Acquiring married affects every little thing from your taxes to your living arrangement and even your beer glass collection. But what may possibly surprise you is that tying the knot can also get you less expensive vehicle insurance coverage.


Why is this? Most insurers think about married couples to be far more “responsible” and therefore safer drivers, and protected driving normally leads to less expensive car insurance premiums. Married drivers tend to get in fewer accidents, according to statistics, though no 1 is exactly certain why.


Obtaining married, for that reason, can have a positive impact on what you spend for auto insurance.


Discounts


Most insurers offer you multi-car discounts for consumers who have much more than a single vehicle. In addition, if you buy auto coverage from the exact same organization that carries your homeowners or renter’s policy, you may be eligible for additional discounts.


Some insurers supply these discounts to exact same-sex couples in states that recognize gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships. Check with your insurance coverage provider to see whether you qualify.


Although marriage is not a certain discount, it is a element in underwriting, giving you one more price break.


Must you combine policies?


Newlyweds frequently assume it’s best to combine their auto insurance policies, but that’s not often the case.


The driving records of you and your spouse will be factored in to your new premium, so if one particular of you has racked up accidents, claims or moving violations, it will be reflected in your all round premium. In this case you can separate your premium from your “bad” spouse’s with a named driver exclusion — which signifies your spouse is not covered to drive your car. If you go this route, make certain your spouse actually by no means drives your vehicle, because any accident won’t be covered.


It might also be far better to maintain separate policies if you or your spouse:


  • Drives a auto model that is more pricey to insure.

  • Drives a classic automobile that is worth a lot of money.

  • Travels substantially a lot more miles per day/annually than the other.

If you and your spouse both have excellent driving records, then combining automobile insurance coverage policies is a very good way to get less costly auto insurance coverage.


What about acquiring divorced? 


If marriage tends to have a optimistic impact on your auto insurance coverage rates, is the opposite accurate in the case of divorce? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Divorcing couples shed the cost break for getting married, as effectively as multi-automobile discounts and other connected deals.


Altering your address to a “riskier” place and increasing your commute time can also raise your prices right after a divorce.


Low-cost automobile insurance is hardly a reason to wed, but there are clear insurance coverage advantages to obtaining married. Saving income on auto insurance can be 1 of them.


Sarah Cooke is a employees writer covering private finance for NerdWallet. Adhere to her on Twitter @sarah_wolfe and on Google+.


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