Farm Bureau Financial Services vs. West Bend Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, West Bend Mutual offers significantly less expensive prices than Farm Bureau Financial Services
• West Bend Mutual has cheaper rates for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record
• West Bend Mutual has more affordable prices for policyholders who haven't received any speeding tickets or been in a collision in the last few years

Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Farm Bureau Financial Services is around $39 more a month than West Bend Mutual.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean West Bend Mutual will be the less expensive option for every single driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, where you call home, your driving record, or even your age (among other things), so premiums could differ drastically from person to person.

Wanting to know if Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average rates can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Farm Bureau Financial Services vs. West Bend Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with West Bend Mutual offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Minnesota, Farm Bureau Financial Services is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates. West Bend Mutual is the more affordable option in Iowa.

But there's more to calculating car insurance prices than just your home state. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. It's normally because teen 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 rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use West Bend Mutual save 2% per month compared to those who use Farm Bureau Financial Services.

Even so, both carriers will lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for Farm Bureau Financial Services policyholders reduce almost 55% and West Bend Mutual's prices drop over 65% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the cheapest car insurance rates you can find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly premiums for auto insurance.

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? West Bend Mutual gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $92 monthly compared to Farm Bureau Financial Services's $127.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married couples. That's because policies for married policyholders typically cover more than one vehicle, which a lot of companies will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with West Bend Mutual premiums coming in at around 15% less than Farm Bureau Financial Services's. The advantage for married drivers with West Bend Mutual is also obvious, where drivers save more than 35% a month.

Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and get tickets, which means they'll usually end up paying more for car insurance than women.

Surprisingly, with Farm Bureau Financial Services, men typicallypay about $5 per month less than women, and around $15 with West Bend Mutual.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, West Bend Mutual offers the lowest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $50 a month and men save about $29 with West Bend Mutual compared to the average Farm Bureau Financial Services policyholder.

Farm Bureau Financial Services vs. West Bend 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.

It's no secret that auto insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different coverages and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, West Bend Mutual has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $77. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, West Bend Mutual again has the edge, with policies averaging around $186 per month to Farm Bureau Financial Services's $253.

Is Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual less expensive for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Farm Bureau Financial Services for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 17% after getting a speeding ticket. West Bend Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 23%.

But West Bend Mutual is normally the cheaper option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering prices that are $37 and $37 less expensive, respectively, compared to Farm Bureau Financial Services.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with West Bend Mutual increasing by about 48%. Farm Bureau Financial Services has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay more than 35% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, drivers who use West Bend Mutual end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average premiums coming in at $163 compared to Farm Bureau Financial Services's $187.

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. On average, Farm Bureau Financial Services will climb your prices around 46% after a DUI, while West Bend Mutual's average premiums rise by over 50%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, West Bend Mutual tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $169 to Farm Bureau Financial Services's $226.

How does Credit Score Impact Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining premiums? Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

Insurance companies 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.

Looking specifically at Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual, which one has the most affordable prices for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, West Bend Mutual will usually reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, West Bend Mutual comes in nearly 23.62 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save around 18% with West Bend Mutual compared to average rates from Farm Bureau Financial Services.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

West Bend Mutual typically offers lower prices than Farm Bureau Financial Services when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 17% a month less with West Bend Mutual compared to Farm Bureau Financial Services, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around 29% a month.

Is Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual 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 pretty big impact on how much car insurance carriers will charge for coverage? Normally, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much West Bend Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Farm Bureau Financial Services, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car annually paying about $11 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, West Bend Mutual is the more affordable company.

Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a big role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas since there are a lot fewer vehicles on the roads where they live.

West Bend Mutual boasts the cheapest average premiums for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $113 per month with West Bend Mutual and $155 with Farm Bureau Financial Services. People in suburban areas pay a monthly price of about $122 with West Bend Mutual compared to $159 with Farm Bureau Financial Services. In urban areas, West Bend Mutual's average rates are around $158 while Farm Bureau Financial Services offers prices about $196.

Farm Bureau Financial Services vs. West Bend Mutual 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. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual so that you can see which company can save you the most money each month.

West Bend Mutual blows Farm Bureau Financial Services away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 16 different discounts to Farm Bureau Financial Services's nine.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good driver, and paid in full discounts. West Bend Mutual also offers discounts for ABS, advanced safety feature, distant student, and more.

On the other hand, Farm Bureau Financial Services has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like life policy discounts, safe young driver discounts, seasoned account discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your car insurance rates. 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 Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual the right fit for you?

West Bend Mutual might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the auto insurance policy.
• Your neighborhood is in a city.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's insurance policy.

Farm Bureau Financial Services 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 better idea of the difference between Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car 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 multiple companies, not just Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend 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 auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Farm Bureau Financial Services vs. West Bend Mutual FAQs

Is Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual cheaper?

West Bend Mutual is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $131 per month with West Bend Mutual and $170 for Farm Bureau Financial Services. However, that doesn't mean West Bend Mutual will be the lowest company for everyone, since there are many different factors (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend Mutual offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Factors like gender, your driving record, where your home is, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farm Bureau Financial Services and West Bend 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 companies.

How do I know if Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Farm Bureau Financial Services or West Bend 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.