“I do, right?” Insurance Do’s and Don’ts for Couples Getting Married

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post, I want to say, Congratulations! Unless you’re just curious (which, if that’s you – welcome!), you’re here because you or someone you know is getting married. Which is exciting! It can be a lot of fun to plan for the perfect wedding – whether that’s in a rustic barn in the countryside, an ornate and regal church, a destination wedding, or anything in between.

While insurance is important, it’s not always fun (unless you’re working with us, of course!), so we’ve put together the top items to accomplish, and the top mistakes to avoid.

Let’s get started.

• Do: Review your Insurance with an Unbiased Third Party and/or Expert Opinion

  This may sound a little bit self-serving, but we’ve found time and time again that an unbiased third party with insurance experience, can be the difference between aggravating vs devastating loss experiences. Unbiased parties (even if they are not us!) can help you evaluate the policy you have, and any coverage you may newly need as newlyweds.

• Don’t: Wait to talk about your insurance until after the wedding (you or your perfect person may not have a perfect record!)

  There are so many times during life where you could look at your partner and say “Wait, really?” We want those times be when they put ketchup on their eggs, not when you (or they) realize that they (or you) had a major accident just before you got together and the insurance will be skyrocketing.

• Do: Pull together all of the most recent paperwork from both sides, for all policies

  It may sound like a lot, and if your policies are still separate, it may be daunting to look at. However, that unbiased third party can help break down what it means if your current agent hasn’t. Making sure everything looks good to both you and your other half, is all you really need.

• Don’t: Leave all of the initial discussions or changes to just one of you

  We’re not saying you need to be there for every discussion if you don’t want to be. It’s a lot! We’re just saying that the first conversation, when you decide what amount of coverage is comfortable, should be a discussion you both engage in.

“Making sure

everything looks

good to both you

and your other

half, is all you

really need.”

• Do: Seek out insurance education that helps to make it easy

  There are so many resources available on the Internet! You can find information online to answer those nagging questions you can’t stop thinking about at 2 in the morning. If you find an insurance broker that you get along with well, they will be one of the most powerful resources for your questions, but do not feel limited by their work schedule. Ask them to clarify as you’re learning!

• Don’t: Feel the need to make every decision right now – just get your thoughts and notes together

  The biggest source of overwhelmed feelings is the pushy insurance professional saying “would you like that quote right now” when you’re just trying to open the dialogue for your future needs. Be open and honest with them about what you’re looking for. If they’re just out to make a buck and not truly help you, you’ll know pretty fast.

• Do: Talk with your partner about what option is adequate, and make sure you have enough for both of you to be comfortable

  Compromise is the lifeblood of any relationship. If you’re comfortable paying $1,000 out of pocket after an accident, but your S.O. only wants to pay $500, go for $500. If you want full rebuild cost on your home, and they’re happy just to have market value, go for full rebuild.

  One exception: If one side is fully and completely responsible for something and the other doesn’t care, do as you like! Example: You don’t care about their stamp collection, but they have a standalone policy for it. It would come directly out of their personal pocket. At that point, do you care what their deductible is?

• Don’t: Set up with anyone – even family – without them helping you understand your coverage

  The foundation of a happy relationship with your insurance, and true peace of mind, is based in you knowing what and how it covers the things that matter most to you. An agent or broker that is invested in your success will spend the time to make sure you understand the inner workings of your policy.

All right, I’m glad we went through this together!

I want you to feel empowered when it comes to making the right insurance decisions. If you have questions, want to know what questions you should be asking, or need to set up a full evaluation, reach out to me here, check out our FAQs here, or text me here.

Until we chat again!

Vita