New Car - Insurance Question

5starpool

I've asked a few people and haven't had what I consider a definitive answer so any help appreciated, thanks. Hopefully this isn't the wrong forum, but I couldn't find anywhere more suitable to post it.

Myself and my soon to be wife are selling our two cars and buying 1 car. I will be getting public transport to work while she will be driving the car to work (2-3 miles each way), but on weekends (or any time we are both in the car) I'd likely be doing the majority of driving and it will be our only car.

In this case (and given that we are to be married and presumably common law spouse now) would it matter whose name the car and insurance policy is in? What we would like to do is:

1. Her car is being traded in as part of the deal, so we'd like to transfer the last week of her insurance to the new car. Her policy expires on 1st Feb.
2. Once my car is then sold (hopefully next week, if not we'll leave the other car uninsured and not drive it for a short while until my car is sold is the plan) we'd like to transfer over my current insurance to the car as my current policy is October.

Will the car have to be registered in the name of whoever the main driver on the insurance policy is? It doesn't particularly matter to me who the car is registered to, but if I have to go messing about with registration certs after a week of car ownership that would be a pain in the hole. I know filling in a form and posting it isn't that difficult, but if it's not needed I'd rather not do it.

If the simple answer is to register the car in her name and then take out a new policy for the car in her name then that's what we'd do, but it's cheaper to insure for me as the main driver, providing that it's my only policy. In case of an accident though I'd rather not take a chance with this type of thing and her insurance company have said that the car should be in her name if she wants to transfer the last week of the policy to it, but I'm sceptical.

Hopefully the question is clear. Thanks for any replies.

Pov06

When taking out insurance it doesn't matter if the car is in your name or your wife's/husband's.

That's the only case when you may insure something that is not in your name.

bear1

Pov06 wrote: »

When taking out insurance it doesn't matter if the car is in your name or your wife's/husband's.

That's the only case when you may insure something that is not in your name.

I'm not so sure about that (open to correction though). I was under the impression that if the wife registers the new car in her name then the insurance policy would have to be in her name.
It is a standard question when taking out a new policy - Are you the registered keeper?
As I said, I may be wrong and the insurance company wouldn't care.

5starpool

Pov06 wrote: »

When taking out insurance it doesn't matter if the car is in your name or your wife's/husband's.

That's the only case when you may insure something that is not in your name.

Maybe it's still too early for me, but do the two lines above not contradict each other?

Also, if we were married I'm assuming it would be less of an issue, but we aren't, for another few months anyhow.

mickdw

As far as Im aware, the insured needs to be the vehicle owner in all cases except in the case of husband and wife so you should be fine

LawlessBoy

The way it usually works with insurance of any sort is that you have to have an insurable interest/value in the car. So if you wore married I see no reason why it should matter who's name the car is in as you will both have value placed in the car

Pov06

5starpool wrote: »

Maybe it's still too early for me, but do the two lines above not contradict each other?

Also, if we were married I'm assuming it would be less of an issue, but we aren't, for another few months anyhow.

What I mean is the car can either be in your or your wife's name and nobody else's for you to insure it in your own name.

I didn't really make it clear

CiniO

On the side note, there might another issue of who is actually main driver.
That's what insurance companies always ask.
And what OP described, it's kinda impossible to say in their case who will be the main driver.

john kinsella

It doesn't matter who the main driver is if it is a one car household with two named drivers on it.

Be careful with your NCB though OP. One of you will use your NCB on the new car and the other one will lose theirs if they are a named driver after 2 years if they are not insured on another car.

A friend of mine had the same scenario and what they chose to do is one person insure the car in their name for one year and then change it the following year to the other person and so on. Perfectly legal and no issues doing it.

It will just keep your NCB going without risk of it lapsing after 2 years.

CiniO

john kinsella wrote: »

It doesn't matter who the main driver is if it is a one car household with two named drivers on it.

Well I think it actually matters.
When obtaining quotes for policy for me and my wife, most insurers ask who will be main driver, and premium depend upon this.

NinjaTruncs

OP I'm in a similar situation. The Car I use on a daily basis is technically owned by my wife however the insurance is in my name. I asked my insurance company if it was OK that the car was in my wife's name and I was told it was. Usually you cannot insure something that you don't own, not sure of the correct terminology, but it's something along the line that you don't have an interest in the object. However since you are married anything you own your wife has an interest in and vise verse.

To be 100% sure ask your insurance company but it should be fine.

john kinsella

CiniO wrote: »

Well I think it actually matters.
When obtaining quotes for policy for me and my wife, most insurers ask who will be main driver, and premium depend upon this.

The insurer will ask who the principle proposer of the policy is.

When the OP gives these details they will ask is there any named drivers to be added which he will reply yes and give the other details of the named driver be it himself or his wife.

The next question by the insurer will be has the named driver got an insurance policy in their own name. The answer to this will be no.

From the above information the computer in which the information is being typed into will gather that there are two drivers of the one car. The premium will be slightly higher due to the fact there isn't a second car but there is nothing that can be done about that.