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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers less expensive rates than Travelers
• General Casualty tends to be a much cheaper option for drivers with a DUI
• Travelers may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than General Casualty

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

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to General Casualty or Travelers for your next policy, but which one will save you the most?

As you can see, Travelers is around $28 more a month than General Casualty when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean General Casualty will be the more affordable option for each driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your age, your credit score, where you call home, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

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

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

General Casualty and Travelers compete against each other in six states, with Travelers offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where Travelers premiums are $31 less expensive than auto insurance rates at General Casualty.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance cost than just where you call home. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 25% less per month by choosing General Casualty over Travelers.

But both companies will lower prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for General Casualty policyholders drop about $150 and Travelers's prices reduce more than $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you'll ever find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between General Casualty and Travelers? General Casualty gets the slight edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older around 6% more affordable than the national average for Travelers.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance rates than married policyholders. This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something quite a few auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with General Casualty rates coming in at about 15% less than Travelers's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - General Casualty offers the lowest average premiums.

General Casualty or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get speeding tickets and get into accidents, which means they'll usually end up paying more for insurance than women.

On average, men see rates almost 10% a month higher with General Casualty, and around 6% more with Travelers.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, General Casualty offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $26 per month and women save about $29 with General Casualty compared to the average Travelers policyholder.

General Casualty vs. Travelers: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for many different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

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 their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, General Casualty has the 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 around $195 a month to Travelers's $225.

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

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is General Casualty or Travelers less expensive for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use General Casualty for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 32% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 20%.

That being said, General Casualty has cheaper premiums for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 30% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 17% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through General Casualty can expect to see about an $56 -- or around 38% -- rise in their car insurance prices. Drivers who use Travelers for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $45 (or 26%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their car insurance company.

At the end of the day, the more affordable premiums come from General Casualty, with average rates coming in at $146 compared to Travelers's $173.

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 an accident. For example, General Casualty increases average premiums by more than $95 per month -- that's more than a 50% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and Travelers Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for several drivers.

Insurance carriers 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, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with cheaper prices.

Looking specifically at General Casualty and Travelers, which carrier has the most affordable rates for drivers 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 Travelers 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 large impact on how much auto insurance companies will charge for coverage? Generally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable premiums since there's less of a chance of causing a collision 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 Travelers, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying around $5 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, General Casualty is the less expensive carrier.

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

Where you live can play a substantial role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, 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.

General Casualty boasts the most affordable average prices for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, General Casualty's average rates are about $53 less than Travelers. People who live in suburban areas pay around $26 less with General Casualty compared to Travelers. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $5 with General Casualty compared to Travelers.

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

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.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both General Casualty and Travelers so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Travelers blows General Casualty away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 13 more discounts than General Casualty.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Travelers also offers discounts for ABS, alternative fuel, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, General Casualty has a few proprietary discounts of their own like employee discounts and occupation discounts.

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

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance carrier is the best one for you and your specific needs?

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

• You haven't received any speeding tickets or been in an accident in the last few years.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Travelers might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance company.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare General Casualty and Travelers. 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 several carriers, not just General Casualty and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

General Casualty vs. Travelers FAQs

Is General Casualty or Travelers cheaper?

General Casualty is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $139 a month with General Casualty and $167 for Travelers. However, that doesn't mean General Casualty will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are multiple different factors that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, General Casualty or Travelers?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do General Casualty and Travelers offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use many different variables when determining the rates they charge. Factors like gender, where your home is, age, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both General Casualty and Travelers calculate prices using different variables, 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 a range of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the auto 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 make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't General Casualty or Travelers 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.