How Will Getting Married Affect Your Car Insurance Rates?

There are a lot of advantages to being single. Getting car insurance, however, is not one of them. Did you know that, statistically, married couples are less likely to get in car accidents than single individuals are? For this reason, a lot of auto insurance companies see married couples as less of a risk to insure. After getting married, it is normal to wonder how this will affect your car insurance rates.

Should You Combine Your Car Insurance Policies?

If both you and your spouse have incredible driving records with no gaps in coverage, you are likely to save money by combining your insurance policies. Another reason to combine your policy is that insuring multiple vehicles on the same policy can also get you a discount on the insurance. After you've had a chance to enjoy the honeymoon, sit down with your new spouse and go over your driving records and insurance policies. Talk to both your insurers and compare quotes on what they would offer you if you do combine policies.

Combining Is Not Always A Good Idea

Unfortunately, there are times where combining your insurance policies does not make sense. If one or both of you have a poor driving record, separate policies tend to be the best way to go, as they could cost you less money. Combining the policies of a high-risk and low-risk driver will always increase the insurance rate of the low-risk driver. Naturally, other factors such as a multiple-car discount can still bring down the cost. For this reason, there is nothing wrong with getting quotes on what your insurance rates would be if you combined. Just make sure you compare that to how much your insurance costs individually before deciding.

Sometimes Getting Married Will Affect Individual Insurance Too

If you marry someone who has a number of moving violations, your premium could go up even if you decide to keep your policies separate. This is because a number of insurance companies want to look at the driving record of everyone in the house. Having a high-risk driver in your home makes you a higher risk by association. Unfortunately, the insurance company just assumes the high-risk driver is going to get behind the wheel of your vehicle at some point in time.

Your Spouse Might Have An Expensive Vehicle

Another example of a situation where separate policies make sense is if your spouse is the owner of a vehicle that is expensive to ensure. This is especially true if this is a vehicle that gets driven infrequently, as your spouse may be able to get a discount on the vehicle for low mileage.

When getting married, it is safe to assume it will impact your life in a number of different ways. This includes your auto insurance rates. The best thing you can do is talk to your auto insurance providers and look at all your options before deciding. For more information, consider contacting companies like the Western Insurance Agency.


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