Getting married is one of the most momentous events in one’s life. However, once the union is official, there’s planning and paperwork to consider; changing IDs, bank accounts, licenses and more.

 

Insurance policies will also need to be updated, and many times this includes your auto insurance policy. Most insurers require that every licensed member of the household be listed on an auto insurance policy.

These restrictions stem from the likelihood a husband or wife will drive each other’s cars. Thus, an insurance company wants to assess the risk of any person who could be behind the wheel of the insured car.

 

If you do not add your spouse to an insurance policy, then you’ll have vulnerabilities. If he or she were to get into an accident with your car, then the claim could be denied on the grounds of misrepresentation.

 

Adding Your Spouse

Once you add your spouse to your car insurance policy, you’ll have to decide whether to make them a co-owner of the policy or a listed driver. Co-owners have the same control over the policy as you do. As a co-owner, he or she will be able to:

• Make payments
• Add coverage
• File claims
• Change limits
• Remove coverage

…And more.

 

A listed driver has none of these options. Listed drivers are usually only on the policy so insurance companies know which drivers could be behind the wheel of the insured car. These people cannot change or remove coverage.

 

Why Adding Your Spouse is a Benefit

While you may pay more for a policy than you did before, the costs of adding a spouse to an insurance policy are often low. Insurance companies give discounts to married couples.

 

Married couples are viewed as safe and reliable. Statistically, it has been found that married people get in fewer accidents than single people. As such, married couples have found the insurance algorithms tend to play into lower premiums for them. So it often doesn’t cost much more to add a spouse.

 

The Dangers

Depending on certain circumstances, combining auto insurance policies may not always be advised. If your spouse has a horrible driving record or an expensive, fast car – then combining policies could end up raising the rates of both drivers.

 

Married couples need to inform themselves of the policies available to them given their particular situation before making a choice on their auto insurance policies. Sometimes keeping the coverage separate can reduce costs overall.

 

Auto Insurance For Married Couples

Once you’ve tied the knot, you’ll have to start thinking about adding your spouse to a policy. The smart thing to do is pick up the phone and call your insurance agent. Find out the costs of combining policies and then find out the costs of keeping them separate.

 

At Protective Agency, our staff has over sixty years in the industry. We’re here to help you work through and tackle insurance issues, like adding a spouse to an insurance policy.