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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers slightly more affordable premiums than Depositors
• Depositors offers cheaper average rates for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods
• General Casualty has less expensive premiums for single people who will be the only person on the insurance policy

Depositors or General Casualty: 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 large savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed it down to Depositors or General Casualty, but which carrier has more affordable rates for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Depositors is around $9 more a month than General Casualty.

But General Casualty may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance companies use a variety of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among a whole range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Depositors or General Casualty is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by a variety of different rate factors.

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

Depositors and General Casualty only compete against each other in two states, with General Casualty offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Montana has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty premiums are $52 less expensive than insurance prices at Depositors.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance payment than just where you call home. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's generally because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. As you can see above, teens who use General Casualty save 15% per month compared to those who use Depositors.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your rates drop significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average prices for Depositors policyholders decrease almost 60% and General Casualty's premiums reduce over 55% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Depositors and General Casualty specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Depositors gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $111 a month compared to General Casualty's $124.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance rates are typically more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's because policies for married policyholders generally cover more than one vehicle, which a lot of companies will give you a discount for.

If you're in the market for car insurance, General Casualty tends to have the cheapest average premiums regardless of if you're married or single, with prices around $10 more affordable for single policyholders and about $6 less expensive for married drivers.

Depositors or General Casualty: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll normally end up paying more for insurance than women.

Generally, men see rates around 6% a month higher with Depositors, and nearly 10% with General Casualty.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $6 per month and women save about $11 with General Casualty compared to the average Depositors policyholder.

Depositors 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, General Casualty has the slight edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $82. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies averaging around $195 a month to Depositors's $211.

Is Depositors 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 at-fault collisions lead to higher rates, but which company -- Depositors or General Casualty -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Depositors for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 18% after getting a speeding ticket. General Casualty policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 32%.

If you have gotten a ticket, Depositors tends to offer the best prices at about 2% cheaper, while General Casualty 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 auto insurance through Depositors can expect to see around an $51 -- or about 32% -- rise in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use General Casualty for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $56 (or 38%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, drivers who use General Casualty end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $146 compared to Depositors Insurance Company's $157.

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 speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, General Casualty increases average rates by more than $95 per month -- that's more than a 50% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, General Casualty tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $186 to Depositors's $198.

How does Credit Score Impact Depositors and General Casualty Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly auto insurance rates. This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

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

So, which company offers the best premiums for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Depositors 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 your monthly prices. Generally, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

In this case, neither Depositors or General Casualty report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Still, General Casualty comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle yearly, with average rates of $139 a month for both.

Depositors or General Casualty: 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 car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a considerable impact as well. Normally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

General Casualty tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Depositors wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, General Casualty's average rates are around $151 per month compared to Depositors's $174. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about $134 with General Casualty compared to Depositors's $139 monthly. Those in rural areas can expect to pay around $130 per month with Depositors and $131 with General Casualty.

Depositors vs. General Casualty Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new auto 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 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're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Depositors and General Casualty so that you can easily 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, Depositors has the advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. General Casualty offers a grand total of 12 discounts, while Depositors has 17.

Both companies offer several of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for being a good driver, and new vehicle discounts -- but Depositors also offers discounts for COVID-19 relief, EFT, group discount, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like anti-theft discounts, occupation discounts, and paid in full discounts.

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

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors auto insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, is Depositors or General Casualty the right fit for you?

General Casualty might be best for you if....

• Your driving record contains an at-fault accident.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You have a short commute.

Depositors might be best for you if...

• You're looking for discounts -- Depositors has the most.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Depositors and General Casualty 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 a handful of companies, not just Depositors and General Casualty. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Depositors vs. General Casualty FAQs

Is Depositors or General Casualty cheaper?

General Casualty is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $139 a month with General Casualty and $148 for Depositors. Even so, that doesn't mean General Casualty will be the cheapest carrier for each driver, since there are lots of different variables (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Depositors or General Casualty?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Depositors is cheaper for drivers who have already retired, while General Casualty offers less expensive prices for single policyholders.

Why do Depositors and General Casualty offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use quite a few different factors when determining the premiums they charge. Things like where you park your vehicle, where you live, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Depositors and General Casualty calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

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

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple 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 auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Depositors 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.