Auto-owners vs. Travelers: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Travelers offers slightly cheaper prices than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners has more affordable rates for policyholders who haven't received any speeding tickets or been in an accident in the last few years
• Travelers offers more discounts than Auto-Owners Insurance

Auto-owners vs. Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Auto-owners or Travelers as potential options, but which company will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Travelers is about $12 per month cheaper than Auto-owners.

But that doesn't mean Travelers will necessarily be less expensive than Auto-owners for every driver. Car insurance carriers vary their rates depending on things like how good your credit score is, where you live, how clean your driving record is, how old you are, and a ton of other factors, so premiums will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Travelers is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Auto-owners or Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Travelers compete against each other in 17 states, with Travelers offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all but three of them. If you live in Michigan, Minnesota, or Virginia, Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average prices, but Travelers is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance bill than just the state you live in. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance rates of any group on the road. It's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Travelers for their car insurance pay $40 less than those who use Auto-owners.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Auto-owners policyholders lower nearly $250 and Travelers's premiums drop more than $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the lowest insurance prices you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally lowers their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Travelers gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at around $132 per month compared to Auto-owners's $133. That being said, that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other factors, such as where you live or your driving record.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance rates are typically more expensive for single drivers than they are for married drivers? That's generally because married couples tend to own and insure multiple cars, which can often earn you a discount.

If you're in the market for auto insurance, Travelers tends to have the most affordable average premiums regardless of relationship status, with prices about 1% more affordable for married policyholders and almost 10% less expensive for single policyholders.

Auto-owners vs. Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into collisions and get tickets, they have an increased chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, men tend to get higher rates than women.

With Auto-owners, men usually pay around 6% more a month than women., while with Travelers, the difference is closer to 6% per month.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, Travelers offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $13 a month and women save about $13 with Travelers compared to the average Auto-owners policyholder.

Auto-owners or Travelers: 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 lots 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 a collision.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with liability).

In this case, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average premiums for state minimum liability limits, while Travelers has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $10 with Auto-Owners Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $35 cheaper with Travelers.

Is Auto-owners or Travelers 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while Travelers generally raises prices about $32 a month, on average.

If you have a clean record, Auto-owners tends to offer the best rates at around 5% more affordable, while Travelers has the edge for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Auto-owners can expect to see about an $47 -- or around 28% -- increase in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Travelers for their insurance will see a monthly bill about $45 (or 26%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance company.

Overall, drivers who use Auto-owners end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly prices averaging $168 compared to Travelers's $173.

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. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% increase in their auto insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Travelers will normally raise prices by around 38%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, Travelers tends to be the much less expensive option with average premiums of $205 a month compared to $264 from Auto-owners.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Travelers Rates?

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

Car insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking specifically at Travelers and Auto-owners, which one has the most affordable premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, you'll usually find a better deal with Auto-owners. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save over 20% compared to Travelers, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $13 or 9% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Travelers typically offers lower prices than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $3 per month less with Travelers compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about $86 monthly.

Is Auto-owners or Travelers 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 auto insurance payment? Usually, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

Travelers tends to be the more affordable option for both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles annually, as well as those who average twice that figure. Travelers's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around $15 less expensive than Auto-owners. Those who drive 12,000 miles each year can expect to pay about $11 less with Travelers over Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a large role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas because there are a lot more cars on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Travelers generally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable prices from both companies, but Travelers comes out on top with average premiums around $136 per month. Travelers also has cheaper average rates for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $1 and $9 a month respective difference when compared to Auto-owners policyholders in similar areas.

Auto-owners vs. Travelers Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Travelers offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Overall, Travelers has a slight advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Auto-owners offers a grand total of 24 discounts, while Travelers has 25.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Travelers also offers alternative fuel discounts, continuous insurance discounts, DRL discounts, and more that Auto-owners does not.

On the flip side, Auto-owners has a couple unique discounts of its own -- company car discounts, education discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Travelers Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain variables have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, when it comes down to it, which company is the best company for you and your specific needs?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your premiums increase.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

Auto-owners might be best for you if...

• You want to save money on your auto insurance after an accident.
• You have above-average credit.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Travelers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

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

Auto-owners vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Travelers cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Travelers is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $167 per month compared to $179 for Auto-owners. Even so, Travelers won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are several different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Travelers?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile. For example, Auto-owners offers less expensive rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while Travelers is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Auto-owners and Travelers offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at a lot of different variables when determining the premiums they charge policyholders. Factors like age, gender, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Travelers calculate prices using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Travelers is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies 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 insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Auto-owners or Travelers 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.