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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers significantly less expensive premiums than Mercury
• General Casualty offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• Mercury may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than General Casualty

General Casualty or Mercury: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for 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've maybe even narrowed it down to General Casualty or Mercury for your next policy, but which one will offer you cheaper rates?

As you can see, General Casualty has average rates that are around 55% a month more affordable than those from Mercury when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

However, that doesn't mean General Casualty will necessarily be less expensive than Mercury for every driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your age, where you call home, or even your credit score (among other things), so prices will change quite a bit from person to person.

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

General Casualty vs. Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

General Casualty and Mercury only compete against each other in two states, with General Casualty offering cheaper rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Arizona, General Casualty is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums. Mercury is the cheaper option in Illinois.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance bill than just where you call home. Continue reading to see 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 prices of any group out there on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 65% less per month by choosing General Casualty over Mercury.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for General Casualty policyholders decrease more than 55% and Mercury's prices reduce almost 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at General Casualty and Mercury specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? General Casualty gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older nearly 45% more affordable than the national average for Mercury.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly less expensive car insurance prices than single policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something a lot of auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with General Casualty prices coming in at about half of Mercury's. The advantage for married policyholders with General Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 a month.

General Casualty or Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get speeding tickets and get into accidents, they have a lower chance of filing a claim with insurance. So, women tend to get cheaper rates than men.

With General Casualty, women typically pay almost $15 per month less than men, and about $15 with Mercury.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums 52% less for men and 54% cheaper for women.

General Casualty vs. Mercury: 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 insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different terms and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, General Casualty has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $82. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies averaging around $195 a month to Mercury's $406.

Is General Casualty or Mercury 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 premiums, but is General Casualty or Mercury cheaper for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use General Casualty for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 32% after getting a speeding ticket. Mercury policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 19%.

But General Casualty is typically the more affordable option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 62% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 55% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

General Casualty drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices increase by just under 40%, while those who have insurance through Mercury will see about a 30% increase.

At the end of the day, the less expensive rates come from General Casualty, with average prices coming in at $146 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

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 speeding ticket or even a collision. On average, General Casualty will climb your rates around 52% after a DUI, while Mercury's average premiums rise by more than 20%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, General Casualty tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $186 to Mercury's $303.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and Mercury Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining rates? Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it might come into play for lots of policyholders.

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, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, General Casualty will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, General Casualty comes in nearly 53.81 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save around 56% with General Casualty compared to average rates from Mercury.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

General Casualty typically offers lower premiums than Mercury when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 54% per month less with General Casualty compared to Mercury, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 52% monthly.

Is General Casualty or Mercury Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Usually, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

In this case, neither General Casualty or Mercury report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, General Casualty comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle annually, with average rates of $139 a month for both.

General Casualty or Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a large impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, General Casualty typically comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 37% with General Casualty compared to Mercury. People who live in suburban areas pay around 51% less with General Casualty compared to Mercury. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, General Casualty's average premiums are about 62% less than Mercury Insurance.

General Casualty vs. Mercury 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, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem difficult to find all the of the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts General Casualty and Mercury offer their customers so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Mercury blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 27 different discounts to General Casualty's 12.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, employee discounts, and multi-policy discounts. Mercury also offers discounts for ABS, continuous insurance, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a proprietary discount of their own -- a new vehicle discounts.

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

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

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

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You drive often but have a short commute.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You are considering moving to another state -- General Casualty only offers policies in eight states.
• You care about discounts (Mercury offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between General Casualty and Mercury. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple companies, not just General Casualty and Mercury. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

General Casualty vs. Mercury FAQs

Is General Casualty or Mercury cheaper?

General Casualty is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $139 per month with General Casualty and $295 for Mercury. However, that doesn't mean General Casualty will be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, General Casualty or Mercury?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do General Casualty and Mercury offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use quite a few different factors when calculating the prices they charge. Things such as gender, age, your driving record, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both General Casualty and Mercury calculate rates differently, 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 several different companies.

How do I know if General Casualty or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers 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 ZIP code 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 premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't General Casualty or Mercury 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.