Life Insurance Guide for Unmarried Couples (2023)
A common misconception is that you need to be married to obtain life insurance for your partner. While it helps to be married, unmarried couples can obtain coverage in certain situations. The most important factor in qualifying for life insurance for unmarried couples is the impact on your financial obligations. Understanding the specifics of life insurance for unmarried couples will help you decide if you qualify for coverage.
Free Life Insurance Comparison
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Leslie Kasperowicz
Farmers CSR for 4 Years
Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insuranc...
Farmers CSR for 4 Years
UPDATED: Mar 3, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.
UPDATED: Mar 3, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Life insurance for unmarried couples depends on insurable interest
- Life insurance providers consider the type of domestic partnership when determining rates
- It’s easier to make your partner a beneficiary than to insure them
Many people think you have to be married to obtain life insurance for your partner but coverage from the best insurance companies is available for unmarried couples. Understanding life insurance for unmarried couples will help you determine if you qualify for coverage.
For those interested in life insurance rates for unmarried couples, enter your ZIP code to find the best life insurance quotes in your area.
Why do you need life insurance for unmarried couples?
There are various reasons why a couple might cohabitate before marriage. They might be waiting to create a stronger financial situation or want to try living together before making a longer commitment. However, the living situation might be similar to being married.
Many couples share a mortgage, car payments, and other bills over a period of time. Should one of the partners unexpectedly die, it would force the surviving partner to cover these payments on their own. Life insurance provides funds to help the unmarried partner cover these unexpected payments.
Being proactive in your financial decisions is a good way to protect yourself from unforeseen situations. If you’re still unsure if you need a life insurance policy, a life insurance guide can help.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
How much is life insurance for unmarried couples?
The amount you pay for life insurance for unmarried couples depends on your age and the type of insurance you purchase. The following charts show the difference between a $500,000 20-year term life and whole life plan based on age and gender.
Average Annual Life Insurance for the Unmarried Couples Rates: Male $500,000 20-Year Term Life and Whole Life Policies
Age | Average Annual Whole Life Insurance Rates | Average Annual 20-Year Term Life Insurance Rates |
---|---|---|
30 | $4,015 | $228 |
40 | $6,042 | $341 |
50 | $9.432 | $842 |
The following chart features the same information for females.
Average Annual Life Insurance for the Unmarried Couples Rates: Female $500,000 20-Year Term Life and Whole Life Policies
Age | Average Annual Whole Life Insurance Rates | Average Annual 20-Year Term Life Insurance Rates |
---|---|---|
30 | $3,558 | $193 |
40 | $5,413 | $289 |
50 | $8,440 | $654 |
As you can see, term life rates are lower than whole life rates, and female rates are lower than male rates.
What is needed to buy life insurance for unmarried couples?
The most important factor in obtaining couple life insurance coverage is an insurable interest. This means that a person’s financial situation will be significantly impacted by the absence of their partner. Most life insurance companies will require evidence of this hardship.
Examples of insurable interest that can help you obtain life insurance for unmarried couples include:
- Both individuals being named on a lease
- Jointly owning home or business
- Debts naming both individuals
- Having children
The second consideration is the consent of the other partner. The person being covered must consent to life insurance before a purchase can be possible. For this reason, it’s usually easier to cover both people and name the other person as the beneficiary.
If you’re not sure who you would like to be the beneficiary of a policy, the Insurance Information Institute provides information on who is eligible to be a beneficiary.
While it’s more difficult for an unmarried couple to obtain coverage than a married couple, it’s much easier than it once was. Life insurance providers understand that many couples prefer to remain unmarried while being financially dependent on each other.
What are the life insurance for unmarried couples categories?
The best way to determine if you’re eligible for affordable life insurance for unmarried couples is to identify which category you fit into. There are four different unmarried partnership categories used by life insurance companies to determine eligibility.
Registered Domestic Partnership
A registered domestic partnership is a legal agreement between two partners in a relationship that awards legal rights to married couples without getting married. This includes insurance coverage and guardian designations.
Most life insurance companies treat a registered domestic partnership as a marriage. If you qualify, life insurance for domestic partners is a an important investment to consider. However, it’s important to note that this designation differs by state, so a lawyer’s assistance is often needed to determine what benefits can be obtained.
Couples That Live Together but aren’t Domestic Partners
A domestic partnership is defined as a legal agreement between the two people in a relationship. Many couples live together but are not legally in a domestic partnership. However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t obtain life insurance coverage on each other.
A life insurance company for unmarried couples will require that those in this type of relationship prove insurable interest. This can be a shared mortgage, rent, car payments, or other bills.
Couples That Don’t Live Together and Aren’t Engaged
In most cases, a couple needs to live together to purchase life insurance for unmarried couples because they need to be financially dependent on one another. Those who don’t live together will find it hard to obtain coverage because they must prove financial obligation together.
Insurance companies don’t consider future plans to be financial reliability so plans to become engaged won’t factor in the decision.
Engaged to be Married
Life insurance companies consider a couple married once they’re engaged with a wedding date set. Virtually every life insurance provider will cover these couples, making them the most likely to receive life insurance for unmarried couples.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Life Insurance for Unmarried Couples: The Bottom Line
The most important factor in determining life insurance eligibility for an unmarried couple is financial dependence. The couple needs shared debt or a relationship that implies they have shared debt. Those that depend financially on each other will qualify for life insurance for unmarried couples.
To find life insurance quotes for unmarried couples, enter your ZIP code to discover the best life insurance rates in your area.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Leslie Kasperowicz
Farmers CSR for 4 Years
Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insuranc...
Farmers CSR for 4 Years
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.