Here's what you need to know about adding a nominee to car insurance

Here's what you need to know about adding a nominee to car insurance  30th June 2022

As thrilling as owning a car, there are undoubtedly various risks associated with the same. With the number of accidents increasing daily, it is essential to look out for your family and loved ones. One way of ensuring that is by investing in a good car insurance policy. Another way to ensure that your family stays safe even after your death is by adding them as nominees to your car insurance.

Wondering who a nominee is and the benefits of adding a nominee to your car insurance? Then, this article will tell you everything you need to know about nominees and how to add them to your car insurance.

What is a nominee?

In case of the policyholder's death, a nominee is a person that the policyholder nominated at the time of signing the insurance and will be getting the insurance policy's proceeds. The insurance must also cover personal accidents along with the base plan to provide extended coverage. The personal accident cover will ensure that the nominee gets the insurance benefits even in the absence of the policyholder.

Indian law states that a nominee is responsible for the custody of money or property after the policyholder's death. In some cases, a nominee is responsible for distributing the money and other profits to the legal heirs or the spouse as stated by the policyholder.

Who can be a nominee?

There are no set rules as to who can be your nominee, but the practice is to keep the spouse, parents, or children as the nominee.

How to add a nominee?

Much like every other process, technology has recently made adding a nominee easy. The majority of the work can be done online. Websites and mobile apps have made changing or adding a nominee more straightforward and hassle-free. All you need to do is access your policy account and add the nominee to your selected policy. You will need to give details of the nominee, such as name, date of birth, relation to the nominee, etc. Keeping these documents handy would make the process simpler.

If you want to change your nominee, you can follow the same steps mentioned above and edit the choice of the nominee in your policy portal.

Why should you choose a nominee beforehand?

If an accident or any mishap happens, the legal heir is the lawful beneficiary of the insurance claim benefits. However, verifying and validating the identity can be long and tiring if not explicitly mentioned as a nominee. Choosing and naming a nominee when buying new car insurance or at the time of car insurance renewal is crucial.

What are the benefits of choosing a nominee?

1. In case of the policyholder's death, the personal accident cover provides financial coverage to the family. The claim is not limited to the death of the policyholder. You can make this claim even in the case of temporary or permanent disability caused by an accident.

2. If a person dies after a claim is made, the compensation and benefits will be diverted toward their nominee.

How to withdraw money as a nominee?

Since a nominee is not the owner of the assets, it is essential to prove to the authorities that the policyholder is deceased. You will also need to establish your relationship with the policyholder to the insurance company. The policy holder's death certificate, policy papers, nominee's birth certificate, and a certificate stating the relationship between the policyholder and the nominee are some documents you might need to provide to the insurance company to avail the benefits.

Some policies provide the option to choose multiple nominees, and the benefits and compensation can be shared amongst the nominees as per the policyholder's decision. You can change your nominee mid-tenure. You can either talk to your insurance provider or manually adjust it through mobile applications or websites.

To ensure your family's safety and protection, do not forget to add on personal accident cover in your next car insurance renewal.

Click HERE to find out more about car insurance renewal.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.