Does getting married reduce the cost of car insurance?
There are lots of reasons to get married, but you might be surprised to learn of another benefit of tying the knot. You could get cheaper car insurance – here’s why.
There are lots of reasons to get married, but you might be surprised to learn of another benefit of tying the knot. You could get cheaper car insurance – here’s why.
Do you get cheaper car insurance when you get married?
In general, yes, married people tend to get cheaper car insurance. That’s because figures suggest that couples and families make fewer expensive claims than people who aren’t married. This means insurance providers may offer you cheaper car insurance when you get married.
Even if you’re in a traditionally ‘high risk’ insurance group, like young drivers under 25, getting married can still make car insurance cheaper.
This could also be the case if you have an expensive car that would cost an insurance provider a lot to replace or fix, or if you live in an area that has a high crime rate. Your insurance costs may go down after you get married.
However, just because you are married, your car insurance premium isn’t always guaranteed to go down. If you’ve racked up points or made a claim in the past, then tying the knot might not be enough to cancel out those misdemeanours.
Related articles
What if we’re a couple but not married?
If you’re not married, but in a couple and both live at the same address, some insurers will treat you as if you were married and revise your premium accordingly. But same goes as before – if your previous insurance and driving history are less than perfect, being part of a co-habiting couple might not save you money. Either way, it’s important to update your address if you move in with a partner and let your insurer know if you do decide to get married.
How can I get cheaper car insurance when married?
Your car insurance is calculated on your risk as a driver – and your premium’s based on factors like how old you are, where you live, how many miles you drive, where you park your car at night and whether you’ve made any claims in the past. By adding a named driver to the policy, you’re spreading the risk across more people and limiting the amount of time any one person spends behind the wheel – so much the better if that named driver is experienced and has never made any claims.
But it’s worth remembering that if your partner is considered high risk – for example, they’ve made claims on their car insurance in the past – adding them to your policy could push up the price. This is because they will be viewed as more likely to have an accident and make a claim on their insurance.
Don’t commit ‘fronting’
Adding a named driver to your policy may be one way of lowering your car insurance but be careful about who’s actually in the driving seat. A named driver is one that occasionally drives your car, the main driver (as the name would suggest) is the one who uses the car for the most amount of time. If you say someone else is the main driver but they’re not, in order to lower your insurance premium – it’s called fronting and it’s against the law. You can sometimes unwittingly fall into this trap as many parents do when they take out insurance policies for their children. If you’re found guilty, not only could your insurance be invalidated, but you could also be taken to court too. So be clear about who’s using the car that you’re insuring.
How can I get cheaper car insurance if I’m not married?
Popping the question and getting married isn’t the only way to lower your costs – plus, it’s not guaranteed either. If you’re single, there are still some things you can do to get cheaper car insurance:
- Choose the car you drive carefully – cars are categorised into insurance groups (1-50). Generally, the lower the number, the lower the car insurance.
- Security – installing an approved security system, immobiliser, and even where you park your car overnight can all affect your car insurance.
- Be accurate – try to be as accurate as possible when calculating your mileage, rounding up could push you into the next price bracket.
- Pay upfront – if you can, pay your insurance annually rather than monthly. Monthly instalments could be more expensive with interest and admin fees.
- Telematics – particularly for young drivers under 25, ‘black box’ insurance is a useful way to get cheaper car insurance. By proving you’re a good driver you could be rewarded with cheaper car insurance.
- No-claims discount – it can take a couple of years, but building a no-claims discount is a sure way to get cheaper car insurance.
- Increase the excess – often you can lower your premiums if you choose to pay a higher excess. Just be sure that it’s an affordable amount.
