Fremont vs. Great Northern: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Great Northern offers less expensive rates than Fremont
• Fremont offers more affordable premiums for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years
• Great Northern offers more affordable average rates for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Fremont vs. Great Northern: 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 big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Fremont or Great Northern as potential options, but which one has cheaper prices for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Great Northern has average rates that are about 12% per month less expensive than those from Fremont.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean Great Northern will be the cheaper option for every single driver. Car insurance companies vary their premiums depending on things like where you live, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, prices from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Fremont or Great Northern is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Fremont or Great Northern: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Both Fremont and Great Northern only offer auto insurance in Michigan, so you'll see that the average figures here will mirror the ones we mentioned above. For Michigan residents, Great Northern offers car insurance for $496 monthly on average. Fremont's average rates come out to be over 10% more expensive, at $562 a month.

Typically, where you live will play a hefty role in how much you pay for insurance, but since both companies only do business in Michigan, a range of other factors will come into play when you compare Fremont and Great Northern. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Great Northern save more than $500 a month compared to those who use Fremont.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your rates decrease significantly by the time drivers turn 25. Great Northern offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Fremont still has the lowest premiums at $438 per month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Fremont and Great Northern specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Fremont gets the slight edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $25 more affordable than the national average for Great Northern.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be cheaper for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married couples usually cover more than one car, which several companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Great Northern is the clear winner for those who are single, with premiums around $131 per month less expensive than Fremont, on average. But for married drivers, that advantage is much less clear - Fremont has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Fremont vs. Great Northern: Average Rates by Gender

Men tend to pay more for insurance than women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

Men and women get the same monthly premiums with Fremont; women and men end up paying same monthly rates with Great Northern.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Great Northern comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average prices $66 less for men and $66 cheaper for women.

Fremont or Great Northern: 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. There are lots of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

But the 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 two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Great Northern normally offers more affordable rates of $255 compared to Fremont's $334. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Great Northern again has the edge, with policies about $55 a month less expensive than Fremont, on average.

Is Fremont or Great Northern Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Collisions and tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Fremont or Great Northern more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers with Great Northern insurance policies don't report seeing their rates increase after getting a ticket, but Fremont policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by around a third.

Even so, Fremont has cheaper premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are $271 and $133 less expensive, respectively, compared to Great Northern Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Fremont increasing by over $80. Great Northern has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay $0 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Fremont offers the lowest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $307 compared to Great Northern Insurance's $496.

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. On average, Fremont will raise your premiums about 83% after a DUI, while Great Northern's average rates climb by 0%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Great Northern tends to be the much more affordable option with average premiums of $496 monthly compared to 1353 from Fremont.

How does Credit Score Impact Fremont and Great Northern Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly car insurance prices. This isn't always the case (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it does affect many policyholders out there.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with cheaper rates.

Looking at Fremont and Great Northern specifically, which carrier has the cheapest prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Fremont or Great Northern 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 sizable impact on how much car insurance carriers will charge for coverage? Typically, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

In this case, neither Fremont or Great Northern report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Still, Great Northern comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle yearly, with average premiums of $496 per month for both.

Fremont vs. Great Northern: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a substantial impact as well. Generally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because of the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Great Northern boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Great Northern offers prices around $570 per month compared to Fremont's $682. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $486 a month for Great Northern and $536 for Fremont. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest premiums from both companies, with average monthly rates coming in at $432 and $467 for Great Northern and Fremont respectively.

Fremont vs. Great Northern Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

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

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

Looking at the total number of discounts, Fremont comes out ahead with 14 discounts to Great Northern's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, anti-theft discounts, and discounts for being a good student. Fremont also offers COVID-19 relief discount, garage discounts, good driving discounts, and more that Great Northern does not.

On the flip side, Great Northern has a couple unique discounts of its own -- discounts for getting driver training, occasional operator discounts, renewal discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Fremont or Great Northern Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance prices. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the best company for you and your specific needs?

Great Northern might be best for you if....

• You already have a great credit score.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Fremont might be best for you if...

• You have a clean record.
• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Fremont and Great Northern and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your 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 several carriers, not just Fremont and Great Northern. 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 insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Fremont vs. Great Northern FAQs

Is Fremont or Great Northern cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Great Northern is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $496 per month compared to $562 for Fremont. However, Great Northern won't necessarily be the lowest company for every policyholder, since there are a range of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Fremont or Great Northern?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". Neither carrier is necessarily "better" for each driver -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, Great Northern offers cheaper premiums for single policyholders, while Fremont is more affordable for drivers who have already retired.

Why do Fremont and Great Northern offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at quite a few different factors when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Things like your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Fremont and Great Northern calculate prices differently, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

How do I know if Fremont or Great Northern is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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 area information 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 best price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Fremont or Great Northern 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.