Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Farmers offers slightly cheaper rates than Wolverine Mutual
• Farmers offers less expensive average premiums for policyholders who drive fewer than 12,000 miles each year
• Wolverine Mutual has more affordable rates for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years

Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual: 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 considerable discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Farmers or Wolverine Mutual as potential options, but between the two, which one has cheaper premiums for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Farmers is about $21 per month less expensive than Wolverine Mutual.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Farmers will be the more affordable option for every driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how clean your driving record is, where you live, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and a ton of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Farmers or Wolverine Mutual is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Farmers or Wolverine Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Farmers and Wolverine Mutual only compete against each other in Michigan, where Wolverine Mutual offers the cheaper average premiums. For Michigan residents, Wolverine Mutual offers car insurance for $224 monthly on average. Farmers's average rates come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $614 a month.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance prices 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?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any group out there on the road. It's 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 prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Wolverine Mutual save more than $100 a month compared to those who use Farmers. It's worth noting that Farmers offers insurance in 25 different states compared to Wolverine Mutual's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both carriers will decrease rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Farmers policyholders lower nearly $400 and Wolverine Mutual's rates drop around $150 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Wolverine Mutual gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $24 less expensive than the national average for Farmers.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance prices than married drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having multiple cars on their policy -- something quite a few auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, the two carriers are comparable for single policyholders, with premiums only differing about $5 per month, on average. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Farmers save over $40 a month.

Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual: 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.

On average, women see rates around $7 per month more affordable with Farmers; men and women end up paying the same monthly premiums with Wolverine Mutual.

Looking at overall affordability, Farmers offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $24 a month and men save about $17 with Farmers compared to the average Wolverine Mutual policyholder.

Farmers or Wolverine 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 car insurance, but there are so many different terms and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability).

In this case, Wolverine Mutual offers the lowest average rates for state minimum liability limits, while Farmers has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $10 with Wolverine Mutual, while full coverage comes out to be around $55 cheaper with Farmers Insurance.

Is Farmers or Wolverine Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

Tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your prices, but is Farmers or Wolverine Mutual more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Farmers policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while Wolverine Mutual usually raises premiums about $29 a month, on average.

But Wolverine Mutual is normally the cheaper option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering rates that are 10% and 15% less expensive, respectively, compared to Farmers Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Farmers can expect to see around an $62 -- or about 28% -- increase in their car insurance prices. Drivers who use Wolverine Mutual for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $42 (or 22%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their car insurance carrier.

Overall, Wolverine Mutual offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $188 compared to Farmers Insurance's $224.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- typically a lot more than an accident or ticket. On average, Wolverine Mutual will increase your rates about 62% after a DUI, while Farmers's average premiums rise by over 25%.

Farmers has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $221 per month, but it's worth noting that Farmers's average rates come from 25 states compared to just one for Wolverine Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Farmers and Wolverine Mutual Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (for example, Massachusetts and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper prices.

Looking specifically at Wolverine Mutual and Farmers, which company has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Michigan is one of a small number of states that does not allow auto insurance companies from using credit scores to calculate prices. And since Wolverine Mutual is only available in Michigan, there is no data available on how credit score impacts premiums because it's not a factor at all. This may be a good thing, since Farmers and other carriers tend to raise rates quite a bit in other states if you don't have excellent credit.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have a below average credit score and live in Michigan, the good news is it won't cost you extra when it comes to insurance. As you can see, poor credit can really cost Farmers drivers in other states, but no need to worry if you live in Michigan.

Is Farmers or Wolverine 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 your monthly car insurance bill. Generally, those who drive less will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Farmers or Wolverine Mutual report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, Farmers comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their car annually, with average prices of $203 per month for both.

Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a pretty big impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas because there are a lot more vehicles on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Farmers boasts the lowest average premiums in urban and suburban areas, while Wolverine Mutual wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, Farmers Insurance's average rates are around 27% less than Wolverine Mutual. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about 2% less with Farmers compared to Wolverine Mutual. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save around 19% with Wolverine Mutual compared to Farmers.

Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto 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're eligible for.

In the section below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Farmers and Wolverine Mutual offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Farmers blows Wolverine Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to Wolverine Mutual's nine.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like distant student discounts, discounts for being a good student, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company -- but Farmers also offers advance quote discounts, alternative fuel discounts, anti-theft discounts, and more that Wolverine Mutual does not.

On the flip side, Wolverine Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- military discounts and seat belt discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Farmers or Wolverine Mutual Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, when it comes down to it, which company is the best company for you and your specific driver profile?

Farmers might be best for you if....

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- Wolverine Mutual is only available in MI.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.
• You don't spend much time in your car.

Wolverine Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs.
• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Farmers and Wolverine Mutual. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best 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 carriers, not just Farmers and Wolverine Mutual. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Farmers vs. Wolverine Mutual FAQs

Is Farmers or Wolverine Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Farmers is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $203 a month compared to $224 for Wolverine Mutual. That being said, Farmers won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for everyone, since there are a range of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Farmers or Wolverine Mutual?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile. For example, Farmers offers less expensive prices for drivers with a recent DUI, while Wolverine Mutual is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Farmers and Wolverine Mutual offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at many different variables when determining the premiums they charge policyholders. Things such as age, where you call home, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Farmers and Wolverine Mutual calculate prices using different factors, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

How do I know if Farmers or Wolverine Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple 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 information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Farmers or Wolverine Mutual 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.