One of the often overlooked joys of wedded bliss is that of the discounted premiums on married couple automobile insurance. While qualifying for a lower automobile insurance rate should certainly be near the bottom of your list of reasons to tie the knot, the fact that you and your beloved were willing to take a stab at a lifetime commitment sits very well with auto insurance companies.

Insurance companies simply see married couples as more responsible than single people and more motivated to drive carefully so that they make it safely back to hearth and home. Discounted automobile insurance is one way they have of encouraging such behavior. So all other things about them, like their ages, driving records, and credit histories being equal, a married person is likely to pay a lower premium than a single person.

If, however, either you or your spouse has a spotty driving record, both of you will be hit with increased premiums. The high risk driving habits of one spouse will hold sway over the perfect driving habits of the other, and while it may not seem fair, it is reality.

One Policy Fits All

The reason for this is that the automobile insurance on your vehicle will cover any of the drivers in your home, including your careless spouse or children. Your insurance company acts on a worst-case scenario and will charge premiums based on the highest-risk driver who might possibly use your cars. If this is happening in your family, you may be able to lower your automobile insurance premiums by having the bad drivers complete safe driving courses.

It is often the case, when a couple marries, for each spouse to have his or her own car and to be insured by different automobile insurance companies. So the couple should look at their policies and determine which carrier will offer them the best coverage for the smallest premium, and switch both policies to that carrier. Or they can shop for an entirely new carrier to handle coverage for both of them. The amount of discount a married couple will receive on their auto insurance premium will depend on their ages, driving and credit records, and educational status.

If the insurance company is impressed with the background data of you and your spouse, you will probably be rewarded with a reduced automobile insurance premium. If, however, you should divorce or your spouse should pass away, your premium will increase, and for some divorced or widowed people, this can be a financial strain.

It Doesn't Pay To Be Single

One of the more perplexing things about automobile insurance is that being married will automatically qualify you for a discounted premium regardless of your age factors. Even though you are getting older every minute, getting older with a spouse seems to matter less to automobile insurance companies than getting older as a single person. You may have a spotless driving record, but if you are single, you will still be penalized for being single.

One thing to remember, if you and your spouse are looking for automobile insurance quotes, is that the lowest insurance quotes you receive might only provide the same coverage you carried as single people, and you may be legally required, as a couple, to increase the amount of your coverage.