Adding cars to your existing car insurance coverage: a brief primer

Adding cars to your existing car insurance coverage is usually a simple process. For most drivers with standard car insurance coverage, putting additional cars on your policy can even lead to a discount. There are some things every driver should know about changing a policy to cover additional cars.

You will need to gather some information about the vehicle(s) you’ll be adding to your coverage before contacting your insurance agent. You should have the following information about he additional car(s):

• The make, model and model year
• The VIN (vehicle identification) number
• The odometer reading

Your insurance agent will not be able to underwrite your coverage without this information. Once you provide these details, your new policy can be written relatively quickly.

If you have not purchased the car yet, you can inform your agent about your desire to add a new car. In many cases, your agent can help you determine which vehicles will be more affordable to insure.

If you are purchasing the new car for a teen driver or a child who is a college student, you will want to add them to your policy if they aren’t already included. teenager to your policy as well. Discuss this with the insurance company to find out any specific requirements for adding a teen or student driver. In most situations, you will need to make your child the primary driver of the vehicle(s) you add to your policy.

Depending on the age of the car, you may want to reconsider the type of coverage that you carry. If your additional vehicle is an older car, collision coverage may not be necessary. This is especially true if the amount the insurance company will pay out for car replacement is not enough to cover the actual cost of your premium. Your rates will go up because you are adding coverage, but you can mitigate the rise in costs.

Any time you make a change to your policy, you should ask about available discounts. Some discounts you may qualify for include:

• Multiple-line discounts
• Safe driver discounts
• Safe student discounts

Just because you already have a car insurance policy does not mean that any additional car you acquire is automatically covered. Auto insurance for additional cars is absolutely necessary. If you have purchased a new car but have not yet added the car to your insurance policy, there may be a brief period of coverage allowed by your carrier in order to give you time to add the new vehicle. Contact your agent to ensure you are not driving without coverage.

If you successfully navigated the process to acquire an initial car insurance policy, adding cars to it may not be as challenging, But it is always good policy to have a trusted advisor in your corner. Reply! can help by connecting you with local insurance professionals with experience in this area.