Giving your kid a separate policy or better going for family car insurance?
No doubt about it, older children and adult children are costlier than young children in many areas. One of those high costs that have to be figured into a monthly budget is car insurance for teenagers. Adding a newly licensed 16 or 17 year old can make premiums double…or even more.
Parents dread it, but the alternative to adding a licensed child to their insurance policy is to have them get their own insurance. Sounds like a great idea, right?
Maybe not.
Parents will often call up their insurance company the moment their teen has obtained their driver’s license to add them to their car insurance or require the child to find their own insurance policy. Which way would be more beneficial. There are several aspects to examine and consider before making the final decision.
Disadvantages for Excluding Older Children on Parent’s Car Insurance Policy
Costs
Parents might be dismayed at the cost of having to add their teenager to their insurance policy, but if they are financially responsible for them, it will likely cost far less to have them added to an existing policy than to buy a separate policy. Be aware that car insurance for young and new drivers is typically starting quite costly.
Policy Requirements
Many insurance companies and state insurance regulations require all licensed household drivers to be either rated or excluded on insurance. It is possible that your insurance policy will deny a claim if the at-fault driver is not properly insured.
Liability
If a parent co-signs a loan or has their name on the title of the car the child drives, they have a liable insurable interest in the car. In an accident, the injured party may be able to sue anyone who is on the title, loan, or policy. By having the child on the parent’s policy, the parents can ensure proper and full protection even if it costs more than a minimum coverage policy.
Advantages of a Family Car Insurance Policy
Costs
By having a teenager listed on the parent’s policy, the child has all the benefits of the discounts the parents enjoy in most cases. For example, a child is unlikely to afford their own home, so they won’t have a good home and car discount or homeowner discount. But as a driver on the parent’s policy, the premium will reflect this
Policy Requirements
Check to see what the requirements are for adding drivers or adding a child and their vehicle to the parent’s policy. By properly insuring all drivers and vehicles in the household or in partial ownership, parent’s have less worry about claim disputes.
Liability
Quite often, parents with experience and better financial understanding usually carry higher liability protection. This proves to be a huge benefit to children who would otherwise choose the cheapest (and least) coverage available, leaving them and their parents wide open to lawsuits.
Discuss all the options carefully with the insurance company, agent, and children so that there is no question as to how much and when the
child is covered. Take control of this costly decision
as it could greatly affect your life for years to come.
Image: Flickr.
