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.

The worst the Coalition proposal is the the proposal to impose a minimum price per unit for alcohol. We’re to be denied the chance to drown our sorrows at a reasonable price. So how do the trends in the insurance market help or hinder our financial progress. The first answer comes with the latest premium rate survey from the AA. In 2011, there was a 15% increase over the last 12 months. As from December 2012, this is going to get far worse as the equality ruling from the European Court forces a rise in premiums for women drivers. The hope comes from the growth in the telematics market. There’s increasing evidence the black boxes are being adopted by older drivers. In the first quarter of 2012, almost 15% of all policies sold were based on the new technology, and a recent survey shows almost 60% of drivers over the age of 55 are planning to switch. Given the hit many of the pensioners will be taking on the tax payable on their pensions, this could produce very attractive savings. As and when the rate rises for women are imminent, we can expect to see large numbers moving over. But why it happens like this?

Well, it gives the driver more direct control over the rates. The more safely we drive, the less we will pay. It’s ironic that this will almost certainly become the dominant form of policy because of equal opportunities. The technology ignores the sex of the driver. The sole measures are when, where and how the vehicle is driven. Some insurers literally charge drivers by the mile. Others operate a points system with more points consumed if you drive at peak times or late at night.

Market trends in terms in car insurance rates

One of the most interesting is offered by the Co-operative which judges your driving over a 90 day period and refunds a portion of the premium paid if you have driven well. Needless to say, if you drive badly, you have to pay more. As with everything connected to insurance, you should always get quotes and compare prices. Some older drivers and women may find no savings or higher premiums because of the terms of the telematics policies. Always do the arithmetic and work out whether you will be better off. In particular, look at what no-claims bonus you have and how big a excess you’re prepared to accept. That said, low mileage drivers will usually find there are features to the back box policies not available on the conventional policies. Now we are livig iin the age when there is some confusion in the market. Choosing between so many products is not easy. Everyone is searching for low car insurance rates so you’d better keep monitoring sites offering actual quotes and talk with friends. Making the best decisions in favor of cheap car insurance without advice can be a challenge.