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College students know as well as anyone how expensive it can be to get an education.

Between tuition, room and board, and books, you probably don’t have much room in your budget. But one cost you might not be expecting is car insurance.

Student drivers could end up paying thousands of dollars each year in insurance premiums.

But if you’re looking for ways to save on car insurance, you’ve come to the right place. In this not-so crash course on car insurance, we’ll show you what most people pay and a few ways how smart, responsible college students might be able to save money.

How much is the average car insurance for a college student?

Student drivers can face sky-high insurance rates.

But just how expensive is it?

According to a study by ValuePenguin, college-age drivers pay between $4,000 and $7,000 each year in insurance premiums.

Take a look:

That’s more than some people spend on their first car!

Another way of looking at it? During four years of college, the average student driver will spend nearly $23,000 on car insurance. That’s almost as much as the amount of student loan debt the average student graduates with, according to Student Loan Hero.

Why is car insurance so expensive for college students?

Many auto insurers grade on a curve.

“Teenage drivers represent the highest risk segment of the population and are involved in more serious and fatal accidents than anyone else,” according to the Insurance Information Institute, an insurance industry association. 

“From the insurance company’s standpoint, high risk requires a higher insurance premium.”

Even if you’re a responsible driver, you could still end up paying for other people’s bad habits behind the wheel. 

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. Immaturity and lack of driving experience are the two main factors leading to the high crash rate among young people,” the Insurance Information Institute reports.

The Insurance Information Institute adds: “Teens’ lack of experience affects their recognition of and response to hazardous situations and results in dangerous practices such as speeding and tailgating.”

How can I get cheaper car insurance?

Just because the average college student pays an outrageous amount for car insurance doesn’t mean you have to.

There are a few ways you might be able to save money.

Keep the family plan

You might be able to stay on your parents’ auto insurance policy when you go to college.

While piggybacking off their positive driving record could bring your rates down a bit, it will probably raise your parents’ rates.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, adding a teenage driver to a family’s auto insurance policy can increase rates by 50 percent to 100 percent. 

“Generally, it is cheaper to put a teenage driver on the family policy,” the organization found.

But cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean low-cost.

So what if there was a way to show the insurance company you pose less of a risk than most college students because you’re a safe driver or don’t drive that often?

Could that lower your insurance premiums?

Ask for a discount

Some auto insurers offer discounts to responsible drivers.

For example, Metromile offers discounts for safe driving, including if you haven’t filed a claim in several years. These discounts are on top of what you save with pay per mile when you drive less.

Only pay for the miles you drive

If you don’t get behind the wheel regularly, it might make more sense to get a car insurance policy that charges you by the mile.

Pay-per-mile insurance companies like Metromile only charge you for the miles you actually drive.

The way it works is Metromile customers plug in a secure device in your car that counts how many miles you drive. You’ll pay a base rate that could be as low as $29 per month, plus a few cents for every mile you drive. 

So the less you drive, the more you’ll save.

Here’s how much the average driver saves when they switch to Metromile:

7 reasons Metromile can help college students save money on car insurance

The average American drives 13,476 miles per year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

But as a college student, you probably don’t drive nearly as often. So why pay an insurance company for all those miles you don’t drive?

Here are a few reasons why pay-per-mile car insurance might make sense for you:

1. You’re taking classes remotely. If you’re living at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you might not drive as much as you used to. With your spring break road trip canceled and no parties to attend, because of shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders in your area, your car might start feeling lonely.
2. You live on campus. You’re so close you can walk (or bike) to classes. 
3. You have a short commute. Even though you live off-campus, if you have a short drive to your classes, or take public transportation to school, you probably don’t put many miles on your car.
4. You work near campus. Whether you work on campus as part of a work-study program or have a job nearby as a barista at a local coffee shop, unless your employer is 20 miles away, you probably aren’t putting many miles on your car.
5. You can’t find parking. If parking spots are hard to come by in your college town, it might be easier to find another way to get around.
6. You take rideshare when you go out. If you Uber everywhere, those are miles you’re not putting on your car.
7. You’re a freshman. Some schools require first-year students to leave their cars at home, so they can get better acclimated to college life. If your car is parked in your family’s driveway, it’s not racking up miles.

What’s next?

If you’re tired of paying so much for car insurance when you barely drive, you might want to consider switching to a policy that only charges you for the miles you drive.
You can get a free quote from Metromile today to learn more.

Metromile customer Marc is a British expat who currently resides in Los Angeles. He works with a favorite product of ours, Drop Stop, a “Shark Tank”-backed company manufacturing vehicle gap fillers that block off the area between the side of your driver’s seat and middle console. Driven by a similar passion, Marc’s hunt for the best deal led him to Metromile.

We have to ask: has it been hard to learn to drive in the U.S.?

Surprisingly, no! It actually works out better for me since I’m right-handed and drive a stick shift, so I’m not forced to be ambidextrous. 

Thanks for being a Metromile customer! What spurred you to switch insurance companies? 

I was on the hunt for better insurance and pricing. During my extensive research, I read a lot of your reviews. The Metromile representative I spoke with was so good; they answered so many questions for me so quickly. My OBD-II port is used for a heads-up display, and the representative assured me I could still receive the same benefits and functionality of the Pulse device by opting for your cigarette lighter adapter. Seeing what I’d save with pay per mile insurance and having a great interaction with your service team was huge for me.

I’ve had zero issues, am paying a price that I’m happy with every month. I really believe in your company.  

Was your previous coverage different compared to Metromile?

I was paying more with my previous insurer — around $200 per month. I think they are really ripping people off. With Metromile, I’m saving $50 every month, even with a newer, better car!

Have your driving habits changed in recent months, during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Oddly enough, I’ve been driving more these days. Prior to COVID-19, my trips were more direct, to-and-from errands. Now, I’m making more of an effort to get out of the house to get some fresh air and take in the nature and scenery around Los Angeles.

Which Metromile feature do you enjoy the most?

I use the online dashboard the most. It’s cool to have quick access to all of my information in one place.

I’m also very active with my referral link. If I find a really good product or company, I want to spread the word about it!

In the fast lane: Speed-round questions!

Are you a better driver or passenger?

As I love driving and exploring, I’d have to say I’m a better driver, so I can be behind the wheel and start the adventure! 

If you could take a road trip with anyone, who would it be?

I’d love to show a family member who is no longer here around the beautiful city of Los Angeles and all of the favorite spots I think they’d love!

Do you like to listen to any music when you drive?

I love listening to Spotify and my various playlists. Each playlist is a little different!

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many aspects of our lives are changing. Many of us are reevaluating our expenses, sometimes budgeting for the first time in a while. Recently, many jobs have also moved to remote work. 

If you transitioned to working from home, here are some steps you should consider to make the most of your new lifestyle:

1. Assess your lifestyle as you live it now.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought into our lives. Our routines have changed. Suddenly, we’re shopping online more frequently, skipping the usual morning latte, and maybe focusing more on necessities like groceries and utility bills like the internet.

Instead of getting bogged down in what will be a good fit, months from now, focus on how you live life today.

Start by reviewing where you stand today. For example, it can pay to look into your financial situation to understand what you’re working with and to avoid any budget surprises.

If you’re working from home, look into whether your company has provided guidance about when you might need to go back into the office. You may be in for the long haul if your company has been quiet about a return-to-office date. Notably, some large employers like Google and Uber announced they wouldn’t return to their offices until 2021. Others, like Twitter, Square, and Shopify, have entirely shifted their employees to permanent remote work. Your company may have similar plans. 

2. Find easy ways to save.

With the everyday commute and morning rush hour that was commonplace for so many of us practically gone, our car could be an easy place to look for savings. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic could be a good time to switch car insurance companies.

Car insurance coverage is a necessity, and the price we pay seems fair when we’re driving all the time. But what about now when we use our cars less?

Pay-per-mile car insurance could be a fit for many drivers now. For example, Metromile bills adapt to your lifestyle in near real-time because you pay for the miles you drive. The pricing structure can give you more control over your monthly budget, and bills can be lower because you pay just a few cents per mile.

3. Look for services that provide flexibility.

We’re interacting with our service providers differently these days, but we still expect them to be there for us when we need them. Stand-out companies should have flexible terms and be willing to adapt, just as we change our lifestyles.

Recently, large car insurance companies have made some changes to the premiums they charge drivers. Customers have recognized the unfairness of paying the same flat-rate premiums, despite driving less in response to the stay-at-home and lockdown orders enacted to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Many insurance companies offered one-time discounts or flat-rate COVID-19 discounts on their policies, but many drivers continued to overpay because their driving reduced considerably, or the savings were too small to make a difference in people’s budgets.

Low-mileage drivers (the majority of Americans!) can save with Metromile. There’s no need to wait for a discount or refund because savings are built into the pay per mile model. Metromile customers saved about 30% on average beginning in April and can continue to save because they pay per mile.

If your driving patterns change or you need to resume your regular commute again, Metromile can still help you save. Metromile customers, including essential and frontline workers, saved $741 a year on average, according to a survey of new customers who saved with Metromile in 2018. Additionally, Metromile doesn’t charge cancellation fees, so you can switch with confidence. 

Meet Kalona R., a Metromile customer from a suburb of Philadelphia, who knows a thing or two about insurance. Despite working for another insurance company, she has signed up her friends and family, including her grandmother, aunt, and mother, with Metromile because of the helpful customer service. She also says she saved with pay-per-mile car insurance, even when she had a long commute every day.

How did you find out about Metromile? Is it because you are already in the insurance industry?

I was shopping around for a new car with the help of my uncle, who’s a car salesman. He was a Metromile customer and recommended it to me. I was having a hard time getting car insurance and finding a reasonable rate; other insurance companies were dinging me because I had a year-long gap in coverage where I didn’t have a car and wasn’t driving. 

I had been commuting 100 miles a day then, and my quote with you was still better than any other insurers I had shopped around with! You were definitely the most practical option for me. 

Wow, a car salesman and an insurance insider — your family is a one-stop-shop! What have you learned about insurance?

Before I started working in insurance about four years ago, I had no idea about different kinds of coverage, but now I’m an insurance nerd. All of my friends come to me to help them with explaining the different terms and what to look for in a quote. I always recommend Metromile, even over the insurance company I work for!

Is there a story about Metromile you sometimes tell to your friends and family?

I like being able to make changes myself, right on the app. And I love the gas feature and the check engine decoder. I once got an alert that there was something wrong with my car. I had no idea! It hadn’t been driving differently or making any weird noises. Immediately I took it in to a repair shop and was able to nip the problem in the bud. It would have cost me so much more had I not gotten that message!

What do your friends and family think about Metromile?

My 60-year-old mom is on my policy, and my 85-year-old grandma has her Metromile policy, too; so does my aunt. Particularly with my grandma, I like being able to see her trips on the app and know that she’s staying close to home. I’ve referred so many friends and family members to Metromile that I’ve maxed out on the gift card rewards! 

That’s awesome! What did you do with all of the gift cards you earned?

Since my job now has me working from home, I treated myself to a nice office chair! I even had a balance left over to get my cousin a gift to celebrate their graduation.

What’s driving like for you these days now that you’re working from home?

With my new job, I was only driving 15 minutes from home. Now, with COVID-19, my bill is even lower, even though I have two cars on my policy.

What do you like most about Metromile?

I love the pay-per-mile structure. I can see the relief in my premium when I drive less.

Overall, the customer service has been really helpful and is a big part of why I’ve stayed with you for so long. No other company has asked how they can serve us better or for suggestions. I really appreciate you wanting to do better and wanting to have a conversation with me. It shows you meant it.

In the fast lane: Speed-round questions!

Are you a better driver or passenger?

I’m a better driver, hands down. I’m much more comfortable in a car when I’m the one driving!

If you could take a road trip with anyone, who would it be?

To be fair, I’m not a fan of road trips. If I had to pick a road-trip partner, it would be my best friend, Keisha. We have so much fun together, and that is important when you’re stuck in a car with someone for hours. We have the same music taste, so that helps! 

What’s your ideal weekend getaway: driving into the city or heading out to the coast?

My ideal weekend is having work off and being able to catch up on my sleep and Netflix shows.

Courtney Welch is a mother of two from Hayward, California, who, during the recent shelter-in-place order and her recent maternity leave, noticed her driving habits changing. She switched to Metromile — and inspired her parents to do so as well! — and has been putting money back into her family’s budget with what she’s saved with Metromile.

How long have you been a Metromile customer, and what inspired you to check us out?

I’ve been with Metromile since April of this year, so about three months. I saw your commercials and thought “that seems like a nifty idea!” You’d be helping the environment, helping fight off the pandemic by sheltering in place, and you’d be saving money by not driving.

This was literally one of the greatest decisions to help with expanding my maternity leave budget.

Was the insurance you had previously different from Metromile?

I was driving a lot, a lot, a lot before COVID-19. I was driving about 40 miles a day round-trip, previously. I had moved farther from my son’s school so my commute was considerably longer.

In the first six weeks of my maternity leave, I only drove about 180 miles in total.

There was a considerably big drop in my mileage, as I was barely driving my car anymore — just to the grocery store down the street if that. It was the perfect time to switch to Metromile; I love it.

How has your driving changed? Do you think this is your new normal?

I recently got a new job — only about seven miles from my house. I definitely won’t be driving nearly as much as I was previously since I’ll be working remotely for the foreseeable future. My son’s new school is considerably closer to home as well.

Shortly after I switched over to Metromile, my 67-year-old parents did too. They drive even less than I do! They had been paying $250 a month on car insurance for a car that they weren’t using; it was just sitting there collecting dust. They’re on retirement income and want to be mindful about their spending.

My mom had a great conversation with the representative when she signed up and is happy she can speak with a human, and now they have money back in their budget. They only drive to doctor’s appointments and the occasional errand.

Do you use the Metromile app?

Yes, I do! When I financed my car and switched from my previous insurance company, I had to send over my insurance information and coverage details. It was super easy for me to go in and download my proof of insurance card. All of those documents were super easy to find right in the app, to download, and email them over.

I think the budget tracker (trip tracker) is such a cool feature, too. I don’t go to the gas station as often anymore, but it’s nice to have just in case you might forget how much you have left in your tank.

I’m also glad the diagnostic portal is there just to let me know if and when something might be going on.

Do you have any feedback for us?

Thank you for existing. My next goal is to get a larger car since I have a larger family. 

With Metromile, I have the ability to track and control how much I’m spending because I’m paying per mile. I can put more money towards a new vehicle since I’m not spending so much on insurance. That frees up my budget for other things like diapers!

The COVID-19 pandemic is upending nearly every aspect of our lives. Every day, news headlines seem to bring more questions than answers. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed amidst the uncertainty, but you shouldn’t let these set back your financial success.

Consider these four steps to stretch your budget, so you have a better chance of shoring up your budget, even if you’ve lost income because of a furlough, layoff, or reduced hours at work.

1. Look into refinancing

The Federal Reserve has cut rates to nearly zero, which makes it an appealing time to refinance. In other words, you may be able to replace a loan, such as your mortgage, private student loan, or personal loan, with another loan that has a lower interest rate. Refinancing can help you lower your bills by reducing what you have to pay for a loan.

Refinancing isn’t always a good idea, though. For example, so many people are looking to refinance their mortgages that some lenders are actually increasing their rates. Plus, many loans come with closing costs, which could eat up some of your precious cash. Before you apply, talk to an expert or use an online mortgage refinance calculator to see whether refinancing will save you money.

Time estimate: It depends on what you’re trying to refinance. Mortgages, which are usually the most complicated, could take hours as you usually need to send the lender a ton of documents, get your place appraised, and more. However, refinancing other loans, such as your car or credit card debt, should take less time.

2. Apply for unemployment

If your employer reduced your hours or shut down completely, apply for unemployment as soon as you can. Government programs, including from Congress’ CARES Act, greatly expanded unemployment coverage, including:

• Extended benefits by 13 weeks
• Added an extra $600 a week for four months on top of state benefits
• Extended to those who don’t qualify for regular state employment, including self-employed people and part-time workers

Check with your state government to see if you’re eligible and to apply. You can also check out this guide from the Department of Labor to learn more about your state’s program.

Time estimate: Many states let you apply online, and the application is usually pretty straightforward — you just need to have the right information on hand, like your former employer’s contact information, dates of employment, and latest pay stubs.

3. Take up a side-hustle

With the time you would’ve spent commuting, you can also try to make some extra cash. Companies like Upwork allow you to complete tasks from home, whether you want to design, write, or be a virtual assistant. Delivery apps and grocery stores are also ramping up hiring to keep up with the increased demand now that everyone is leaving the home less often.

Time estimate: It’s up to you! Some of these gigs can take minutes, while others can span hours — it depends on your schedule and what you’re looking for.

4. Talk to a professional

If you’re feeling overwhelmed (who isn’t?), reach out to a professional. Many can talk you through your situation and help evaluate your options for little or no cost.

Be careful, though — there are a lot of untrustworthy companies and scams out there. We recommend using a housing counselor or credit counseling organization recommended by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

—

Jenna Lee is a content marketer, Oxford comma enthusiast, and cat lover living in the Bay Area.

Let’s be real. Even if you’re fortunate enough to not get sick, COVID-19 will likely affect your life.  With all of this uncertainty, it’s best to start preparing now. Fortunately, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who have been urged to stay home, you likely have more time on your hands right now. In the United States, the average commute is around 27 minutes, which means if your company lets you work from home, you could save about an hour a day. (I save around two hours!)

This extra time is the perfect opportunity to make smart financial moves that can help protect yourself financially. Here’s how you can prepare: 

Assess your situation

If you haven’t already, begin by taking stock of your financial situation — you can’t make a plan if you don’t know what you’re working with. This means:

• Check your bank accounts. Figure out how much you usually spend each month and how long your savings would last if you lost your job.
• Check your debt statements. Check your credit cards, student loans, auto loans — everything you owe — and note how much debt you have in total.
• Check your credit. If you end up needing to apply for more credit, it’s important to know your chances of being approved. A review of your credit score and credit report can help you prepare.

Once you have a good idea of your situation, it’ll be easier to prepare for the future and decide whether you need to make any of the financial moves below. For example, if you have a ton of credit card debt but have good credit, you could consider applying for a personal loan, a credit card with an introductory 0% APR, or a balance transfer. Or, if you’ve calculated that you’ll run out of savings in a month, you can contact your lenders and ask for more time to make payments.

Note: the one type of account you shouldn’t check is your investments, including your 401(k) retirement account. As the stock market is fluctuating, checking your investment accounts may cause you some unneeded stress. If you’re not in desperate need of the money you’ve invested, just ride this wave out. Investing is a long-term game — don’t get distracted by any short-term setbacks.

Time estimate: It depends on how many accounts you have (and how good you are at memorizing the passwords you need to get into your accounts). In general, this shouldn’t take more than a few hours or a weekend afternoon.

Contact your lenders if you need help

Late payments can wreak havoc on your credit, which could subsequently affect your ability to borrow for years to come. If you can’t make a payment, though, don’t just accept the hit. 

When disasters happen, the FDIC notes that “Your creditors will likely work with you on a solution, but it’s important to contact them as soon as possible and explain your situation.” In other words, don’t wait until you start missing payments.

Whether you need help from your phone company, mortgage servicer, credit card issuers, private student loan servicer, or insurance companies, simply contact them, let them know you’re having financial troubles due to COVID-19, and ask if they can be flexible. In many cases, they should be willing to help.

Credit cards

Many of the main credit card providers are offering temporary assistance, such as:

• Allowing you to defer, reduce, or skip payments
• Reducing or waiving interest charges
• Increasing your credit limit
• Waiving fees
  

Student loans

If you have federal student loans, the CARES Act provides an automatic suspension of payments through September 30 — no need to contact your student loan servicer. If you have private student loans, get in touch with your servicer, and see what they can do to help.

Mortgages

If your mortgage is backed by the federal government, you may be able to suspend payments for up to a year if you’ve lost income because of COVID-19. Simply submit a request to your mortgage servicer and let them know you’re experiencing financial hardship.

If your mortgage isn’t backed by the federal government, reach out to your servicer anyway and see if they can offer relief. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Before you ask

Your lenders and servicers will likely ask questions about your situation to determine the best way to help you. Be ready to explain your situation and estimate how much you can pay and when you think you can resume full payments.

Time estimate: Varies. Unfortunately, many banks are experiencing very long wait times as they try to assist all of their customers. If you anticipate needing help, don’t wait until the day your bill is due — contact your provider as soon as possible in case you can’t get through to them the first time.

See where you can cut back on spending

In theory, it should be easier to spend less money these days. If your city or state is requiring you to shelter in place, not only are you probably not commuting, but you’re also probably not going shopping, going to the movie theater, going on vacation, or participating in other activities.

But don’t just assume you’re spending less money — instead, actively seek ways to cut back. Look at your financial statements and cancel or pause anything that’s not necessary while you’re at home. Think gyms, daycares, and more. If your company allows you to allocate some of your pay to your commute pre-tax, it may also be worth pausing that so you can get more money in each paycheck.

Once you’ve taken care of the obvious expenses, get creative. For example, if you anticipate sheltering for the foreseeable future, you could save money switching to pay-per-mile car insurance through Metromile. On average, our customers save $741 a year, according to a survey of new customers who saved in 2018.

Time estimate: If you log into each account separately, it could take hours. To save time, consider using a free or low-cost budgeting app to get a holistic look at your spending across different categories from restaurants to utilities and more.

—

Jenna Lee is a content marketer, Oxford comma enthusiast, and cat lover living in the Bay Area. 

Jeff Badu is a certified public accountant who works from home full-time in Chicago, managing his tax practice and several other businesses. Jeff originally listed one car on Turo, when he started as a Turo host in 2016 but has since added three additional cars to the car-sharing marketplace. Having hosted nearly 400 trips on the platform, he’s now an All-Star Host, recognized as one of the top-rated and most experienced hosts on Turo. “For me, I had to test it first — that’s what I do with everything in life,” Jeff said about his experience.

How did you hear about Metromile?

Late last year, I got an email from Turo about the Metromile partnership. That was the first time I had heard of Metromile. If I had known about Metromile previously, I would have signed up much, much sooner. 

That’s great to hear! What made you want to sign up with us?

We were getting killed on rates with other insurance companies, especially since we don’t use these cars a lot. I looked at your rates and thought it was too good to be true. The beauty of Metromile is that even if you’re not renting on Turo, a car owner can really benefit from your low rates. 

How have your rates changed since you switched to Metromile?

My rates have been cut down tremendously. I was probably paying about ten times more than I’m now paying with Metromile. For example, I was paying about $500 per month on my Maserati Ghibli, and now, it costs me between $40 to $50 per month to insure that car with Metromile. 

Turo’s insurance covers the guest when they rent cars on the Turo platform, so it didn’t make sense for me to have to pay for the guest’s insurance too. In addition, sometimes the guest would add their own insurance, which meant the car was covered three times! That was crazy.  

Have you been driving less because of COVID-19?

Definitely. I’m driving a lot less myself, and I’m also not getting as many Turo bookings. So, I appreciate Metromile’s savings more than ever. 

Anything else you’d like to share? 

I think Metromile is a great platform. Things are being calculated in a very fair way. The pay per mile pricing is very fair, and it’s very user friendly. It’s improved my budget, and it’s helped me keep my car-sharing going during this recent slow period. 

I also love the car-location feature. I had a car stolen last year when I was with a different insurance company. If I had Metromile at the time, it would have been so much easier because I would have known where it was!

You know this if you’ve just gotten married: your to-do list can be immense. Add in the stress of how weddings have changed in the era of coronavirus — everything from a change of venue to front porches or Zoom celebrations — and it can get overwhelming quickly.

We asked Shannon W., Metromile’s Senior Manager of Customer Experience Operations, to help make things simpler. Newly married herself, Shannon shares tips about how your marital status might impact your car insurance rates and how to get a good rate after you say, “I do.”

Talk to your partner

You probably have a mental note on your to-do list to talk about your finances with your partner. But, have you considered talking about your driving and car insurance?

For starters, here are four questions you should ask your partner. Your partner’s answers will give you clues as to whether your car insurance bill may increase or decrease as a married couple, and what you should do next.

1. How many years of driving experience do you have?
2. Have you had any tickets or violations in the last few years? 
3. Have you ever gone without car insurance?
4. Have you ever been in an at-fault accident?

You’ll want to be equipped with the answers to these questions, so you’re both better prepared to get a competitive car insurance rate.

Review your current insurance

Now that you’ve tied the knot, you and your partner may want to tie your insurance policies together. It could pay off to take a few minutes to review your policies together beforehand.

Research shows married couples are generally deemed “less risky” drivers and could be eligible for discounts on auto insurance premiums. So, if you and your spouse both have great driving records and have no gaps in your insurance coverage, insurance companies will generally provide lower rates. Even if you previously shared a car insurance policy, you could still be eligible for additional discounts.

Even if one of you has a driving record that’s still a work in progress, the two of you may be able to benefit from multi-vehicle discounts by insuring multiple cars together on the same policy.

Keep in mind that if your partner has a history of bad driving, it could negatively impact your insurance rates, and a combined policy might not make sense. You might also consider excluding your partner as a driver on your policy, so their work-in-progress driving record doesn’t affect your rate, but understand this might not be possible in all states. Additionally, excluding someone from your policy means they won’t be covered by your insurance policy while driving your car, and you’ll be personally responsible for any damage if they’re driving. 

Shop around

Whether or not you said “I do” to a great driver, you should consider shopping around for car insurance. It’s a good idea to compare rates often, as changes in your life, including getting married or moving in together to a new place, could affect the price you pay.

You could also look into whether it might be better to keep your current policies and coverage separate. Just make sure both of you are listed on the other person’s policy, as insurance companies generally require you to include everyone in your household who might drive your car. Even if your spouse has their own vehicle they drive, there may be instances when they need to drive your car.

Additionally, if you don’t drive much, you could save with pay per mile car insurance like Metromile, even if you and your partner drive separate cars.

Metromile is committed to supporting drivers through every mile. We understand the COVID-19 pandemic has created stress and uncertainty, and we’re here to help. We want you to be able to focus on what matters most during this time — the health and safety of you and your family.

Savings as you drive less

We think the best deal is one that you don’t have to ask for. Our community saved approximately 30% on average on car insurance in April just for staying home, and the savings can continue. Savings are built-in when you pay per mile, which means lower bills for driving less. For example, essential and frontline workers save $741 a year on average with Metromile, even as they continue to drive because they pay per mile, according to a survey of new customers who saved with Metromile in 2018.

Coverage when you need it

We understand things happen. Our claims agents remain available 24/7. You can file a claim online, through our app, or by calling us at 888-595-5485. Reach out to us about an existing claim at 888-457-4301 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

And if your car breaks down, we’ll be there for you. Repair shops in the Metromile network are open, even as we shelter in place. Our roadside assistance operators are also standing by to help.

Assistance with coverage and payments

We understand that you might be experiencing financial hardship because of COVID-19. We’re making payment relief options, so you won’t lose your coverage if you can’t pay now. If you need any help, we’re here for you at 888-311-2909 and through our Help Center.

We know every bit counts, so we’re not charging late fees or fees for payment extensions during this time.

Get rewarded for helping others

We’re rewarding our community so that you can get paid to help your friends save on car insurance. With each friend who gets a quote from your unique referral code, you will get $25 and could earn up to $100 per calendar year.

Now you can also choose to donate your referral reward to support those impacted by COVID-19. Metromile will donate $25 on your behalf — up to $100 per calendar year — to Direct Relief for each friend who completes a quote using your unique code when you refer someone from the Direct Relief page on our website. Direct Relief is a leading humanitarian aid organization providing medical assistance, including protective gear and critical care medications, in the U.S. and around the world.

Support for the community

We understand that our local communities need us now more than ever, which is why we’re taking steps to support small business owners. If you’re a small business owner or have a favorite restaurant or shop that deserves a shoutout, share it with us for a chance to be included in an upcoming Shop Local with Metromile spotlight.

Support for our New Jersey customers

For New Jersey customers experiencing financial hardship because of COVID-19, we’ve taken these steps for you:

• We won’t cancel your policy for 90 days from May 1, 2020, if you’re having difficulties paying your bill. (Keep in mind that while you won’t lose your coverage because you can’t pay now, you’ll still be responsible for making these payments.)
  • You may make these payments over the rest of your current policy term or up to 12 months.
• We’re not charging late fees or fees for payment extensions as we shelter in place.
• We won’t consider any late payments in rate calculations for future policy terms.

If you need any help, we’re here for you at 888-311-2909 and through our Help Center.