Finding the right car insurance for yourself can feel daunting enough. When you have a growing family, it can become more and more complex with multiple drivers needing insurance. That’s okay, because we are here to help you navigate all the multi-driver insurance discounts, coverages and options for your entire crazy family.
When you have more than one car or multiple drivers, the first thing you should think about is a multiple car insurance discount or multi policy discount. A multi-vehicle discount is added to your policy when you have more than one car in the home. The theory is that most likely both cars won't be driven simultaneously all the time; therefore, why should you pay full price? Makes sense, right? This discount is usually 10% off.
A multi policy discount is added when you have property insurance as well. Either tenant, condo or home insurance qualifies. The multi-line discount is anywhere from 10% to 20%.
Once you have your discounts bundled and have saved 20% to 30% already, it’s time to figure out how to insure your loved ones properly. You might be worried about how someone else’s record could affect your rates. This is a very common issue for most families.
Here’s how it works. Insurance companies want to price for every single licensed driver in the household; that’s their right. If someone is licensed and able to drive, the insurance company wants to assess their driving record, or lack thereof, and price the risk accordingly.
Now, we know what you’re thinking; “But my 17-year-old son doesn’t really drive very often. I won’t let him.” Well, that’s a common occurrence. Still, everyone with access to the vehicle(s), even in an emergency situation, must be disclosed to the insurance company and priced for, period. Trying to hide young drivers or drivers with poor records only makes the problem worse and could leave you without coverage. It’s best to discuss your situation with a broker who can customize a plan for you to insure the best coverage and price for all your loved ones.
Let’s take a look at a few different common examples of families with multiple cars and multiple drivers:
In this scenario the parent with the worst (or least best) record would be made primary driver on the vehicle. The second parent would be made secondary driver with no additional charge. The teen driver would be added on as an occasional driver with an extra charge. So if the insurance with both parents was $1500, you might expect an additional $600 for the teen, making the total $2100. These prices are all approximations.
In this event, the parent might feel like putting both cars in their name and think that they can be the primary driver of both cars, avoiding paying for the teen. Regardless of who owns the vehicle, if there are two cars and there are two drivers, each driver must be primary on a car.
“Good driver” and “bad driver” are probably misnomers. What we really mean is how good is your driving record over the last 3-6 years. Three years for tickets, six years for accidents. In this scenario, each driver is placed as primary driver on the vehicle they actually drive. The “good driver” can be placed with the regular market. The “bad driver” must be insured with a high-risk market. This instance requires a broker who deals with high risk and can place both drivers with an insurance company which will allow each driver to drive both vehicles if needed. We can put them on a different policy. Begin Insurance specializes in such scenarios.
Give us a call at 1 (844) 774-6340. We might even be able to insure Fido.
No matter what your situation, Begin Insurance is a broker who can find a solution. Although we have a really great quoting tool on our website, complex situations require some human interaction and advice to craft the best solution for you.
When your situation changes for the better, we can make sure you get lower rates too. We hope this blog post helps you and you family find what’s right for you. Give us a call if you need more help. We are happily here for you!
Thanks for reading our article on auto insurance for your family. Still searching for more information? Check out other insurance products that we offer:
Posted Apr 27, 2019