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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, General Casualty offers significantly cheaper rates than Encompass
• Encompass offers more discounts than General Casualty
• General Casualty has more affordable premiums for residents of rural areas

Encompass vs. General Casualty: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering pretty big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Encompass or General Casualty as your top options, but which company has cheaper prices for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, General Casualty is quite a bit cheaper than Encompass, with premiums averaging $139 per month compared to $466 with Encompass.

However, General Casualty may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your credit score, or even your driving record (among other things), so rates will vary quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Encompass and General Casualty by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Encompass or General Casualty: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Encompass and General Casualty compete against each other in seven states, with General Casualty offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Minnesota has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty rates are over 70% less expensive than car insurance prices at Encompass.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance payment than just the state you live in. Continue reading to see how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for insurance than any group out there on the road. That's generally 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 rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have General Casualty for their auto insurance pay more than $500 less than those who use Encompass.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly once you turn 25. General Casualty offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Encompass's average prices drop over 65% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the lowest car insurance premiums out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? General Casualty gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at about $124 per month compared to Encompass's $335.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance premiums tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders. That's usually because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, General Casualty is the clear winner for single drivers, with rates around $411 a month more affordable than Encompass, on average. The advantage for married couples with General Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save more than $200 per month.

Encompass vs. 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 car insurance men will normally end up paying a little more.

Women generally pay about 5% a month less than men with Encompass, while with General Casualty, the difference is closer to 10% per month.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women. On average, women save about $322 a month and men save around $331 with General Casualty compared to the average Encompass policyholder.

Encompass or 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.

It's no secret that auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a variety of different coverages that account for many 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.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, General Casualty typically offers significantly less expensive prices of $82 compared to Encompass's $302. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies about $450 per month cheaper than Encompass, on average.

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

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great premiums for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

Tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your prices, but is Encompass or General Casualty more affordable for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Encompass policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $61 a month if they get a ticket, while General Casualty generally raises premiums around $43 per month, on average.

But General Casualty has cheaper rates for drivers in both categories. Drivers with a clean record can save about $137 a month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $155 per month with General Casualty.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Encompass increasing by over $100. General Casualty has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay more than $55 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, drivers who use General Casualty end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $146 compared to Encompass Insurance's $328.

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 auto insurance bill. On average, Encompass will increase your prices about 78% after a DUI, while General Casualty's average premiums climb by over 50%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, General Casualty tends to be the much less expensive option with average premiums of $186 a month compared to 1020 from Encompass.

How does Credit Score Impact Encompass and General Casualty Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

Insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which increases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which company offers the best prices for policyholders 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 General Casualty. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save more than 70% compared to Encompass, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $278 or 70% cheaper each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

General Casualty typically offers lower rates than Encompass when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $331 a month less with General Casualty compared to Encompass, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around $452 monthly.

Is Encompass or General Casualty Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Typically, those who drive less will end up with less expensive 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 General Casualty charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Encompass, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $2 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, General Casualty is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

Encompass vs. 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a big impact as well. Usually, 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.

General Casualty tends to offer the lowest premiums for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable prices from both carriers, but General Casualty comes out on top with average rates around $131 a month. General Casualty also has cheaper average premiums for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 73% and 69% per month respective difference when compared to Encompass policyholders in similar areas.

Encompass vs. General Casualty Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as you can.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you can take advantage of.

Below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Encompass and General Casualty so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Encompass knocks General Casualty out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 26 different discounts to General Casualty's 12.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, employee discounts, and multi-policy discounts. Encompass also offers ABS discounts, driver training discounts, DRL discounts, and more that General Casualty does not.

On the flip side, General Casualty has a unique discount of its own -- a occupation discounts.

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

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance prices. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You have a clean record.
• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You live in a rural area.

Encompass might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national car insurance company.
• You care about discounts (Encompass offers the most).

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Encompass and General Casualty and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Encompass and General Casualty. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply 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.

Encompass vs. General Casualty FAQs

Is Encompass or General Casualty cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, General Casualty is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $139 a month compared to $466 for Encompass. Even so, General Casualty won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for each policyholder, since there are a bunch of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Encompass or General Casualty?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Encompass and General Casualty offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at many different variables when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Things like age, your driving record, gender, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Encompass and General Casualty calculate premiums using different factors, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

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

The only way to find the car 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, 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 companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Encompass or General Casualty 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.