General Casualty vs. Hanover: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, General Casualty offers significantly less expensive rates than Hanover
• General Casualty has more affordable premiums for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record
• Hanover offers more discounts than General Casualty

General Casualty vs. Hanover: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering large discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to General Casualty or Hanover as your top options, but between the two, which carrier has cheaper rates for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Hanover has average rates that are about 85% per month more expensive than those from General Casualty.

However, General Casualty may not be the lowest or best option for every single driver out there. Auto insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how clean your driving record is, how old you are, how good your credit score is, and a ton of other factors. So, at the end of the day, premiums from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if General Casualty or Hanover 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.

General Casualty or Hanover: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

General Casualty and Hanover only compete against each other in one states, with General Casualty offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty rates are over 70% less expensive than car insurance premiums at Hanover.

But there's more to insurance than just the state you live in. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance companies calculate your prices. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. As you can see above, teens who use General Casualty save more than $500 a month compared to those who use Hanover.

Even so, both carriers will reduce rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for General Casualty policyholders lower over 55% and Hanover's rates drop more than 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable auto insurance prices you can find. 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.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between General Casualty and Hanover? General Casualty gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older nearly 80% cheaper than the national average for Hanover.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance premiums tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having multiple cars on their policy -- something several car insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, General Casualty is the clear winner for those who are single, with prices around $839 per month cheaper than Hanover, on average. The advantage for married policyholders with General Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save over $500 a month.

General Casualty vs. Hanover: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is normally cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because women are less likely to get into collisions and get speeding tickets, which lowers the chances of an insurance claim.

With General Casualty, women usually pay almost $15 per month less than men, while with Hanover, the difference is closer to $60 a month.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty comes out as the lowest option for both genders. On average, women save about $691 per month and men save about $737 with General Casualty compared to the average Hanover policyholder.

General Casualty or Hanover: 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, insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different terms and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

That being said, the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury 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, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, General Casualty generally offers significantly less expensive rates of $82 compared to Hanover's $509. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies around $500 a month cheaper than Hanover, on average.

Is General Casualty or Hanover 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.

Tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is General Casualty or Hanover more affordable for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

General Casualty policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $43 per month if they get a ticket, while Hanover typically raises rates about $221 a month, on average.

Even so, General Casualty has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are 85% and 84% more affordable, respectively, compared to Hanover Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Hanover increasing by just under $350. General Casualty has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay over $55 more than you were prior to your first accident.

Overall, General Casualty offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $146 compared to Hanover Insurance's $943.

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 speeding ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. On average, Hanover will climb your rates around 39% after a DUI, while General Casualty's average prices rise by over 50%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable rates, General Casualty tends to be the much less expensive option with average premiums of $186 monthly compared to 1013 from Hanover.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and Hanover Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly auto insurance rates. This isn't always the case (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

Car insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking at General Casualty and Hanover specifically, which company has the best 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 General Casualty or Hanover 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, those who drive less will end up with cheaper premiums since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much General Casualty charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Hanover, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying about $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, General Casualty is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

General Casualty vs. Hanover: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a considerable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

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

Drivers in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable prices from both companies, but General Casualty comes out on top with average rates around $131 a month. General Casualty also has less expensive average premiums for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 84% and 84% per month respective difference when compared to Hanover drivers in similar areas.

General Casualty vs. Hanover 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. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you qualify for.

Below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both General Casualty and Hanover so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Hanover blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 21 different discounts to General Casualty's 12.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good driver, and paid in full discounts. Hanover also offers ABS discounts, annual mileage discounts, driver training discounts, and more that General Casualty does not.

On the flip side, General Casualty has a couple unique discounts of its own -- employee discounts, new vehicle discounts, and occupation discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is General Casualty or Hanover Best for You?

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

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

• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" car insurance.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles annually.

Hanover might be best for you if...

• You're looking for discounts -- Hanover has the most.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between General Casualty and Hanover and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just General Casualty and Hanover. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make 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.

General Casualty vs. Hanover FAQs

Is General Casualty or Hanover cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, General Casualty is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $139 a month compared to $853 for Hanover. However, General Casualty won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for each policyholder, since there are lots of different variables that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance bill.

Who is better, General Casualty or Hanover?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for every driver -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

Why do General Casualty and Hanover offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Variables like where your home is, gender, age, where you park your car, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both General Casualty and Hanover use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if General Casualty or Hanover 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 ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be General Casualty or Hanover 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.