Car insurance for learner... where to begin, please

clara567

I am an adult just learning to drive - I've managed to get to my 30s without ever needing it, but now I do. (Ngl, I'm a bit scared of the whole thing)

I have bought a small, inexpensive car to learn in - now I need to sort out insurance and am not sure where to start.

My partner drives a van which he owns for work and I'm happy for him to drive my new car too, as it would be convenient to have a smaller car for errands. He has also agreed to teach me to drive.

Is it best for me to look for an insurance policy for him as the main driver and have me as a secondary? Should I be looking for a policy that is separate from his current policy or adding my car (and me) to what he already has? Or do I just insure myself on my car and make sure he's covered by his policy to drive it sometimes?

I appreciate every situation is different so you wouldn't be able to give any definitive answers... but right now I don't even know the right questions to ask!
Any help appreciated!

Sandtree

Who's going to be driving the vehicle the most?

Given you are the owner of the vehicle putting him as the policyholder/main driver is going to look like fronting (fraudulently reducing premiums by falsifying who the main driver is). You can certainly add him as a named driver and if he has a clean record and is of a similar age etc then its likely to help bring the premiums down. 

Unless he has a fleet policy you typically cannot cover cars and vans under the same policy.

clara567

Thanks for the info - he definitely doesn't have a fleet policy. I guess I'd drive it more while learning, with him supervising me - so it's ok to have learner as main driver and qualified driver as a named second?

Sandtree

clara567 said:

so it's ok to have learner as main driver and qualified driver as a named second?

Not only ok but it is how it should be if they are the main driver.

Be aware though, you will have to tell them when you pass your test and premiums do go up for a newly qualified driver -v- a learner (though not as much as if you were still 17)

clara567

Thanks for the info I'm not convinced that I will ever actually do that much driving - I work from home and am very used to cycling everywhere - but I think my partner would like occasionally to have the option of me as designated driver  

Sandtree

clara567 said:

I think my partner would like occasionally to have the option of me as designated driver  

Exactly the reason why I agreed to teach the Mrs... though we really didnt have an appropriate car for it.

Korkyb

As you own the car then the cheapest way to insure while learning might be by going for learner specific insurance rather than a "normal" policy.

Both my daughters were insured with Adrian Flux Learner Insurance when they were learning in their own cars.

We could have gone with Collingwood who do a similar policy but after a couple of calls to each company Flux came in with the best deal (wee bit of haggling / playing them off against each other).

Your other half can also be insured as an additional driver with the above policies.

You can take learner insurance for a full year or part of a year - We did the full 12 months for both girls which worked well because both ended up passing their test during month 11 of the learner insurance and both got a full year of no claims bonus (every little helps).

The cost for my 2 (who were both 17 when learning) was around £300 each for the full 12 months (insuring for part of a year didn't work out as cheap pro rata month for month). Taking the full years insurance took the pressure off having to get though the test quickly.

This kind of insurance policy ends / terminates as soon as you pass your test then you have to get your own "normal" policy. Adrian Flux did give us quotes after they passed but it wasnt competitive.

Once you pass your test make sure you check multicar policies which you normally have to phone to get a quote for. We have found going with multicar after my brats darling daughters passed their tests saved us around 40% over a standalone policy (we are currently with Admiral Multicar).

Good luck!!

clara567

Sandtree said:

clara567 said:

I think my partner would like occasionally to have the option of me as designated driver  

Exactly the reason why I agreed to teach the Mrs... though we really didnt have an appropriate car for it.

Actually, I think once I pass I may find myself being designated driver an awful lot... just making up for lost time 

clara567

Korkyb said:

As you own the car then the cheapest way to insure while learning might be by going for learner specific insurance rather than a "normal" policy.

I'll take a look at those companies - many thanks

hollyb75

Car Insurance. If I pay my car insurance by monthly direct debit I have to PAYE interest on the lone, well I can't see where I'v borrowed any money? If my insurance starts on 1st of month I PAYE a few days before the start date and PAYE every month in advance if I have an accidence and make a claim, but I for some reason my payment for that month did'ent go through I'm not insured? Because I haven't paid. Or would the insurer pay the claim?.

[Deleted User]

hollyb75 said:

Car Insurance. If I pay my car insurance by monthly direct debit I have to PAYE interest on the lone, well I can't see where I'v borrowed any money? 

You've borrowed the money for the insurance instead of paying it in one go.  When you borrow money and repay it over a year, you get charged interest.