Can married couples have separate car insurance?

While it is often less expensive to insure a married couple under the same policy, separate auto insurance policies make sense if one driver has an exceptionally poor driving record.

Before taking out separate auto insurance policies for you and your spouse, make sure that you check into all available options to get adequate coverage and the best possible rate.

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Determining the Price of Your Auto Insurance Premium

When thinking about separate auto insurance policies for a married couple, it is important to understand what can affect the rate that you receive.

These factors will be considered differently by different auto insurance companies, which is why shopping around for auto insurance rates makes sense for everyone.

There are many other factors besides just your driving record that affect your auto insurance rate, but your driving record is a primary concern.

• Driving Record – If either you or your spouse has a poor driving record, it could be cheaper to have that driver maintain a separate auto insurance policy.
• Credit Score – Your credit score can be used by auto insurance companies to determine your premium. If either you or your spouse has very poor credit, you may want to explore options to have that spouse insured separately. This is likely the case if one spouse has declared bankruptcy or has any judgment liens against them.
• Car Type – Another reason why separate auto insurance policies may make sense for you and your spouse is if one of you drive an especially expensive sports car.

The insurance company will view the car as much riskier to insure, so the auto insurance rate for that vehicle will be much higher. If only one spouse plans on driving that sports car, then you should look into having the other spouse excluded from driving the sports car.

Before you choose to exclude your spouse from your policy, then you will want to make absolutely certain that your spouse will not be driving the sports car.

This is because if there is an accident involving your spouse driving the sports car, he or she may have to pay completely out of pocket for any damages resulting from the accident.

Also, if the insurance company finds out that you misrepresented any facts on your auto insurance application, this can be grounds to cancel your coverage or to choose not to renew your policy for another term.

This is why it is important to be as honest as possible when you are requesting quotes for auto insurance policies and completing your auto insurance application.

Car Insurance for Married Couples

One of the reasons that married couples can receive better rates on auto insurance policies is that married drivers are seen as a lower risk by auto insurance companies.

In addition, you may get a lower rate on your auto insurance policy by having multiple cars insured under the same policy.

The savings you can enjoy by having multiple cars insured under the same auto insurance policy can be bigger than you would think. They will also vary across different companies, which is why it is so important for you to request multiple quotes.

The best way that you can make sure you and your spouse are getting the best possible rate on your auto insurance policies is to request quotes for both a combined auto insurance policy as well as for two separate auto insurance policies.

Be sure to tell the auto insurance agent the circumstances for each individual driver when requesting a quote.

Keep in mind that you do not necessarily have to use the same auto insurance company for both separate auto insurance policies. Depending on your individual circumstances, it may make more sense for you and your spouse to be insured by different auto insurance companies.

If this makes sense for you, just make sure that both houses have adequate coverage in the event of a car accident so that you are not faced with paying huge sums out of your own pocket for a serious car accident.

Even though the price is a major consideration in which auto insurance policy you choose, you should also make sure that you check into the reputation and track record of the auto insurance company.

If you ever have to file a claim through your auto insurance policy, you want to be sure that your insurance company will do an effective job at settling your claim and handling the aftermath of your auto accident.

If you and your spouse opt for separate auto insurance policies, you will both want to make sure that you maintain at least the amount required by state law for basic auto liability coverage.

It is always a good idea to get quotes for additional coverage because these minimum levels are typically not sufficient to fully cover you in the event of a car accident. This is because states have very low levels of required coverage in general.

The final word on auto insurance policies for married couples is that you should check with your auto insurance agent about what makes sense for you and your spouse in terms of combining auto insurance policies or maintaining separate ones.

In general, it is cheaper to combine auto insurance policies for a married couple, but there could be special circumstances that affect your situation.

Make sure to ask the insurance agent about how your specific circumstances can affect your rate and which policy option makes the most sense for you and your spouse.

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