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Getting married changed my life in many great ways. Getting a lower price on my car insurance was just one of them.
After my husband and I got married, we combined our auto insurance coverage. Surprisingly, my premiums went down by about 6%, and my husband saved around 8% compared to what he was paying before.
That may sound strange. After all, why should car insurance be cheaper when married than when you're single? Actually there are some good reasons for why tying the knot can help lower your insurance costs.
Is car insurance cheaper when you're married?
Car insurance is almost always cheaper when you're married.
In fact, Liberty Mutual estimates that married drivers can pay up to $96 less per year for their auto insurance, while The General estimates the savings at $26 per year on average — although younger married couples could save much more, with a 20-year-old married person typically paying around 21% less than a single person of the same age.
Getting married can help you save money on car insurance because married couples are considered to be more stable. Married people are also statistically less likely to become involved in auto accidents. Because of this, as long as neither spouse has more moving violations or accidents than the other, premiums are lower due to the reduced chances of a claim.
Married couples who combine policies also benefit from additional savings because you and your spouse can split the costs of certain coverages and potentially qualify for multi-vehicle discounts to provide additional savings.
Other factors that influence the price of car insurance
Marital status is just one factor that influences how much you pay for auto insurance, but there are many others. Insurance companies are generally trying to assess the risk of a claim, so anything that impacts the likelihood of an accident, car theft, or other issue will affect your premiums.
Insurers also reward loyalty, so how much business you provide them plays a role too. Specifically, some of the key factors that impact how much you'll pay for an auto policy include:
- Your driving record: Drivers with a clean record pay less while accidents, DUIs, or moving violations increase the risk and result in higher premiums
- Your credit history: People with good credit are usually seen as less risky, so they pay less for coverage.
- Your gender: Men generally pay more for auto insurance premiums than women as they are viewed as being at a statistically higher risk of a collision
- How much you use the car: The more you drive, the more potential for things to go wrong, so the higher your premiums.
- Your age: Teen drivers and senior drivers get in more accidents so cost more to cover than people who are middle aged.
- Your location: If you live in an area where there's a higher rate of auto accidents or thefts, you'll pay higher premiums.
- Your vehicle: Cars with good safety features and anti-theft devices are cheaper to insure than those with poor safety records or those that get stolen more often.
Many of these factors are out of your control. However, you can control things like which vehicle you pick and whether you get tickets. So, aim to be safe on the road and check the price of insurance before you buy a new car so you can keep car insurance premiums as low as possible.
How to get a lower rate on your car insurance
There are a number of different ways to try to reduce your auto insurance rates and save money on coverage. Here are some of the biggest things you can do to get a lower rate.
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Shop around
Prices can vary substantially from one insurer to the next. Shop around and explore coverage options from as many companies as you can. You can get quotes online to make this easier. Be sure to have your driving details and VIN number ready to get accurate quotes, and know how much coverage you want before you start shopping.
Bundle
Bundling home and auto insurance can save you money due to multi-policy discounts. Progressive reports that policyholders who combine their auto coverage with their homeowners or renters insurance save an average of 20%.
The more policies you can bundle, the greater the discounts you qualify for. So, look into all the different kinds of coverage being offered when shopping for coverage with each company.
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Discounts for married couples
Married couples can save money on auto insurance because of the reduced statistical likelihood of a crash but also by qualifying for more auto insurance discounts. For example, a couple who is married may:
- Qualify for bundled coverage if they buy a home together.
- Qualify for multi-car discounts if they each have a vehicle and they get a combined policy.
- Qualify for new discounts based on employment or group membership status if either spouse has a job or affiliation that qualifies.
Married couples should ask their insurer about all the discounts available so they can maximize their savings.
Other ways to lower your rates
There are other ways to lower auto insurance rates as well, including:
- Completing a defensive driving course
- Increasing your deductible (the amount you pay for a covered loss before the insurer begins paying)
- Improving your credit
- Downsizing to a smaller vehicle
- Cutting back on miles driven
- Installing anti-theft devices
- Using a telematics program that tracks your driving habits
The more of these options you try out, the lower your premiums will hopefully go.
How to add a spouse to your car insurance
Getting married doesn't mean that your spouse is automatically added to your auto coverage.
Typically, if you live together and drive each other's cars, you'd be covered if your spouse crashed even if they weren't officially added to the policy. However, to make 100% sure they're covered, it's a good idea to add them as an authorized driver. If they're added as an authorized user, be aware they'll still need their own insurance to cover them when driving any other car.
You also have the option to combine your policies and have one company that covers both of you and both of your vehicles. This would mean you have a joint policy instead of each of you maintaining separate policies.
Regardless of which of these options you choose, you must contact your insurance company. You'll need to provide information about your spouse like their driver's license details and whether they have had accidents in the past. If you are living at the same address, it should be a simple process to just alert the company you're married, answer these questions, and get them added.
If you are combining two policies into a joint policy, you'll also need to provide details about your spouse's vehicle that you're adding to your coverage, and don't forget to cancel the coverage that your spouse previously had once you officially have a combined policy.
When to keep separate policies
In most cases, it is cheaper and easier for married couples to have one joint auto insurance policy that covers both of you. However, when you're deciding if you should combine insurance, there are two key factors to look at: driving history and credit history
Both your driving history and your credit history impact the cost of auto insurance premiums. If one spouse has many accidents or moving violations or if one spouse has poor credit, then buying a combined policy may end up being more expensive than just maintaining separate coverage. The person with the better record can continue to pay more affordable rates.
You should still get quotes to compare your options, though, even if one of you does have some black marks on their record. The discounts that could result may still make the total cost lower. If the quotes do come back higher, you don't have to move forward.
FAQs
Is car insurance cheaper if married or single?
Car insurance is usually cheaper for married couples. Married people are considered more stable and are less likely to get in car accidents, so the price of insuring them is lower. Married couples can also combine policies to get additional discounts and savings.
What is the best auto insurance for married couples?
The best auto insurance for married couples depends on many factors, including driving record, location, vehicle type, and more. Married couples should shop around to compare coverage options and to see whether it's cheaper to have a combined policy or to maintain separate coverage.
Is it cheaper to have one or two people on car insurance?
It is often cheaper to have two people on a car insurance policy as you can split the cost of some coverages and qualify for multi-vehicle discounts. However, if one person has poor credit or many issues on their driving record, then costs may be higher than individual coverage.
Bottom line
Saving on car insurance is a nice perk of getting married, and you should absolutely consider adding your spouse to your policy. You should also shop around for the best car insurance as a married couple to see which insurer will offer you the lowest price for your new combined coverage.
You just may save enough to cover the cost of a couple of date nights, so it's worth the effort.
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