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When you first get married, chances are the one thing that you have not really thought about is car insurance. In fact, you likely did not even think about how being married can affect your car insurance premiums.
However, after the wedding and the honeymoon one thing that you will want to add to your to do list is a check on how combining car insurance policies may affect your rates. Typically, car insurance is less expensive for married couples, with a few exceptions to this rule.
Typically You Will Save Money By Combining Insurance Policies
Even if you do not change auto insurance policies, chances are just being married is going to lower your rates when your current policy comes up for review. On average, just getting married will lower your premiums from 10 to 12 percent even if every other factor has remained the same. The main reason for this is because insurance companies have found that married couples are less likely to file claims when compared to single drivers with a comparable profiles.
When To Combine Policies With Your Husband Or Wife
In order to get a higher discount on your car insurance premiums it is a good idea to consider combining you and your significant other’s car insurance into a single policy. This will make the most sense if you both have good driving records with no gaps in coverage.
Having more than one vehicle on a car insurance policy can often provide you with a multi-car discount from car insurers. Even if your household only has one vehicle, sharing a policy can still earn you discounts.
In addition, combining your car insurance policy with a renter’s or homeowners insurance policy from the same insurance company can lead to higher discounts overall.
When You Should Not Combine Policies With Your Spouse
While you are now married, there are some cases where it does not make sense to combine your car insurance policies. If one of you has a poor driving record or a poor credit score, keeping your policies separate may cost you less.
Combining a high risk driver with a low risk driver is likely going to increase the low risk driver’s car insurance rates. There is also the chance that an insurance company will not insure a high risk driver no matter how much it costs. If one of you has more than three accidents an insurance company may not add them to a policy.
Another piece of bad news is that even if you decide not to combine your policies, if your partner is a high risk driver it still could negatively impact your premiums simply because most insurance companies consider the driving history of each family member that lives within a household when they underwrite policies. Essentially, you are considered riskier by association.
So, Should You Combine Insurance Polices?
Overall, in the majority of cases if you get married you should consider combining your insurance policies. Even if it does not make sense at the present moment, it is a good idea for the person who has a bad driving record or bad credit to do what they can to mitigate these negative marks. One way to do this is to take a defensive driving course to help unlock a discount or at least provide a way to negotiate for lower rates.
Most minor traffic violations only stay on a driver’s record for a few years. Keeping your record clean for that long can help remove a driver from the high risk pool.
Even if you are not able to combine your policies immediately, it is a good idea to check back often to see if the rates get better over time.
If it does make sense to combine policies, review your information with an agent and make sure to get quotes from several companies in order to find a car insurance policy that is right for you and your spouse. This is the best way to find a single policy that will work for your budget and needs.
