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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Progressive offers significantly more affordable prices than Foremost
• Progressive tends to be a much less expensive option for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit
• Progressive offers cheaper average rates for policyholders who may not have much of a commute

Foremost vs. Progressive: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might have narrowed your search down to Foremost or Progressive as your top options, but between the two, which carrier will offer you less expensive prices?

As you can see, Progressive is quite a bit cheaper than Foremost, with premiums averaging $180 per month compared to $270 with Foremost when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

Even so, Progressive may not be the lowest or best option for every driver out there. Insurance companies use a variety of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how old you are or where you live (among numerous other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Foremost or Progressive is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Foremost or Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Foremost and Progressive only compete against each other in two states, with Progressive offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. New Jersey has the most noticable difference, where Progressive premiums are over 70% more affordable than car insurance prices at Foremost.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance rates than just where you live. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers. It's typically because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of more than $100 less a month by choosing Progressive over Foremost.

However, with both carriers, you'll see your prices drop significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Foremost policyholders reduce over 60% and Progressive's premiums decrease nearly 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the cheapest auto insurance rates you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

When looking at Foremost and Progressive specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Progressive gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at about $131 a month compared to Foremost's $219.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly cheaper car insurance premiums than those who are single. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one car on their policy -- something quite a few insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Progressive is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices around $94 per month more affordable than Foremost, on average. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - Progressive has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Foremost vs. Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but men normally pay more for car insurance than women do. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

On average, men see rates about $4 a month higher with Foremost, and around $5 more with Progressive.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $89 per month and women save about $90 with Progressive compared to the average Foremost policyholder.

Foremost or Progressive: 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Progressive typically offers significantly less expensive prices of $111 compared to Foremost's $173. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Progressive again has the edge, with policies around $100 a month more affordable than Foremost, on average.

Is Foremost or Progressive Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that at-fault collisions and tickets lead to higher premiums, but which carrier -- Foremost or Progressive -- has the lowest rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Foremost policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $56 per month if they get a ticket, while Progressive usually raises rates about $31 a month, on average.

That being said, Progressive tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records. Drivers with a clean record can save around $53 per month and drivers with a ticket can save about $78 a month with Progressive.

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% -- increase in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Progressive for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $65 (or 30%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance company.

Overall, Progressive offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $214 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 collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, Foremost increases average prices by over $35 per month -- that's over a 15% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Foremost and Progressive Rates?

Did you know that many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when calculating rates? This isn't always the case (for example, Massachusetts and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto 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 Progressive and Foremost, which one has the best 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 Progressive 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 how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. Generally, the more miles you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

In this case, neither Foremost or Progressive report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, Progressive comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle each year, with average prices of $180 a month for both.

Foremost vs. Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can play a considerable role in how much you pay for insurance. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers because of the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Progressive boasts the most affordable average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest prices from both companies, but Progressive comes out on top with average rates about $154 monthly. Progressive also has less expensive average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 35% and 38% per month respective difference when compared to Foremost policyholders in similar areas.

Foremost vs. Progressive Discounts

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

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

Below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Foremost and Progressive so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive blows Foremost away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to Foremost's 12.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, EFT discounts, and multi-policy discounts -- but Progressive also offers ABS discounts, advanced safety feature discounts, agency transfer discounts, and more that Foremost does not.

On the flip side, Foremost has a couple unique discounts of its own -- multi-car/single driver discounts and prior carrier discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Foremost or Progressive Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your car insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Foremost or Progressive the best fit for you?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• Your credit score is high.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's auto insurance policy.

Foremost might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Foremost and Progressive. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about 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 carriers, not just Foremost and Progressive. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Foremost vs. Progressive FAQs

Is Foremost or Progressive cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Progressive is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $180 a month compared to $270 for Foremost. However, Progressive won't necessarily be the lowest company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, Foremost or Progressive?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for each driver -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Foremost and Progressive offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when determining the rates they charge drivers. Variables like your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Foremost and Progressive calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Foremost or Progressive 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.