AAA vs. Foremost: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Foremost offers cheaper rates than AAA
• AAA may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Foremost Insurance Group
• Foremost offers more affordable prices for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

AAA or Foremost: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to AAA or Foremost as your top options, but between the two, which one will offer you more affordable rates?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, AAA has average rates that are around 14% a month more expensive than those from Foremost.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Foremost will be the less expensive option for every single driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your driving record, or even your credit score (among other things), so premiums will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if AAA or Foremost is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

AAA vs. Foremost: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

AAA and Foremost only compete against each other in one states, with AAA offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Texas has the most noticable difference, where AAA rates are $58 less expensive than auto insurance premiums at Foremost.

But there's more to car insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers determine your prices. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance rates. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Foremost for their insurance pay over 15% less than those who use AAA.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for AAA policyholders decrease about $400 and Foremost's rates reduce around $350 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the most affordable auto insurance prices you'll ever see. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly premiums for car insurance.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? Foremost gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at about $219 per month compared to AAA's $238.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married couples generally cover more than one vehicle, which many carriers will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Foremost rates coming in at around 15% less than AAA's. The advantage for married policyholders with Foremost is also obvious, where drivers save almost $30 per month.

AAA or Foremost: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will normally end up paying a little more.

Men usually pay more than 10% more a month than women with AAA, and about 1% with Foremost.

Looking at overall affordability, Foremost offers the lowest average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $59 per month and women save around $29 with Foremost compared to the average AAA policyholder.

AAA vs. Foremost: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

It's no secret that car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability).

When it comes to state minimum limits for liability insurance, AAA has the edge, while Foremost offers the cheapest average prices for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $4 with AAA Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $95 less expensive with Foremost Insurance Group.

Is AAA or Foremost Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable rates to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use AAA for their car insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 29% after getting a speeding ticket. Foremost policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 22%.

However, Foremost has cheaper prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are $11 and $41 more affordable, respectively, compared to AAA Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through AAA can expect to see around an $126 -- or about 37% -- rise in their car insurance prices. Drivers who use Foremost for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $179 (or 47%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, AAA offers the cheapest rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $339 compared to Foremost Insurance Group's $381.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, AAA increases average prices by nearly $200 a month -- that's more than a 45% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Foremost tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $238 to AAA's $403.

How does Credit Score Impact AAA and Foremost Rates?

Did you know many insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for lots of policyholders.

Auto insurance carriers argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with cheaper rates.

Looking specifically at Foremost and AAA, which carrier has the lowest premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, AAA will generally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, AAA comes in over 21.61 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 5% with AAA compared to average prices from Foremost.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Foremost typically offers lower premiums than AAA when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 9% per month less with Foremost compared to AAA, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 43% a month.

Is AAA or Foremost Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a big impact on your monthly prices? Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper rates since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Foremost charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for AAA, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $13 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Foremost is the more affordable carrier.

AAA or Foremost: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a substantial impact as well. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Foremost usually comes out as the lowest option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 20% with Foremost compared to AAA. People who live in suburban areas pay about 5% less with Foremost compared to AAA. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Foremost Insurance Group's average prices are around 17% less than AAA Insurance.

AAA vs. Foremost Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts AAA and Foremost offer their customers so that you can see which company can save you the most money each month.

AAA blows Foremost away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 33 different discounts to Foremost's 12.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but AAA also offers discounts for AAA, academic, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, Foremost has a few proprietary discounts of their own like minor child discounts and multi-car/single driver discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is AAA or Foremost Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which company is the right one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Foremost might be best for you if....

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You live in a rural area.
• You have a short drive to work everyday.

AAA might be best for you if...

• You already have a great credit score.
• You care about discounts (Aaa offers the most).
• You're looking for the best premiums on liability only coverage.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between AAA and Foremost and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on car insurance -- comparing quotes from several companies, not just AAA and Foremost. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

AAA vs. Foremost FAQs

Is AAA or Foremost cheaper?

Foremost is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $270 a month with Foremost and $314 for AAA. But that doesn't mean Foremost will be the cheapest carrier for each driver, since there are multiple different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, AAA or Foremost?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile. For example, AAA is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit, while Foremost offers less expensive premiums for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do AAA and Foremost offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use a lot of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables like your driving record, age, gender, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both AAA and Foremost calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different companies.

How do I know if AAA or Foremost is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't AAA or Foremost at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.