Country Financial vs. North Star Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Country Financial offers significantly more affordable rates than North Star Mutual
• Country Financial offers more affordable prices for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• North Star Mutual offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs

Country Financial or North Star Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Country Financial or North Star Mutual as potential options, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

As you can see, North Star Mutual is around $42 more a month than Country Financial when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

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

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Country Financial and North Star Mutual by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Country Financial vs. North Star Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Country Financial and North Star Mutual only compete against each other in one states, with Country Financial offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Minnesota has the most noticable difference, where Country Financial prices are $6 more affordable than insurance rates at North Star Mutual.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just where you live. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance premiums of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's normally 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 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 Country Financial for their insurance pay 25% less than those who use North Star Mutual.

But with both companies, you'll see your prices reduce significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for Country Financial policyholders drop about $100 and North Star Mutual's prices lower over $150 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the lowest auto insurance rates you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can raise premiums.

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? Country Financial gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $39 less expensive than the national average for North Star Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance rates are generally cheaper for married couples than they are for single policyholders? That's because policies for married drivers usually cover more than one vehicle, which many carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Country Financial premiums coming in at a quarter less than North Star Mutual's. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Country Financial has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Country Financial or North Star Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll generally end up paying more for car insurance than women.

Women normally pay around 2% per month less than men with Country Financial, and about 2% less with North Star Mutual.

When it comes to the most affordable prices for each gender, Country Financial offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women, with average prices $42 less for men and $41 cheaper for women.

Country Financial vs. North Star 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and coverages 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 provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

When it comes to state minimum liability insurance, North Star Mutual has the edge, while Country Financial offers the lowest average rates for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $15 with North Star Mutual, while full coverage comes out to be around $100 more affordable with COUNTRY Financial.

Is Country Financial or North Star Mutual 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.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Country Financial for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 23% after getting a speeding ticket. North Star Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 30%.

If you have gotten a ticket, Country Financial tends to offer the best rates at about 6% cheaper, while North Star Mutual has the edge for drivers with a clean record.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Country Financial can expect to see around an $42 -- or about 29% -- rise in their insurance prices. Drivers who use North Star Mutual for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $73 (or 42%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their car insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Country Financial offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $147 compared to North Star Mutual's $174.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even a collision. For example, North Star Mutual increases average premiums by nearly $200 a month -- that's more than a 65% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Country Financial tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $165 to North Star Mutual's $299.

How does Credit Score Impact Country Financial and North Star Mutual Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly insurance premiums. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it does affect several policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper rates, while those with poor credit will normally be forced to pay more.

Looking at Country Financial and North Star Mutual specifically, which one has the cheapest prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Country Financial will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Country Financial comes in nearly 14.71 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 20% with Country Financial compared to average premiums from North Star Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Country Financial typically offers lower rates than North Star Mutual when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 29% per month less with Country Financial compared to North Star Mutual, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around 25% per month.

Is Country Financial or North Star 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 how much insurance companies will charge for coverage. Typically, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much North Star Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Country Financial, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle every year paying about $2 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Country Financial is the less expensive company.

Country Financial or North Star Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can play a pretty big role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas because of the number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

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

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, COUNTRY Financial's average rates are around $33 less than North Star Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay about $34 less with Country Financial compared to North Star Mutual. Those in rural areas can expect to save around $57 with Country Financial compared to North Star Mutual.

Country Financial vs. North Star Mutual Discounts

No matter 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 you can. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you qualify for or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Country Financial and North Star Mutual so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Country Financial has the advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. North Star Mutual offers a grand total of six discounts, while Country Financial has 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, multi-policy discounts, and passive restraint discounts. Country Financial also offers discounts for driver training, good student, group discount, and more.

On the other hand, North Star Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own like family discounts and paid in full discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Country Financial or North Star Mutual Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Country Financial or North Star Mutual the best fit for you?

Country Financial might be best for you if....

• You have less-than-stellar credit.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

North Star Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Country Financial and North Star Mutual 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 several carriers, not just Country Financial and North Star Mutual. 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 companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Country Financial vs. North Star Mutual FAQs

Is Country Financial or North Star Mutual cheaper?

Country Financial is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $138 a month with Country Financial and $180 for North Star Mutual. However, that doesn't mean Country Financial will be the cheapest company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance bill.

Who is better, Country Financial or North Star Mutual?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Country Financial and North Star Mutual offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use lots of different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things like age, your driving record, gender, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Country Financial and North Star Mutual use 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 multiple different carriers.

How do I know if Country Financial or North Star Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Country Financial or North Star Mutual 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.