Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Hastings Mutual offers significantly less expensive premiums than Acuity
• Acuity offers cheaper average prices for drivers with a DUI charge on their record
• Hastings Mutual offers more discounts than Acuity Insurance

Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Acuity or Hastings Mutual as potential options, but between the two, which one will offer you more affordable rates?

As you can see, Hastings Mutual has average rates that are about 35% per month less expensive than those from Acuity when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

But that doesn't mean Hastings Mutual will necessarily be cheaper than Acuity for every single driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, your age, your driving record, or even where you call home (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Acuity or Hastings Mutual is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Acuity or Hastings Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Acuity and Hastings Mutual only compete against each other in one states, with Hastings Mutual offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Wisconsin has the most noticable difference, where Hastings Mutual prices are over 60% cheaper than auto insurance premiums at Acuity.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance bill than just where you live. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance prices of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Hastings Mutual save more than $500 a month compared to those who use Acuity.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Acuity policyholders reduce over 75% and Hastings Mutual's premiums drop more than 45% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you can find.

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Hastings Mutual gets the slight edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older nearly 10% more affordable than the national average for Acuity.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be less expensive for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having multiple cars on their policy -- something many auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Hastings Mutual is the clear winner for those who are single, with premiums around $172 per month cheaper than Acuity, on average. But for married drivers, that advantage is much less clear - Hastings Mutual offers the lowest average prices.

Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they run a larger risk of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, men typically pay more for insurance than women.

Usually, men see rates about 6% a month higher with Acuity, while with Hastings Mutual, the difference is closer to 2% per month.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, Hastings Mutual offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women. On average, women save about $96 a month and men save around $110 with Hastings Mutual compared to the average Acuity policyholder.

Acuity or Hastings Mutual: 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 pretty complicated. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for a variety of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Hastings Mutual usually offers more affordable premiums of $142 compared to Acuity's $172. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Hastings Mutual again has the edge, with policies about $200 per month cheaper than Acuity, on average.

Is Acuity or Hastings Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

Tickets and accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is Acuity or Hastings Mutual less expensive for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Acuity policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $94 a month if they get a ticket, while Hastings Mutual normally raises premiums around $20 per month, on average.

Even so, Hastings Mutual is generally the more affordable option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record. Drivers with a clean record can save about $120 a month and drivers with a ticket can save around $194 per month with Hastings Mutual Insurance Company.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Acuity can expect to see about an $115 -- or around 33% -- increase in their car insurance rates. Drivers who use Hastings Mutual for their insurance will see a monthly bill about $17 (or 13%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their car insurance carrier.

Overall, the cheaper prices come from Hastings Mutual, with monthly premiums averaging $126 compared to Acuity Insurance's $344.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- usually a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. On average, Hastings Mutual will climb your rates around 77% after a DUI, while Acuity's average prices increase by over 35%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable premiums, Acuity tends to be the much less expensive option with average rates of $357 per month compared to $478 from Hastings Mutual.

How does Credit Score Impact Acuity and Hastings Mutual Rates?

Did you know that many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (Hawaii, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for several drivers.

Car insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the lowest prices for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Hastings Mutual. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save more than 35% compared to Acuity, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $94 or 33% more affordable each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Hastings Mutual typically offers lower rates than Acuity when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $109 a month less with Hastings Mutual compared to Acuity, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about $114 a month.

Is Acuity or Hastings Mutual Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in your monthly premiums. Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper prices since there's less of a chance of getting into an accident and causing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Hastings Mutual charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly rates for Acuity, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $33 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, Hastings Mutual is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance payment. Generally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because there are a lot more cars on the road in those areas, which increases the chances of an accident.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Hastings Mutual normally comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Hastings Mutual offers premiums about $291 monthly compared to Acuity's $374. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay around $177 per month for Hastings Mutual and $313 for Acuity. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the lowest rates from both companies, with average monthly prices coming in at $164 and $253 for Hastings Mutual and Acuity respectively.

Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual Discounts

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

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem challenging to find all the of the ones you qualify for.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Acuity and Hastings Mutual so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Hastings Mutual comes out ahead with 10 discounts to Acuity's nine.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Hastings Mutual also offers ABS discounts, anti-theft discounts, company car discounts, and more that Acuity does not.

On the flip side, Acuity has a couple unique discounts of its own -- discounts for graduating college, continuous insurance discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Acuity or Hastings Mutual Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. But, at the end of the day, which carrier is the best company for you and your specific needs?

Hastings Mutual might be best for you if....

• You have below-average credit.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles yearly.

Acuity might be best for you if...

• You have a DUI charge on your record.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Acuity and Hastings Mutual and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Acuity and Hastings Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Acuity vs. Hastings Mutual FAQs

Is Acuity or Hastings Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Hastings Mutual is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $211 a month compared to $313 for Acuity. However, Hastings Mutual won't necessarily be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are multiple different factors that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Acuity or Hastings Mutual?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile. For example, Acuity offers cheaper premiums for drivers with a recent DUI, while Hastings Mutual is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Acuity and Hastings Mutual offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at a lot of different variables when determining the rates they charge policyholders. Factors such as your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Acuity and Hastings Mutual use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if Acuity or Hastings Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Acuity or Hastings Mutual at all!

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.