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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, General Casualty offers significantly more affordable rates than The General
• General Casualty offers less expensive average premiums for policyholders who live in suburban areas
• General Casualty offers more affordable rates for residents of rural areas

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

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering large discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering General Casualty or The General for your next policy, but which company has cheaper premiums for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, General Casualty is quite a bit cheaper than The General, with prices averaging $139 per month compared to $241 with The General.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean General Casualty will be the less expensive option for each driver. Car insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate premiums, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how old you are (among a wide array of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

General Casualty or The General: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

General Casualty and The General only compete against each other in two states, with General Casualty offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Arizona has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty prices are over 50% more affordable than insurance rates at The General.

But there's more to auto insurance than just the state you live in. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance carriers determine your premiums. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for insurance than any group out there on the road. That's 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 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 nearly $200 less a month by choosing General Casualty over The General.

However, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for General Casualty policyholders decrease more than 55% and The General's prices drop over 45% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the most affordable premiums you'll ever see.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? General Casualty gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $71 cheaper than the national average for The General.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance prices are generally more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single drivers? That's typically because married couples tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, General Casualty is the clear winner for single policyholders, with rates about $118 per month less expensive than The General, on average. The advantage is also clear for married drivers - General Casualty offers the cheapest average prices.

General Casualty vs. The General: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

Generally, women see premiums almost 10% a month less with General Casualty, while with The General, the difference is closer to 12% per month.

When it comes to the lowest rates for each gender, General Casualty offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $93 a month and men save around $111 with General Casualty compared to the average The General policyholder.

General Casualty or The General: 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 car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are multiple different coverages that account for a variety of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, General Casualty generally offers significantly more affordable premiums of $82 compared to The General's $154. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies about $150 per month less expensive than The General, on average.

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

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

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable prices to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

General Casualty policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $43 a month if they get a ticket, while The General normally raises rates around $48 per month, on average.

But General Casualty is usually the cheaper option for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records. Drivers with a clean record can save about $102 a month and drivers with a ticket can save around $107 per month with General Casualty.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

General Casualty drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums climb by over $55, while those who have insurance through The General will see about a $85 increase.

Overall, the more affordable prices come from General Casualty, with monthly rates averaging $146 compared to The General's $279.

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. For example, General Casualty increases average premiums by over $95 a month -- that's over a 50% increase.

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 prices of $186 a month compared to $254 from The General.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and The General Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it might come into play for many policyholders.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

Looking at General Casualty and The General specifically, which one has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with General Casualty. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save more than 40% compared to The General, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $99 or 46% cheaper each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

General Casualty typically offers lower prices than The General when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $107 per month less with General Casualty compared to The General, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around $130 monthly.

Is General Casualty or The General 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 considerable impact on your monthly car insurance cost? Generally, those who drive less will end up with more affordable rates since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither General Casualty or The General report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, General Casualty comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle every year, with average rates of $139 a month for both.

General Casualty vs. The General: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Normally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

General Casualty boasts the cheapest average prices 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 premiums from both companies, but General Casualty comes out on top with average prices about $131 per month. General Casualty also has cheaper average rates for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $159 and $91 per month respective difference when compared to The General drivers in similar areas.

General Casualty vs. The General Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both General Casualty and The General so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

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

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver and paid in full discounts. General Casualty also offers advance quote discounts, anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, and more that The General does not.

On the flip side, The General has a couple unique discounts of its own -- group discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, liability only discounts, and more.

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

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the best company for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You're single and purchasing insurance by yourself.
• You have above-average credit.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

The General 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 good idea of the differences between General Casualty and The General and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just General Casualty and The General. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

General Casualty vs. The General FAQs

Is General Casualty or The General cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, General Casualty is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $139 a month compared to $241 for The General. However, General Casualty won't necessarily be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, General Casualty or The General?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". One carrier is not "better" for each driver -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do General Casualty and The General offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when determining the rates they charge policyholders. Things such as gender, where you park your vehicle, your driving record, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both General Casualty and The General calculate premiums using different variables, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if General Casualty or The General 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 ZIP code 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 rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be General Casualty or The General 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.