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Unmarried Couples & Insurance

December 6th, 2019 | 1 min read

By Steven Ladd

Unmarried & Uninsured?

As people continue to delay marriage and cohabitation rates increase, the amount of unmarried partners buying insurance will increase. However, being “unwed” while living together can cost you money or protection from an insurance perspective. When married couples are on the same policy there are more discounts . Not to mention improved tiering, consolidated billing, plus other benefits. This is changing rapidly and now many unmarried couples can buy insurance at a competitive rate compared to married couples.

Caution…

However, there are some nuances to be aware of especially if you decide to move in with your partner. Let’s set up a scenario to illustrate an issue an unmarried couple could run into. You decide to move in with your significant other. Suppose your lease is up and your partner has a nice house. Since you’re planning on getting engaged in a couple months anyways, you move in and start saving money and help pay for the mortgage while you’re at it. A month later an electrical fire breaks out. Naturally, your partner files a claim with his insurance carrier. He is told that while his stuff will be replaced, yours will not. Why?

In this situation, the reason that your belongings were not covered under the possessions section of the homeowners insurance policy is because your partner originally bought the house and is considered the sole owner. When they bought the house the homeowners insurance policy was sole to them and only them. While unmarried couples can easily receive a policy at the same rate as married couples, both partners need to be listed as occupants.

Remedy…

Luckily, this is an easily avoidable situation. Should your partner plan to move into your house, check with your insurance company to see if you can add your partner as an occupant so they can be covered under the same terms you are. If that works, then great! If not, consider having your partner purchase renters insurance.

Renters insurance covers you as a person rather than homeowners insurance which covers you and the structure. The renters insurance policy will cover all your possessions and will not factor in your relationship status. It is extremely important to note that if you did not buy the home together this is the most common way to be covered. However, as aforementioned, this is changing rapidly so it is important to check with the insurance company just to make sure.

If you’re planning on moving in with your partner and need to check what your policy covers, call Horan Insurance at (315) 635-2095.

Topics:

claims