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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Foremost offers significantly less expensive prices than Metlife
• Foremost offers more affordable rates for drivers who have below-average credit
• Metlife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Foremost Insurance Group

Foremost or Metlife: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to 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 your search down to Foremost or Metlife for your next policy, but which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Metlife is around $70 more a month than Foremost.

But Foremost may not be the most affordable or best option for every single driver out there. Car insurance companies vary their premiums depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how old you are, how good your credit score is, where you live, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, prices from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Foremost or Metlife 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.

Foremost vs. Metlife: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Foremost and Metlife only compete against each other in three states, with Foremost offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Washington has the most noticable difference, where Foremost premiums are $171 more affordable than auto insurance rates at Metlife.

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 carriers determine your prices. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any group on the road. Generally, that's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 40% less per month by choosing Foremost over Metlife.

That being said, both companies will reduce rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Foremost policyholders drop over 60% and Metlife's premiums decrease more than 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the cheapest auto insurance rates out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for insurance.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Foremost and Metlife? Metlife gets the slight edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older about 6% cheaper than the national average for Foremost.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are usually more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders? That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Foremost rates coming in at a quarter less than Metlife's. It's not quite so glaring for married couples, where drivers who use Foremost save around 3% a month.

Foremost or Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll generally end up paying more for insurance than women.

Women usually pay about $4 per month less than men with Foremost, and around $28 less with Metlife.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Foremost comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 23% less for men and 18% cheaper for women.

Foremost vs. Metlife: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are several different coverages that account for a bunch of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Foremost has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $173. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Foremost again has the edge, with policies averaging about $366 a month to Metlife's $466.

Is Foremost or Metlife Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Speeding tickets and collisions will most likely raise your rates, but is Foremost or Metlife more affordable for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Foremost for their insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 22% after getting a speeding ticket. Metlife policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 21%.

However, Foremost has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 8% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 8% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Foremost can expect to see around an $179 -- or about 47% -- rise in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Metlife for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $148 (or 40%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, Metlife offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $368 compared to Foremost Insurance Group's $381.

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 ticket or even a collision. Metlife drivers usually see a 55% climb in their car insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Foremost will normally increase rates by about 15%.

How does Credit Score Impact Foremost and Metlife Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it will come into play for quite a few drivers.

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

Looking at Foremost and Metlife specifically, which company has the most affordable premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Foremost or Metlife 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 considerable impact on how much auto insurance companies will charge for coverage? That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Foremost charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Metlife, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $3 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Foremost is the more affordable company.

Foremost or Metlife: 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 large impact as well. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas because of the small number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Foremost normally comes out as the cheapest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Foremost Insurance Group's average prices are about 18% less than MetLife. People who live in suburban areas pay around 14% less with Foremost compared to Metlife. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 31% with Foremost compared to Metlife.

Foremost vs. Metlife Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you can take advantage of or to nail down the company 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 Metlife so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Metlife knocks Foremost out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Foremost's 36.

Both companies offer many of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and EFT discounts -- but Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, academic, and more.

On the other hand, Foremost has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, minor child discounts, multi-car/single driver discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Foremost or Metlife Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your car insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right carrier for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Foremost might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your prices climb.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's insurance policy.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You want to save money on your car insurance after a collision.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Foremost and Metlife and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto 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 carriers, not just Foremost and Metlife. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Foremost vs. Metlife FAQs

Is Foremost or Metlife cheaper?

Foremost is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $270 per month with Foremost and $340 for Metlife. Even so, that doesn't mean Foremost will be the most affordable carrier for each policyholder, since there are lots of different factors that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Foremost or Metlife?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile. For example, Foremost is cheaper for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Metlife offers less expensive prices for policyholders with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Foremost and Metlife offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use a lot of different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things like gender, your driving record, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Foremost and Metlife calculate rates using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies 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 car insurance carriers 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 Metlife 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.