Do I Keep My College Kid On My Auto Insurance Policy?

Reader’s Question:

My 20 year old son does not live with me. He goes to college. Do I still need to add him to my car insurance policy?

Melinda

Chicago IL

 

Auto insurance carrier’s guidelines vary however, if your son is a student and no longer living in your household, it is likely that your car insurance company would not continue to let you to keep your son or his vehicle on your car insurance policy.

Since your son is living in a separate house some insurers would not want to continue to insure him on the car insurance policy. Many car insurance providers will not insure automobiles from more than one household. So, your son will probably have to buy his own car insurance policy for his car.

If your son’s vehicle is still on your car insurance policy you will need to speak with your car insurance agent if your car insurance carrier will let you insure him since many insurance companies will not insure car from more than one household on a single car insurance policy.

Auto Liability Insurance In Oregon

Reader’s Question:

I dont own a vehicle but I do have a drivers license in Oregon. Am I required to get auto liability insurance in Oregon?

Brandon

Eugene, OR

 

If you do not own a vehicle, or neither in your household has a vehicle in which you should be on the insurance policy listed as a driver, then you do not have to carry auto liability insurance in Oregon.

In Oregon the mandatory insurance law (ORS 806.010) requires motorist to insure their car. The basic minimum liability insurance a driver must have is:

• $25,000 for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability per person / $50,000 per accident for injury to others and
• $10,000 Property damage liability per occurrence.
• $15,000 for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) per person.
• $25,000 for Uninsured Motorist Coverage per person / $50,000 per occurrence for bodily injury.

If you do not have a vehicle in which to put insurance and want car insurance policy to cover you when you drive other people’s vehicle (as secondary insurance to the auto owner’s primary insurance) you can get non owners car insurance policy.

Will Adding Additional Driver to My Policy Increase My Auto Insurance Rates

Reader’s Question:

Will adding another driver in my auto insurance policy increase my current premium? I got my auto insurance here in Arizona.

Clarisse

Phoenix, AZ

Yes, adding another driver into your auto insurance policy definitely leads to additional costs to your current premium. Every person covered by your auto insurance policy presents risks while operating your vehicle. These risks are what the insurance policy is trying to protect you from.

As a rule, an auto insurance company will look into the motor vehicle record of each person covered by your policy. Each one will be evaluated according to the insurance company’s rating standards. The one that has the poorest driving record will be considered as the one presenting the highest risk. This rating will then be translated into dollar amounts and will determine the additional cost entailed by the additional coverage. Therefore, if you plan to add another driver in your auto insurance policy, you should identify what kind of risk your additional driver will present to know if you will have big or minimal additions.

Each auto insurance company in Arizona has its own set of guidelines for rating a driver. Therefore it is they who really decide on how to go about with the coverage of each member or driver of your household. But regardless of the cost implication, you should tell the auto insurance company about any additional members of your household and describe to the company who frequently uses your vehicle. The auto insurance agent should discuss with you if the members would be regarded as occasional driver or as the primary driver of your vehicle.

Cheap Non-Owner Auto Insurance In Nevada

Reader’s Question:

I often let my friend drive my other car since I own three, and she doesn’t own any. I have auto insurance, but she is not included in the coverage. I told her to get auto insurance since she frequently drives around Nevada. What kind of insurance should she get?

Bob

Las Vegas, NV

If your friend lives with you, you should inform your auto insurance company there in Nevada that she frequently uses your car, so that she could be included in your coverage. All members of the household who can drive should be included in the auto insurance coverage since they are expected to drive the insured vehicle at one time or another. However, if your friend is not part of your household, you may still have her included in the coverage, but you have to remember that including her in the coverage would cause some changes in your premium rate. If you’re fine with this, then you may inform the insurance company about it. If not, you could tell your friend to get a non-owner’s auto insurance policy.

A non-owner’s auto insurance policy is a type of policy that is offered to those who do not own a vehicle but want to have financial back up in case something goes awry. Often, this auto insurance includes coverage for liability, uninsured/underinsured motorists, and medical charges. However, coverage for collision, comprehensive, rental or towing reimbursement is not included in the policy.

If your friend gets in an accident while driving your vehicle, you may expect your auto insurance to take effect first. If your friend is the one at fault, your insurance will cover the damages brought to the other driver. However, if the damage cost exceeds your policy limit, then the excess would have to be covered by your friend’s non-owner’s policy. This way, both you and your friend are covered, at least up to the limit of your friend’s auto insurance policy.