Need advice

by hummingbird » Sat Jan 05, 2008 05:08 pm

Does anyone know the best and cheapest way to get a 17 yr old started on their own insurance policy or is it best to put a car in the parents name and list them as a driver. Some people say thats the best way to go.

Total Comments: 10

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 05:49 pm Post Subject:

Hi hummingbird,

I feel your pain. I have been through this FOUR times!
Unfortunately, there is no real good answer. It's going to cost you.

Is your 17-year-old "licensed" or is he/she still driving with a "permit"?
If I can catch people in time, I always advise them to have the teenager drive on the permit as long as they possibly can. This way they are insured under your auto insurance policy at very little, if any, additional cost.

I'm getting a "vibe" that your teenager has already gotten a "license".
In this case, he/she must either be a named driver on your auto policy or named driver on his/her own auto policy. It will be a significant increase in premium either way.

Check the ratings of the vehicle, get a sound vehicle, but not a brand new Grand Am or anything like that. The type vehicle will have a great bearing on the premium.

I placed my teenagers on their own auto policy, with their own auto. This way if something, like a speeding ticket, should happen, it will not cause your premium to increase, most likely.

Sorry, but we just have to bite the bullet and get our teenagers good part-time jobs.

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:38 pm Post Subject:

We put the kids in older solid vehicles of their own that we could carry liablity only (high high limits though)...that way they were still able to drive our vehicles (if ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!) but were rated on a substantially lower (priced) one..(rate wise)....

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:50 pm Post Subject:

Are you saying that it is cheaper to get their own car in their own name rather than putting them on my policy? Yes she has already gotten her license.She will be 17 in March . Has been driving nearly a yr with only me beside her,even still.If she has her own vehicle she will be covered in my car as well? She is trying her best to get a job after school but I am getting the idea that IT is hard to get a job with no prior experience.So till then where she can save money for her own vehicle and insurance she will have noi car .We just cannot afford another car at the time.

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 01:53 pm Post Subject:

A

re you saying that it is cheaper to get their own car in their own name rather than putting them on my policy?

Yes, what we did was buy the kids each about a 2500 but safe car...they had a separate policy (not sure how that works, think same policy separate unit)....
They HAVE to be rated on a vehicle in the household...our other vehicles were pretty darn nice cars, with collision and comp on them...so this way they had an inexpensive (comparatively) vehicle that we could carry liablity only on...(higher limits remember though than the state required)...for instance had we put them on one of our vehicles the rates would've been (this isn't exact too many years just an example), an additional 150 a month, but buy getting them their own and carrying liab. only their rates were around 80 per month...but they could still drive our vehicles...

but I am getting the idea that IT is hard to get a job with no prior experience

really? hmmm my kids had no trouble are there no fast food resturants or anything in your area? or retail stores? they hire highschool kids all the time.

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 04:14 pm Post Subject:

Thats odd cause as long as my son has had insurance and his own vehicle there was never an increase on our insurance for him . We also assumed he was not covered on our policy so never allowed him to drive our cars.Except my hubbys company truck which he also works for. yes, there are fast food places about 14 miles away and she has applied to them all. But nothing came up.Lots of retail stores say you have to be 18 here. This summer she will be 17 and we will really spread out our efforts for her a job the only problem will be it will be me who will be driving her to and from since she has a license but no car of her own and insurance.

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:35 pm Post Subject:

Thats odd cause as long as my son has had insurance and his own vehicle there was never an increase on our insurance for him

That's right because he was rated on HIS car therefore did not have to be on yours...

We also assumed he was not covered on our policy so never allowed him to drive our cars

If he had his own vehicle insured then he could safely use yours (be insured) unless of course you had him excluded on those policys but that's a whole different animal...

Hope your daughter has good luck with the job search...been there and done that, hauling kids back and forth to work! and hated it! Felt like I had a third or fourth job myself! :shock:

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 06:51 pm Post Subject:

Yes, and with gas prices at what they are. I told her she would have to help with gas. I hate to think of the milage on my car since all the jobs are 14 miles away for us. I was thinking some one made the comment that if she had insurance on her own vehicle then it would automaticvally add her as safe to drive one other car .

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:18 am Post Subject:

I was thinking some one made the comment that if she had insurance on her own vehicle then it would automaticvally add her as safe to drive one other car .

well it would....

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 05:18 pm Post Subject:

Well, Does that differ from state to stae or the same everywhere?

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:06 am Post Subject:

it could differ state to state of course, but i doubt it.......

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