Car Insurance - registered owner issue

rogerstannard

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me.

My partner currently has a car which she is selling soon. It is owned by her and she has insurance with 7 years No Claims Bonus. I am a named driver.
I am buying a new car to replace hers. I was intending on being the registered owner.
I have never owned a car before and have never had my own car insurance policy.

I am unsure of the answer in the following scenarios:
1) Is it possible for my partner to take out an insurance policy on my new car to utilise the NCB she has had on hers?
2) If I took out my own policy, can I use my partner’s NCB if she is a named driver?
3) Are we better off (financially) if my partner is the registered owner and policy holder?

Any help would be appreciated! All in a bit of a muddle with it!

Quentin

1) If your partner is official (eg civil partner), then there should be no problem her insuring the car.

2) No

3) If she is an "official" partner, the car's "owner" will make no difference to you financially, but her premium should be lower than yours will be with your nil ncd!

rogerstannard

Hi, Thanks for your answers. My partner and I are not married, but live together as a couple. Does this have any bearing on the treatment?

Buzby

Not really. She could be the Registered Keeper for all the difference it makes, HOWEVER - some insurers insist that the car is owned and registered to the insured, so if YOU are the RK, she cannot make this claim, irrespective of your living arrangements.

no-oneknowsme

OP , not sure if this will be of any help to you....

We were a 2 car family. My Husband was the main driver , policy holder and registered keeper of both vehicles. I was a named driver on both policies but I only ever used to drive ONE of the cars. The reason for this was that the other car was a more expensive car which was plated for use as a taxi (my Husbands occupation). I didnt like driving the taxi just incase I had an accident in it as that would involve time off work etc for my Husband....

When my Husband began to drive the OTHER car less and less it became apparent that he could no longer be classed as the "main driver" as I was driving it more than him.

At the time we were insured with Budget insurance company and so I rang them to inform them of the change to the main driver.

My Husband had 7 years NCB built up on this policy and the Lady from Budget said that if my Husband were happy enough to transfer the 7 years NCB to me (a named driver) then there wouldnt be a problem .All it took was my Husband to go on the phone during the call and confirm that he was happy enough with the NCB being passed to me. I was made the main driver and policy holder within seconds. My Husband then became the second/named driver.

I effectively went from a named driver with zero NCB to policy holder/main driver with 7 years NCB in the blink of an eye!

Not sure if this is limited to certain insurance companies or whether all companies would be willing to do it but its worth a try!

Contact the company with whom your partner holds the insurance and get your partner to ask if she can transfer the NCB to you (the named driver).

All you would need to do is change the owners details on the V5.