Foremost vs. Houston General: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Houston General offers significantly more affordable prices than Foremost
• Foremost may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Houston General Insurance Exchange
• Houston General tends to be a much less expensive option for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods

Foremost or Houston General: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Foremost or Houston General as your top options, but between the two, which carrier has cheaper rates for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Houston General is quite a bit cheaper than Foremost, with premiums averaging $160 a month compared to $270 with Foremost.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Houston General will be the more affordable option for each driver. Insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how clean your driving record is or where you live (among a range of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

Foremost vs. Houston General: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Foremost and Houston General only compete against each other in Texas, where Houston General offers the cheaper average rates. Houston General drivers tend to pay about $77 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Foremost for their car insurance.

But there's more to insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance companies calculate your prices. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for car insurance than any group on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Houston General for their car insurance pay over 45% less than those who use Foremost.

However, with both carriers, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average prices for Foremost policyholders drop more than 60% and Houston General's rates lower almost 45% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the lowest insurance prices you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally decreases their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise premiums.

When looking at Foremost and Houston General specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Houston General gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $111 cheaper than the national average for Foremost.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance premiums than married couples. That's usually because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Houston General prices coming in at around half of Foremost's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - Houston General offers the cheapest average rates.

Foremost or Houston General: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they run a lower risk of filing a claim with insurance. So, women typically pay less for insurance than men.

On average, women see prices about $4 a month less expensive with Foremost, and around $12 less with Houston General.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Houston General comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $106 per month and women save about $114 with Houston General compared to the average Foremost policyholder.

Foremost vs. Houston General: 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 a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing 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 and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Houston General has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $83. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Houston General again has the edge, with policies averaging around $236 a month to Foremost's $366.

Is Foremost or Houston General Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

At-fault accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your prices, but is Foremost or Houston General more affordable for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Foremost for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 22% after getting a speeding ticket. Houston General policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 25%.

Even so, Houston General has cheaper premiums for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 45% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 43% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Foremost drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates climb by just under $200, while those who have insurance through Houston General will see about a $100 increase.

At the end of the day, Houston General offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $233 compared to Foremost Insurance Group's $381.

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 car insurance bill. For example, Houston General increases average prices by more than $35 per month -- that's nearly a 25% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Houston General tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $147 to Foremost's $238.

How does Credit Score Impact Foremost and Houston General Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Houston General will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Houston General comes in more than 51.69 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save about 44% with Houston General compared to average prices from Foremost.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Houston General typically offers lower rates than Foremost when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 39% a month less with Houston General compared to Foremost, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of about 31% a month.

Is Foremost or Houston General 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 insurance payment. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car each year, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Foremost or Houston General report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, Houston General comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle every year, with average rates of $160 per month for both.

Foremost or Houston General: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a substantial role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Generally, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Houston General boasts the lowest average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 20% with Houston General compared to Foremost. People who live in suburban areas pay about 48% less with Houston General compared to Foremost. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Houston General Insurance Exchange's average prices are around 48% less than Foremost Insurance Group.

Foremost vs. Houston General 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 difficult to find all the ones you can take advantage of or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Foremost and Houston General so that you can see which company can save you the most money each month.

Overall, Foremost has the advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Houston General offers a grand total of eight discounts, while Foremost has 12.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, distant student discounts, and multi-policy discounts -- but Foremost also offers discounts for defensive driver, EFT, good driving, and more.

On the other hand, Houston General has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like ABS discounts, excess vehicle discounts, good student discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Foremost or Houston General Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, is Foremost or Houston General the best one for you and your specific driver profile?

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

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You're looking for the best prices on liability only coverage.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Foremost might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Foremost offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Foremost and Houston General and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car 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 auto insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple companies, not just Foremost and Houston General. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Foremost vs. Houston General FAQs

Is Foremost or Houston General cheaper?

Houston General is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $160 a month with Houston General and $270 for Foremost. However, that doesn't mean Houston General will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are several different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Foremost or Houston General?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Foremost and Houston General offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use lots of different variables when calculating the prices they charge. Factors like where you live, where you park your vehicle, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Foremost and Houston General calculate premiums using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if Foremost or Houston General is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 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 price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Foremost or Houston General 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.