If you ask the average New Yorker why they love the Empire State, you can all but guarantee it won’t be the cost of living. For better or worse, New York State is a great state to live it, but it’s incredibly expensive to live here day-to-day.
The cost of just about everything is significantly more expensive than in other places. That accounts for almost anything you can think of; from housing to groceries and taxes to anything you grab at a retail shop, New York is a tough place to be.
When you thought things couldn’t get any more expensive, the New York State Legislature moves to drive the cost of auto insurance up even higher than it already is.
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In 2023, the New York State Assembly and Senate passed an amendment to the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requiring insurance companies to offer Supplemental Spousal Liability Insurance. This change automatically adds the insurance to your bill, regardless of your marital status, and requires you to opt out of the insurance if you do not want it.
Not only does this chance add to the insurance burden New Yorkers have to maintain, it is also driving the cost of insurance up for every person who insures a car in the Empire State.
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Many New Yorkers have only recently learned about the increased insurance costs, as their auto policies are being renewed. This happened to me when I opened my renewal bill the other day.
According to reporting from WKBW-TV last year, this coverage is in effect if someone decides to sue their spouse due to an accident. Although one spouse suing another is pretty rare, according to the New York Times, it might still make sense if your spouse is negligent and causes an accident.
Insurance experts around the state warned that lawmakers may not have thoroughly considered the bill, but it was passed into law anyway.
Just make sure you check your insurance bill because it has likely gone up quite a bit.
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Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.