Real estate ins and outs

The world is beginning to change with more states now either considering the legalization of gay marriage or actually allowing it. No matter what your views on the institution of marriage and who should be allowed to marry, there remains one unalterable fact. Even though the marriage vows quite clearly intend the couple to stay together for life, the majority of marriages end rather earlier. Some relationships end and the couple lives apart. Others get into the business of divorce and all the decisions about who pays for what and who should end up with the pet snake are written down and rubber-stamped by the judge. This is the way the world works and, to protect ourselves, we should all think about the auto insurance cover during the break-up period.

The insurance industry works by predicting the odds of an accident. When the risk of a claim is high, the premium rates rise. So, when it comes to insuring the family vehicles, it’s fundamental for the insurer to know the who, when and where: who will be driving, at what times of the day, and where most of the driving will be done? If there’s to be any significant change, you are required to tell your insurer. If you fail to do so and a claim is later made, the insurer can cancel the policy and refuse to pay out. So as soon as you separate, you should notify the insurer of change of address and whether this will affect who drives the vehicles.

Most states have a requirement you notify insurers within 30 days of a divorce. The reason is simple. Most insurers offer between 5 and 15% discounts to married couples. The risk profiles show married couples are more responsible drivers, particularly when they are driving their children around. The majority of couples also bundle their cover. They may have multiple vehicles on the same policy or have both a homeowners and an auto policy with the same company. On average, these bundles will be saving you 10%. So the moment you have two households and park the vehicles in different ZIP code areas, all your auto insurance rates will change. Unfortunately, failure to notify your insurer almost always means your policy is going to be cancelled the moment the company finds out. Trying to recover premiums paid is a nightmare. Always keep your insurer informed.