The median age for a first marriage in the United States in 1950 was 22.8 for a man and 20.3 for a woman. Statistics show by the time I got married in the early 1980's, the median age was up 2 years for both sexes. According to the 2010 U.S. census, those statistics have increased steadily to the current median age of 27 for a man and 26 for a woman. What I found most interesting about that same census report, however, was the statistic indicating 7.5 million people reported to be living together.
There was a time when the social norm was for couples to begin living together only after marriage – a time when the dating process would typically progress from courtship to engagement to marriage. Most insurance coverage for couples was founded on the married couple. Based upon the most recent census statistics, more and more couples are living together prior to marriage or just living together and foregoing marriage altogether. I had to wonder how this trend might affect insurance coverage – if at all.
A handful of specific questions came to mind. Answers to the following questions are 'general' because guidelines can, in fact, vary carrier to carrier.
1. If a couple is living together, can they combine their auto insurance policies?
2. If an unmarried couple buys a house, can they get homeowner's insurance?
3. If someone is the sole owner of a house, are their partner's belongings covered?
4. Can an unmarried couple obtain renter's insurance?