Cig vs. General Casualty: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Cig offers more affordable prices than General Casualty
• Cig offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record
• Cig offers less expensive average prices for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

Cig or General Casualty: 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 large savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Cig or General Casualty as your top options, but which carrier has cheaper premiums for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Cig is around $20 a month more affordable than General Casualty.

Even so, Cig may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on where you live or how old you are (among a whole range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Cig and General Casualty by multiple different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Cig vs. General Casualty: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Cig and General Casualty only compete against each other in two states, with General Casualty offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Oregon has the most noticable difference, where Cig rates are $43 less expensive than insurance prices at General Casualty.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance premiums than just where you call home. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for insurance than any other group of drivers. That's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 10% less per month by choosing Cig over General Casualty.

However, with both companies, you'll see your rates drop significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Cig policyholders reduce about $100 and General Casualty's premiums lower more than $150 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 lowest prices you'll ever see.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? Cig gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $38 cheaper than the national average for General Casualty.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance rates than married couples. This usually boils down to married drivers having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something lots of insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Cig premiums coming in at around 15% less than General Casualty's. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Cig has the edge when it comes to average prices.

Cig or General Casualty: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will generally end up paying a little more.

Normally, men see rates about 3% a month higher with Cig, and around 10% more with General Casualty.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Cig offers the most affordable average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $25 per month and women save about $15 with Cig compared to the average General Casualty policyholder.

Cig vs. General Casualty: 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.

Insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are a range of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

But the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Cig has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $71. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Cig again has the edge, with policies averaging around $166 a month to General Casualty's $195.

Is Cig or General Casualty Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Cig or General Casualty -- has the lowest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Cig for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. General Casualty policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 32%.

Even so, Cig tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket. With CIG Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save about $2 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $21 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with General Casualty raising by about 38%. Cig has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay more than 25% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, the less expensive rates come from Cig, with average premiums coming in at $118 compared to General Casualty's $146.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. For example, General Casualty increases average prices by more than $95 per month -- that's over a 50% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Cig tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $157 to General Casualty's $186.

How does Credit Score Impact Cig and General Casualty Rates?

Did you know many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

Auto insurance carriers 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 cheapest rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Cig or General Casualty 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 how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper prices 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 General Casualty charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Cig, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles annually paying about $12 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Cig is the more affordable carrier.

Cig or General Casualty: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a sizable role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Cig boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, CIG Insurance's average rates are around $23 less than General Casualty. People who live in suburban areas pay about $11 less with Cig compared to General Casualty. Those in rural areas can expect to save around $25 with Cig compared to General Casualty.

Cig vs. General Casualty Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Cig and General Casualty so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Cig blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 13 more discounts than General Casualty.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, employee discounts, and multi-policy discounts -- but Cig also offers discounts for ABS, company car, good payer, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a proprietary discount of their own -- a occupation discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Cig or General Casualty Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Cig or General Casualty the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Cig might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the auto insurance policy.
• You care about discounts (Cig offers the most).
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

General Casualty might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

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

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Cig and General Casualty. Luckily, Compare.com makes 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 carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Cig vs. General Casualty FAQs

Is Cig or General Casualty cheaper?

Cig is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $119 a month with Cig and $139 for General Casualty. However, that doesn't mean Cig will be the cheapest company for each driver, since there are a variety of different variables (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Cig or General Casualty?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for every policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Cig and General Casualty offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things like gender, your driving record, where your home is, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Cig and General Casualty calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

How do I know if Cig or General Casualty is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Cig or General Casualty 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.