Cheap Car Insurance for Single Parents

If you’re a single mom or dad who has never been married, you can skip this section. However, if you're divorced and dealing with car insurance, we have some tips.

Note: this is a quick summary of car insurance after a divorce. For additional details, read our full analysis of cheap car insurance after a divorce.

If you have driving-aged teens or young adults who split their time evenly between your and your former spouse’s residences, you'll both likely need to insure your teen driver. Insurance companies like to be aware of all the risk they're taking on before offering a policy. If your teen is going to be staying at your residence and using your vehicle frequently (12 or more times per year), you should keep them on your policy. For unique situations, you can always ask your insurance company.

Parents of teen drivers

While a considerable difference exists between ages 16 and 19, USAA is the cheapest insurance company for a single parent with a teen driver on his or her policy. No matter what, adding a teen to your car insurance is expensive. Changing your policy from single-driver to a parent-and-young driver increases average rates by 98%, according to The Zebra's survey of major carriers.

Although USAA was the cheapest car insurance company in our surveyed data, you and your teen may have better luck with a different insurer. Your best bet for finding the cheapest insurance is to compare as many insurance options as possible. Enter your ZIP code below for a personalized quote.

While teenage boys do receive a greater price break via these discounts, that's a function of their premiums being higher in the first place. Insurance companies view teenage boys as riskier drivers than teenage girls.

Because cars depreciate over time, the physical coverage (comprehensive and collision) you had on your ‘99 Civic might not be necessary anymore. If you’re thinking about dropping these optional coverages, here’s a checklist:

If you have a loan, you can’t remove physical coverage from the vehicle.

A general rule of thumb in the insurance world is if your vehicle is worth less than $4,000, you do not need both comprehensive and collision coverage. You can determine the value of your vehicle through sites like Kelley Blue Book and NADA online.

If it’s determined that you need to keep these coverages, consider raising your deductibles. If you raise your deductibles, you lower your car insurance rate because you’re taking a greater financial responsibility from your insurance company in the event of an accident. Looking at our data below, you can see that raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 lowers your premium by an average of $160 per year.

So, when you’re thinking about filing a claim versus paying out of pocket, you should consider if the value of your deductible + the increased rate after an at-fault accident (over the course of three years) is greater than the estimated value of the damage. You can estimate the cost of the damages by taking the vehicle to a local repair shop.

USAA was the cheapest company for our profile. But that doesn’t mean it will be the best company for you. The best way to find affordable auto insurance as a single parent to look at as many companies.

Telematics devices are in-car functions that monitor the way you drive in order to better predict the kind of customer you will be. After about six months, a new premium will be generated based on mileage, speed, and driving behavior. Instead of using non-driving factors, such as your marital status, telematics allows your premium to be more accurately represented by how you drive.

This is an idea to consider if you have teen drivers, but be cautious. If your child drives recklessly, this could negatively impact your car insurance standing. Also, this program isn’t available in every state, so check with your company.

Paying for car insurance up front (paid in full) or via your bank account helps reduce transaction fees. On average, paying via your bank account can save you $21/year while paying up-front will save you nearly $70/year.

By keeping all your policies with one insurance company, you can save between $77-$132 a year on your auto insurance only. You would also receive a discount on your home, renters, or condo insurance as well. So, not only do you see some savings, but it also reduces the number of insurance companies you have to deal with. Win, win. Here are average premium rates when you opt to bundle.