Yes. When all other things are equal, people do pay less for car insurance if they are married.
Why do you pay less for car insurance if you’re married?
The easy answer to this is that most insurance companies give you a discount. The reason they give you a discount is because married couples are more likely to buy more insurance.
If you’re married, you’re more likely to:
- Own a home.
- Make more money.
- Insure your jewelry.
- Have two or more cars.
- Buy life insurance.
All of these are appealing to insurance companies because they can bring in more types of insurance policies. And the more insurance policies you have, the more premium you pay and the less likely you are to move coverage.
Digging a little deeper
One of the most significant discounts you can get on a car insurance policy is the “multi-car discount.” This discount applies when there is more than one vehicle on a car insurance policy. Many carriers also offer this discount if you have a company car provided to you for regular use.
Essentially, this discount allows you to pay less per vehicle than you would if you only had one car. You’ll still pay more overall than if you had one (at least in most cases), but the difference isn’t always significant.
There’s a principal in insurance called the Law of Large Numbers. The more you have of something, the more predictable the losses become. The multi-car discount is this principal exhibited on a micro-scale.
So when you get married, you’re not only going to get the discount for going from single to married, you might also going to get a discount for having more than one vehicle.
These can combine for significant savings. Where you might normally save a few hundred dollars by moving your coverage every 3-5 years, I’ve seen this discount combination save in excess of $1,000. It’s actually pretty common.
Frequently Asked Questions
What discounts are available for engaged couples?
Many insurance carriers will allow you to combine policies prior to actually getting married. There aren’t any discounts for being engaged as there are for being married, but combining policies can still provide significant savings. You will want to make sure that both people are included as “Named Insureds” on the policy for coverage to apply correctly.
When is the best time to combine car insurance policies?
Anytime between getting engaged and getting married is a good time. Most couples have enough excitement on their plates without adding insurance into the mix, but it is a good way to start combining your finances. We all know that weddings are expensive, so opportunities to save money are always welcome to young couples.
Should I just update my current policy?
It is worth looking at this option. However, insurance companies often focus on different types of people. As a single person with one car, your current insurance company was your best fit. As an engaged or married person with two vehicles, you’re probably going to find a better fit somewhere else. By all means, check with your current insurance company. Just be aware that even if they offer you savings, you can probably save even more by finding the new best fit with another carrier.
Is there anything else I should know?
This is a time in your lives when it’s important to start laying the foundations of good financial decisions as you build your life together. Part of this is conducting a review of your insurance coverage. I know it’s not exciting, but it is important. When we’re young and don’t have much to protect, it’s easy to buy cheap insurance with low limits of coverage. Those low limits don’t protect you anymore – in fact, they probably never did. Now is the time to upgrade your coverage…and don’t worry – you’re still likely to save a lot of money.
What’s Next?
If you are newly engaged, about to get married, or if you’re recently married and have yet to update your coverage – let us help you find better coverage and reduce your costs. Here’s how:
- Get your quote started here. We’ve got a great new feature where there’s no more need to send us your current policies!
- Call us at (610) 671-3500.
- Book an appointment to talk here: