Getting Married

Marriage insurance checklist (10 items)

1. 1

   Health insurance: choose one plan or stay on separate plans

   Marriage is a qualifying life event for a Special Enrollment Period — typically 60 days from the marriage date — letting you add your spouse to your employer plan or enroll together in an ACA marketplace plan. Run the math both ways: combined premiums + total deductible exposure on one family plan vs two individual plans. Often one carrier's family plan is cheaper than two individual plans; sometimes the opposite is true.

2. 2

   Auto insurance: combine into one household policy

   Combining auto policies typically saves money via the multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts. Each spouse's driving record affects the combined rate — a spouse with violations may raise the combined premium, while a spouse with a clean record may lower it. Shop the combined household against your current carriers.

3. 3

   Homeowners or renters: add spouse as named insured

   If you're moving into one spouse's owned home, add the other spouse as a named insured (not just a household member). If you're renting together, the renter's policy should list both names. Without proper listing, a claim may not protect both spouses' belongings or liability.

4. 4

   Bundle auto and home/renters for multi-policy discount

   Combining auto and homeowners (or renters) with the same carrier typically produces a 5-25% multi-policy discount. Verify the bundled price is actually cheaper than two best-of-breed standalone carriers — sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

5. 5

   Life insurance: review coverage amount and beneficiaries

   Marriage typically increases life insurance need — especially if one spouse stays home, takes on debt for the other (mortgage, student loans), or has dependents. Use the DIME method (Debt + Income + Mortgage + Education). Critically: update beneficiaries on every existing life policy. Named beneficiaries override wills.

6. 6

   Update beneficiaries on retirement and investment accounts

   401(k), IRA, brokerage, HSA, FSA, life insurance, disability insurance — every account with a beneficiary designation should be reviewed and updated. Beneficiary designations override wills, so an ex-spouse named on a 401(k) inherits, not your current spouse.

7. 7

   Umbrella insurance: consider adding if combined assets warrant

   Combining households often pushes total assets above the threshold where umbrella insurance makes sense. Umbrella adds $1M-$5M of liability above your auto and home/renters limits for typically $200-$500/year for the first $1M. If combined net worth exceeds $300,000, umbrella is usually worth pricing.

8. 8

   Wedding insurance: post-event review

   If you bought wedding insurance (cancellation, liability, vendor failure), confirm any claims were filed by the deadlines. After the wedding, cancel any short-term coverage that's no longer needed.

9. 9

   Review disability insurance for both spouses

   Marriage often makes both spouses financially interdependent. Each spouse should have disability income coverage adequate to maintain household expenses if one becomes disabled. Group LTD from employers often falls short for higher earners.

10. 10

    Renters or homeowners scheduled property (jewelry, art)

    Engagement and wedding rings often exceed the special limit for jewelry on standard homeowners or renters policies ($1,500-$2,500). Schedule rings, watches, and other high-value gifts with a scheduled personal property endorsement (appraisal required).

Related

FAQ

Do I have to combine insurance when I get married?

Not legally. Each spouse can maintain separate auto, health, and other policies if it makes financial sense. But combining typically produces discounts (multi-vehicle, multi-policy) and simplifies administration. Run the math both ways before deciding.

When can I add my new spouse to my health insurance?

Marriage is a qualifying life event for a Special Enrollment Period — typically 60 days from the marriage date. You can add your spouse to your employer-sponsored plan or enroll together in an ACA marketplace plan. Outside the SEP window, you generally must wait until annual open enrollment.

Will my auto insurance go up after marriage?

It depends on your spouse's driving record. If they have a clean record, combining typically lowers your combined premium via multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts. If they have violations or accidents in the past 3-5 years, combining may raise the household rate. Get a household quote before committing.

Do I need to update beneficiaries after getting married?

Yes, immediately. Every account with a beneficiary designation — life insurance, 401(k), IRA, HSA, brokerage accounts — should be reviewed and updated. Beneficiary designations override your will. An outdated beneficiary (parent, sibling, ex) inherits regardless of marital status.

Should we get umbrella insurance now that we're married?

Worth considering if combined household net worth exceeds $300,000 (including home equity, retirement balances, and savings). Umbrella adds $1M-$5M of liability above auto and home/renters limits for ~$200-$500/year. Combining households often pushes assets across the threshold where the umbrella math makes sense.