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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers significantly more affordable premiums than Metlife
• General Casualty offers less expensive average rates for single people who will be the only person on the insurance policy
• Metlife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than General Casualty

General Casualty or Metlife: 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 might have narrowed it down to General Casualty or Metlife for your next policy, but which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, General Casualty has average rates that are around 60% a month cheaper than those from Metlife.

That being said, General Casualty may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how old you are or how good your credit score is (among several other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

Wanting to know if General Casualty or Metlife is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average rates can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

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

General Casualty and Metlife compete against each other in eight states, with General Casualty offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Montana has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty rates are $298 less expensive than car insurance premiums at Metlife.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance prices than just where you call home. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- generally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance premiums. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 70% less per month by choosing General Casualty over Metlife.

Even so, both carriers will lower rates by the time drivers turn 25. Metlife offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, General Casualty still has the most affordable premiums at $114 a month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the cheapest insurance prices you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which typically decreases their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise rates.

When looking at General Casualty and Metlife specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? General Casualty gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older almost 40% cheaper than the national average for Metlife.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance premiums are normally less expensive for married couples than they are for those who are single? That's usually because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with General Casualty premiums coming in at about a third of Metlife's. The advantage for married policyholders with General Casualty is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 50% a month.

General Casualty or Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

Women tend to pay less for auto insurance than men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

On average, men see prices almost 10% per month higher with General Casualty, and nearly 10% with Metlife.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, General Casualty comes out as the lowest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $208 a month and women save around $194 with General Casualty compared to the average Metlife policyholder.

General Casualty 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, General Casualty has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums 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 about $195 per month to Metlife's $466.

Is General Casualty or Metlife Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Speeding tickets and accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is General Casualty or Metlife more affordable for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use General Casualty for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 32% after getting a speeding ticket. Metlife policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 21%.

But General Casualty has cheaper rates for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are 59% and 52% more affordable, respectively, compared to MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will increase prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Metlife climbing by around 40%. General Casualty has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay nearly 40% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, drivers who use General Casualty end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $146 compared to MetLife's $368.

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. For example, Metlife increases average prices by more than $250 a month -- that's more than a 55% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and Metlife Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

Insurance carriers 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.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is General Casualty 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 pretty big impact on your monthly premiums? Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing 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 rates for Metlife, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $3 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, General Casualty is the cheaper company.

General Casualty 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 car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a considerable impact as well. Generally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

General Casualty tends to offer the cheapest premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $168 with General Casualty compared to Metlife. People who live in suburban areas pay about $199 less with General Casualty compared to Metlife. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, General Casualty's average prices are around $238 less than MetLife.

General Casualty 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 challenging 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 General Casualty and Metlife so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Metlife blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 24 more discounts than General Casualty.

Both companies offer several of the same discounts -- like distant student discounts, employee discounts, and multi-policy discounts -- but Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, academic, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, new vehicle discounts, occupation discounts, and more.

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

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the right fit for you?

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

• You will be the only person on the auto insurance policy.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You are considering moving to another state -- undefined is only available in.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between General Casualty and Metlife and that you can now make a more informed 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 carriers, not just General Casualty and Metlife. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

General Casualty vs. Metlife FAQs

Is General Casualty or Metlife cheaper?

General Casualty is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $139 per month with General Casualty and $340 for Metlife. Even so, that doesn't mean General Casualty will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are a bunch of different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, General Casualty or Metlife?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do General Casualty and Metlife offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use many different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables like gender, your driving record, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both General Casualty and Metlife calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance company 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. That way, 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 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.