation.

Generally, depreciation is calculated by evaluating an item’s Replacement Cost Value and its life span. RCV represents the current cost of repairing the item or replacing it with a similar item, while life expectancy is the item’s average expected lifespan. 

Understanding these procedures enables the accurate evaluation of claims while the procedures are being processed.

Depreciation Deductions

The depreciation deductions listed below are designed by The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA):

On Rubber, Nylon, Plastic Parts and Batteries 50% Depreciation is deducted
On Fiberglass components 30% Depreciation is deducted
On Wooden parts Depreciation is deducted as per the age of the car
On parts made of glass NIL

How Does Depreciation Impact Insurance?

Explain it like I'm five

We're making insurance so simple, now even 5-year-olds can understand it.

Imagine you've just bought yourself a delicious ice cream cone.

But an ice cream is only ice cream if it's frozen, right? And even though it is perfectly frozen when you buy it, it doesn't stay that way. The forces of nature act upon it the moment you take it out of the freezer. It starts to melt.

Now suppose you want to sell your ice cream to your friend. You bought it for Rs. 100, and if you offer it to your buddy RIGHT after you bought it, it's still worth Rs. 100. But if you try to sell it 5 minutes later? It's melting! Your friend will offer you a lesser price for a melted ice cream, because its value has decreased. And the value decreases with every minute that the ice cream is out of the freezer, and the more it melts. That's depreciation!

 

FAQs about Depreciation in Insurance