Using Your Own Insurance Policy
Review your insurance contract. If you are expecting relatives to be visiting from another country, you should begin by reviewing the terms of your own insurance policy. See if you can identify provisions that allow for the temporary addition of relatives onto your policy.
Contact an insurance agent for verification. Call your insurance agent directly to process your request. When you know the specific dates of the visit and have information about the relatives you wish to add to your policy, contact your insurance agent directly by telephone. By providing just some brief information about your guests, you should have no problem adding them to your insurance policy.
Be prepared to pay for temporary additional coverage. Adding people to your policy will increase the cost of the premiums you pay. When you speak with your insurance agent, ask how much the additional drivers will cost. When your visitors return home, make sure to call your insurance company back again and cancel the additional coverage. It will remain in place, and you will continue paying the added cost, until you terminate it.
Shopping for a New Insurance Policy
Decide if the price quoted by your insurance agent is too high. Adding a visiting relative to your insurance policy should be just a small fraction of the premium that you are already paying. If you believe that the added cost is too high in comparison to what you are already paying, you may want to shop for a new policy. If the rate for adding someone to your policy is too high, this could be an indication that your own policy is too expensive. Shopping around to find coverage for your visiting relatives could be an incentive to find new overall coverage for yourself.
Use an online price tool to simplify comparisons. Several online sources, such as Progressive, Esurance, or Insurance.com, will allow you to enter some brief information and obtain up to ten to fifteen price quotes almost instantly. You will need basic information about your car, the make and model, and identification for yourself and any other drivers you intend to cover.
Speak with an agent directly. After comparing prices online, you should select the best two or three companies and speak with an agent directly. Make sure that you are comparing policies with equivalent coverage terms, to be sure that the price comparisons are reasonable. When you speak with an agent, make sure that the company is licensed to provide insurance in your state. Nationwide search engines are convenient, but they do not always account for differences in state laws or coverage.
Make sure that a new policy can include your visiting relatives. When you get in touch with an agent, make it clear that you want a policy that will include drivers with an international license from another country. Some insurance companies may not be able to provide this coverage. You do not want to waste your time or money investigating a policy that does not serve the primary purpose for your shopping.
Find out if you can get a temporary or short-term policy. With some companies, you may need to purchase a year’s coverage. If you only want temporary coverage for your visiting relatives, you should make sure that the policy can be canceled or have the premiums pro-rated to cover only the period of time that your relatives are visiting.
Insuring for a Rental Car
Discuss the option of a rental car. If your relatives will be doing any significant driving or touring on their own while they visit, you may find that it could be cheapest if they rent a car. Renting would not only provide them with more flexibility in their travels, but they would be assured coverage by getting insurance with the car.
Have your relatives check with their own insurance company about coverage. In some cases, a driver’s own insurance policy will cover them for driving a rental car, even in another country. Before your relatives come to visit, have them check with their own insurance policy to see if they are covered on a rental car.
Shop for rental cars that include insurance coverage in the price quote. If your relatives will be renting a car for their visit, you or they can shop for their rental car before they travel. Some online companies will compare rental car prices from a variety of agencies. When searching this way, make sure that the comparisons include the price of insurance coverage.
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