# NCB & 1 Car



## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

We've always had 2 cars, and would have my car insured in my name with SWMBO as a named driver and her car in her name with me as a named driver.

Back in July we went to 1 car. It's now insurance renewal time. She's looking at switching it into her name and me as a named.

The main reason for this as I'm sure I've heard/read somewhere that if you don't have a policy for 2 years, you lose your NCB. We both have about 15 years NCB. So we thought we'd alternate each year.

Is there any truth in this?

I ask because I want to know if we're wasting our time doing this and also, as I'm now just a named driver, that means (apparently) I can't drive another car even just covered with 3rd party - like I could before. I don't have the need to drive other cars, but it's always nice to know I *could* if I needed to.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Assume this is true?

https://www.completecovergroup.com/blog/about-insurance/explaining-your-no-claims-bonus-ncb/



> *Can your No Claims Bonus expire?*
> The expiry period for an unused no claims bonus is two years after you've cancelled your last policy. So if you have taken a break from driving but you don't want to lose your NCB, you'll have to take out a new policy within two years to carry on where you left off. If the NCB is not transferred within this time it will expire, and you'll have to start again from scratch.


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

The question about NCB will normally tell you - I'm sure it says something along the lines of 'in the last 10 years, have you earned any no claims bonus?'. It may not be 10, but I'm sure it's more than 2 everywhere I've looked, so it may vary by insurer.

You can claim some NCB whilst being a named driver, so it's possible you can maintain yours (or hers) by being the named driver.

Worth asking the question of the insurer you choose to go with I'd say. They'll be able to tell you definitively.

As for the question about cover on other vehicles, not all policies offer that anyway - see a lot on the local roads police unit's twitter about people wrongly assuming they were covered and being done for driving without insurance. Again, check with the insurer. Those that do offer it tend to be only for the policyholder of a comprehensive policy (with the other car cover being 3rd party only, and that vehicle also has to be insured).


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Yeah, she's checked the driving, and as I'll be just a named driver this time, that means I can't drive other cars 3rd party. Not a huge deal, only drive my mum's now and again (if she's ended up in hospital or something). Guess for the next year she'll have to call me brother or add me to her policy :lol:


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## P4ULT (Apr 6, 2007)

I think you may be right about the 2 years. I have just got another car after not having one for about 20 months and I had to Explain why I did not have a vehicle in that time. I did but it is a classic policy plus we have another vehicle we own.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

NCB is only valid for 2 years from date of expiry with the majority of Insurers. AXA and Aviva used to be 3, but they too are now 2 years. Some insurers have a lower time limit. 

To save messing around too much, swap every 2 years. 

TPO driving other cars extension (if included) is only ever given to the policyholder, not named drivers. 

You don't earn real NCB as an additional driver. Some insurers will take it into consideration for additional policies, but this is more of a marketing thing and not transferrable to another insurer.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Shiny said:


> NCB is only valid for 2 years from date of expiry with the majority of Insurers. AXA and Aviva used to be 3, but they too are now 2 years. Some insurers have a lower time limit.
> 
> *To save messing around too much, swap every 2 years. *
> 
> ...


Think this is what we are now doing. She's decided to cancel the new policy (not come into effect yet anyway) and have it in my name for another year. Then come renewal time next year, put into her name as by that point it'll be 18months she'd have gone without being the main policy holder.


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## cole_scirocco (Mar 5, 2012)

Exactly right. I had 4 years no claims and then moved on to my wifes policy as a named driver who has over the max 9 years as I now use a company vehicle as well with 3 years no claims...

Because I have not held my own personal car insurance policy in my name for longer than 2 years (as a gap) my no claims have now vanished. Company car insurance policy does not matter as it is not classed as a personal car.

Therefore the two cars we own, Steph has got 10 years no claims on her BMW (cost £300 for the year fully comp) and my BMW I own has cost me £470 for the year fully comp with zero no claims.

Luckily for me, I didn't find the quote too horrific.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

Cole_E91 said:


> Exactly right. I had 4 years no claims and then moved on to my wifes policy as a named driver who has over the max 9 years as I now use a company vehicle as well with 3 years no claims...
> 
> Because I have not held my own personal car insurance policy in my name for longer than 2 years (as a gap) my no claims have now vanished. Company car insurance policy does not matter as it is not classed as a personal car.
> 
> ...


This was one of the ways I'd heard about people losing their NCB. Someone told me a few years back that they/their dad had lost theirs due to having a company car and not realising.


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