car insurance for midshipmen

Blessedmomwithagoodboy

5-Year Member
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Nov 12, 2013
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My son just got his license. I was trying to add him to my policy just in case he may want to drive when he is home for holidays. But I was told by my indurance company that my insurance rate is going to double if I add him. How do you solve this? Thanks for your imput in advance!
 
:eek: I'm not sure there's any resolution. When DD was added to my insurance, it went up pretty significantly as well. It's that "new driver" risk.
 
My son just got his license. I was trying to add him to my policy just in case he may want to drive when he is home for holidays. But I was told by my indurance company that my insurance rate is going to double if I add him. How do you solve this? Thanks for your imput in advance!
Add him for now, then have him classified as an inactive driver from I-Day until his first leave (Thanksgiving, perhaps, or Christmas/New Years). It's pretty simple to toggle the coverage on and off that way, and saves a lot of $.
 
USAA was cheaper for me than Allstate. It was cheaper to have both boys insured on our 10 year old vehicle than the newer ones. Also, USAA told me that when my son is at college/academy that there is a special lowered rate for when they come home and drive. The school must be over a certain distance from home.


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That's interesting that rates are going up when you add your new driver. My DS was added 2 years ago and insurance didn't budge. The same happened when my daughter was added four years earlier. Cost remained the same with USAA and State Farm.
 
That's interesting that rates are going up when you add your new driver. My DS was added 2 years ago and insurance didn't budge. The same happened when my daughter was added four years earlier. Cost remained the same with USAA and State Farm.

Must be the area you live in. We have USAA as well and our insurance went up.
 
Add him for now, then have him classified as an inactive driver from I-Day until his first leave (Thanksgiving, perhaps, or Christmas/New Years). It's pretty simple to toggle the coverage on and off that way, and saves a lot of $.

I essentially agree with this. However, insurance policies normally allow for "casual" drivers, ie. Your sister-in-law borrows the car for a day or things like that. Check your policy and if I'm correct, I wouldn't reactivate him at all.
 
Must be the area you live in. We have USAA as well and our insurance went up.

Now that you mention area, I believe that is the case. We live in Hawaii and it might be a state law to be able to add dependant children without an increase.
 
Some of the things we have done...

1. If DS doesn't have a car, list as a secondary driver on a car where an adult is primary driver

2. Some insurance companies give discounts for good students - believe we had to send copy of the report card

3. If student is away at school list as an inactive driver during that time as OysterMom suggests

4. Some insurance companies give discount for completing on-line or formal safe driving programs

5. In general, insurance rates for drivers under 25 are very high (boys more than girls)

6. USAA has some of the best rates in the industry and are very easy to work with.

7. Finally, your DS needs to avoid tickets or accidents - rates go way up for 3 years or so afterwards.

Good luck!
 
Must be the area you live in. We have USAA as well and our insurance went up.

Mine went up, too, and we also are with USAA. Didn't help that DS1 had an at-fault accident four months out of the box. :mad:

I have called USAA about DS2, however, who is headed up to the Academy this summer and received the same advice about making him inactive, or whatever the term was, once he got there. They never said anything about reactivating him during leave as Kinnem was saying, but I had on my list of things to do to check into that as it might be the difference between someone from your household (ie living with you) and someone visiting with you (ie a sister-in-law). State regs vary on this most likely. I work for a state Bureau of Insurance but on the commercial side. I'll be paying a visit to my personal lines friends. :wink:
 
DS is a plebe. I talked to my auto insurance agent, a large national insurance company, and asked if I could basically reduce his miles on the policy since he was away at USNA, could not drive, and for the most part, could not ride in a car. I didn't ask to take him off the policy but in the end they did because they said he would be covered as a casual driver on my policy when he was home for leave. Saved significant money for me. The auto insurance company starts with an A.

Not sure this is the same deal in all states and all insurance companies but I wanted to share...

bandad
 
Hmmm . . .

Of course, as I think about it, I guess DS2 will just be a "visitor" at that point! :eek:

No tears! No tears!
 
I suggest that you and your son/daughter call USAA together and discuss options with them. It may make better sense to have your no-longer-dependent child create a policy in their own name (as of July 1st).

When I inquired with USAA last year about the prospect of my son attending the Academy, the representative told me that they offer a special plan/rate for members serving at the Academy. He said that USAA is aware of the significant driving restrictions placed on the lower classmen and that they offer a very economical driver-only policy to these new service members which is reflective of the extremely limited driving opportunities available to the covered person.

Note that it is still perfectly fine for the parent to continue to pay the premium for a child's independent policy (I do this right now). USAA will even allow you to set up monthly autopayment to your own credit card.
 
I essentially agree with this. However, insurance policies normally allow for "casual" drivers, ie. Your sister-in-law borrows the car for a day or things like that. Check your policy and if I'm correct, I wouldn't reactivate him at all.
For that to work where we are (MA), DD would have to change her legal residence from MA to MD (and get a MD license, file taxes from MD, etc.).
 
My DS is a plebe this year and when i spoke with our Ins. (think lizard) they told me as long as he was going to school more than 500 miles away and would not have a car we could drop him from the coverage and he would be insured as a casual driver. Saved us a ton of money.
 
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