5 Car Insurance Tips for New Couples
Written by Team Clearcover | 4 minute read
Did you just get married? Congratulations!
Once the whirlwind of the ceremony and romantic honeymoon are over, it’s time to sit down and figure out finances together. Newlyweds should create a day-to-day budget to ensure that they are saving towards the big milestones - like owning their dream home, college funds for future children and retirement.
One of the easiest ways to save money is by lowering recurring monthly expenses like car insurance. Car insurance is often overlooked as a day-to-day budget item but small savings can lead to big rewards. If you’re newlywed (or even just in a long-term committed relationship), here are five ways to get the most affordable car insurance and start improving your budget today.
1. Change Your Relationship Status
Car insurance companies aren’t getting invitations to weddings, but it is still important to tell them the good news. After changing a relationship status to “married”, both partners will start saving money. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, car insurance is typically lower for married people, because they are considered to be more responsible based on historical driving data.
Normally, car insurance prices go down after age 25 for everyone. People tend to drive more carefully as they get older. If someone is under 25 when they get married, it shows a sense of responsibility, and they get that discount early. However, if you are 30 or older when you get married, a change in relationship status may not save you as much because the biggest significant discount related to age and relationship status occurs around 25 although it’s still important to update your insurance company to make sure you’re getting the best rate possible.
2. Combine Insurance Policies
Most car insurance companies give a multi-vehicle discount. For some couples, it makes a lot of sense to combine both vehicles onto one policy. However, if one partner has a terrible driving record, it may be best to stay on separate policies. Everyone makes mistakes but combining a perfect driving record with a bad one can actually make the premiums go up for both people. If one partner drives an expensive sports car, it may also bring up the cost of coverage for the other partner, as well. Before combining policies, make sure to get a quote using a price comparison engine like The Zebra or Compare or have a digital agency like Gabi or Jerry do the shopping for you. This way, you have the opportunity to figure out of it’s actually cheaper. If the best decision is to keep separate policies, it is always possible to re-visit this option at a later date.
3. Decide the Amount Of Coverage Together
Every state has a minimum amount of car insurance that is required on a vehicle, so you can save a lot of money by lowering the amount of coverage you are paying for. Just keep in mind that a bare-bones policy may not cover all of your assets. Make sure to customize your policy to account for the actual value of your vehicle and your driving lifestyle. Keep current health insurance policies in mind, as well, when customizing medical coverage so you’re not buying double coverage.
4. Shop Around
People usually take their time figuring out their best option while shopping for a new vehicle. However, people seem to take far less time researching the best car insurance provider. Take the time to compare quotes from multiple car insurance companies and read customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot. At Clearcover, we’re able to save customers a significant amount of money because we use smart technology to dramatically lower operating costs and pass along the cost-savings to their customers. We can provide a quote in minutes and our prices have saved drivers up to 40% off what they were paying prior to joining Clearcover.
5. Consider Changing Your Vehicle
There is a stereotype that single people drive sports cars, while parents drive minivans. This is actually pretty accurate, because the reliability and safety of a vehicle will change the cost of car insurance. If you plan to grow your family, it may be time to trade in that street racer for a vehicle that will comfortably and safely transport your kids and pets. In turn, the cost of your car insurance premiums will go down as well. If you live in an urban area with public transportation, you may even want to consider downgrading to a single vehicle to share, if at all possible.
You’re Ready to Save on Car Insurance!
Now that you know all of the tips for finding affordable car insurance, it should be easier than ever to lower your monthly costs to fit any budget. Getting married is an exciting time of life so it’s easy to miss out on the ways to save money with your new official status as a couple. Don’t let that be you.
