Car insurance for families and married couples: what you need to know.
Updating your insurance coverage is a big consideration after you reach certain life milestones. People often assume this advice only pertains to life insurance but adjusting your car insurance should be on your list of things to do as well. Whether you’re getting married and looking to combine auto insurance policies, buying optional protection for a growing family, or insuring a child old enough to drive, there are important decisions to make. While some of them can cost drivers, there are ways to save for those who know where to look.
People who are married often get a car insurance discount, but there are lots of other ways to save money. For instance, while combining auto insurance for married couples may save money for some, other couples might save more by insuring themselves separately. Multi-vehicle policies and other discount opportunities might help you spend less on the best family car insurance and more on your family.
Find the lowest auto insurance rates for families and married couples today by comparing them using LowestRates.ca. By using our online tool, you can compare rates from more than 50 auto insurance companies instantly. Within three minutes of entering your information, you’ll receive auto insurance quotes for families online to review.
If you’re in the market for family car insurance plans read on to learn more about getting car insurance that fits your needs and about how you can reduce your insurance premiums. You can also start shopping around now by using our comparison tool.
Frequently asked questions about car insurance for families and married couples, answered.
Is it possible to buy a family car insurance plan?
Though family plans exist for other products, like mobile phones, there’s no direct equivalent for family auto insurance.
Instead, the person who drives a vehicle most (often the owner) is generally listed as a primary driver on an auto insurance policy. Other licensed people living in the same household should be listed as occasional drivers unless they are specifically excluded in the policy.
Excluded drivers have no coverage under a particular vehicle’s coverage when driving it. Doing so is a relatively rare measure and can exclude a high-risk driver from being on the policy, such as one with a poor driving record, or a teen or older driver.
In households with more than one vehicle, purchasing a multi-car policy is similar to an auto insurance family plan in some ways. The cars need to be stored at a single address to qualify for a multi-vehicle policy. Because this scenario involves insuring more than one car, your monthly bill might be higher than what a single person would pay. However, getting a multi-vehicle insurance policy is usually cheaper than insuring multiple cars within one household separately. Insurance companies will give you discounts of up to 20% on your annual premium for choosing a multi-car policy.
To get affordable car insurance for family members, the best course of action is to shop around. By using a comparison tool like LowestRates.ca, only a few minutes separate you from a car insurance plan that fits your needs.
Can couples purchase joint car insurance?
Affordable car insurance for married couples can be achieved by using the same insurer for both drivers. If there’s one vehicle, the spouse who drives it most should be listed as primary driver and the other spouse as secondary driver. If there’s more than one vehicle in the household, each spouse should be named as primary driver on the vehicle they drive most and typically secondary driver on the other.
By purchasing insurance together married couples can potentially save through multi-vehicle policies, combining home and auto insurance or taking advantage of employer, alumni, or other affinity discounts.
But it’s not necessary for married couples to purchase joint car insurance. In fact, some couples may prefer to buy insurance separately. This may be an option if one spouse has a poor driving record or owns a luxury or sports car which is expensive to insure. It isn’t necessary to have a driver’s partner or spouse on a car insurance policy, either, but if they aren’t listed on the policy, it may cause complications if they use the vehicle and end up getting into a collision.
LowestRates.ca can help you find the best car insurance for young married couples or older ones in just a few minutes. By entering your postal code and clicking “Get Started,” you can compare insurance quotes from 50+ Canadian providers.
What kind of car insurance is needed for a two-car family?
If car insurance for two cars in a family or more is needed, a wide selection of insurers offer multi-car policies . Each vehicle will need a primary driver assigned to it, and each driver will receive a discount on their policy. Typically, this can result in combined savings ranging between 5% and 20% for all drivers insuring vehicles that are stored and registered to a single household address.
When calculating the discounts insurers will consider factors like the age and model of the vehicles, as well as the driving records and gender of each driver. Insurers may have different criteria for taking on multi-car policies. Some may limit the number of cars permitted to two or three, while others may allow up to five. The only way to know for sure is to shop around for family car insurance quotes.
Don’t pay above-average car insurance rates when you don’t have to. The best way to save money is by comparing multiple quotes. An online tool like LowestRates.ca let’s you do so in minutes.
Does car insurance cover other family members?
A family member who only drives a policyholder’s car on rare occasions will generally be covered by the policy, provided they have a valid license and are using the vehicle legally.
If a driver has family members who live at home and drive the vehicle, like a spouse and/or appropriately licensed children, they should be listed as occasional drivers to be covered under the vehicle’s insurance policy.
Children only need to be listed as occasional drivers once they can drive a car on their own. Older parents living with their children can also be listed as occasional drivers if they are secondary drivers on vehicles registered to the address.
Drivers may be interested in adding additional coverage to policies to ensure additional family members are covered. This may include increasing statutory accident benefits coverage or adding family protection coverage to a basic vehicle insurance policy.
When shopping around for different policy options using LowestRates.ca, drivers —especially families — can find premiums that best fit their needs and budget.
What is the family protection endorsement and do I need it?
The family protection endorsement is optional coverage that can be added to a standard auto insurance policy. It covers the insured driver or an eligible family member with extra third-party liability in case of injury or death in a not at fault vehicle accident with an unidentified, under-insured or uninsured driver. This endorsement is available under different names in Ontario, Alberta, and Atlantic Canada.
The family protection endorsement also covers hit and run accidents. If a driver can’t be identified, expenses are borne by the driver’s insurance through the endorsement including potential medical expenses and loss of wages.
This endorsement covers the same limits as a driver’s third-party liability coverage, which is used in case of property damage, death or injury claims resulting from an at fault accident. In most provinces the minimum for third-party liability coverage is $200,000 though that is often increased to $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 by policyholders to ensure covering potential needs of multiple family members.
By purchasing this family car insurance policy option, drivers can receive greater coverage for their families, particularly if they have a higher than minimum liability. For a driver with $2 million in liability, for example, who gets in a collision with a driver who has only $200,000, will have the difference covered by their insurer through this endorsement.
This endorsement won’t necessarily cost the same at every insurance company. LowestRates.ca can help you compare vehicle insurance rates within a few minutes to find a premium that meets your needs and budget.
Is car insurance cheaper for married couples?
Married couples can potentially save on car insurance. In some provinces, insurers are allowed to offer cheaper rates to married people. Two likely explanations for this may be that insurance companies view drivers in legal partnerships as more responsible and therefore careful drivers, or that the discount can be justified by married couples often skewing above age 25, before which premiums are typically much higher.
If each spouse owns a car, it may be possible to pay less for insurance by purchasing through the same company. This generally requires similarly clean driving records to get the most savings.
If you want to find the best car insurance for married couples, the best way to find it is by shopping around.
The different considerations each insurer considers will determine if car insurance is cheaper for married couples, including factors which vary between companies. Therefore, shopping around is essential to get the best price. At LowestRates.ca you can use our online tool to find dozens of affordable car insurance options quickly and easily.