Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Hastings Mutual offers significantly more affordable prices than Mercury
• Hastings Mutual offers less expensive average rates for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• Mercury has cheaper premiums for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering substantial discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Hastings Mutual or Mercury for your next policy, but which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Mercury is quite a bit more expensive than Hastings Mutual, with rates averaging $295 per month compared to just $211 with Hastings Mutual.

However, Hastings Mutual may not be the lowest or best option for every driver out there. Auto insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how old you are (among an array of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

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

Hastings Mutual or Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Hastings Mutual and Mercury only compete against each other in one states, with Mercury offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. Illinois has the most noticable difference, where Mercury rates are over 40% cheaper than insurance prices at Hastings Mutual.

But there's more to calculating car insurance premiums than just where you live. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for insurance than any group out there on the road. It's typically because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto 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 more than $350 less a month by choosing Hastings Mutual over Mercury.

That being said, with both companies, you'll see your premiums lower significantly by the time you turn 25. Mercury offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Hastings Mutual still has the most affordable prices at $202 a month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the cheapest auto insurance rates you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

When looking at Hastings Mutual and Mercury specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Hastings Mutual gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at about $167 monthly compared to Mercury's $219.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance premiums than married couples. That's generally because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Hastings Mutual is the clear winner for single policyholders, with prices around $128 per month less expensive than Mercury, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Hastings Mutual is also obvious, where drivers save over 10% a month.

Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is usually cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get speeding tickets and get into accidents, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

With Hastings Mutual, women normally pay about $5 per month less than men, and nearly $15 cheaper with Mercury when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Hastings Mutual offers the lowest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $80 a month and men save around $89 with Hastings Mutual compared to the average Mercury policyholder.

Hastings Mutual or 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.

For most people, insurance can be pretty complicated. There are multiple different coverages that account for a bunch 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.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Hastings Mutual typically offers more affordable premiums of $142 compared to Mercury's $184. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Hastings Mutual again has the edge, with policies about $150 per month cheaper than Mercury, on average.

Is Hastings Mutual or Mercury Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Hastings Mutual policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $20 a month if they get a ticket, while Mercury usually raises rates around $57 per month, on average.

Even so, Hastings Mutual is generally the less expensive option for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records, offering premiums that are $128 and $165 more affordable, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Hastings Mutual drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates rise by over $15, while those who have insurance through Mercury will see about a $100 increase.

Overall, the less expensive prices come from Hastings Mutual, with monthly premiums averaging $126 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or ticket. Hastings Mutual drivers usually see a 77% raise in their car insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Mercury will typically climb prices by around 22%.

How does Credit Score Impact Hastings Mutual and Mercury Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

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

Looking specifically at Mercury and Hastings Mutual, which company has the best premiums 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 Hastings Mutual or Mercury 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 auto insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car each year, the less likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Hastings Mutual or Mercury report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, Hastings Mutual comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle every year, with average rates of $211 a month for both.

Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a large role in how much you pay for car insurance. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers because of the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Hastings Mutual boasts the cheapest average rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable prices from both companies, but Hastings Mutual comes out on top with average rates about $164 per month. Hastings Mutual also has cheaper average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $110 and $98 per month respective difference when compared to Mercury policyholders in similar areas.

Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury 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, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

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

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Hastings Mutual and Mercury so that you can see which one can save you the most money each month.

Mercury blows Hastings Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 17 more discounts than Hastings Mutual.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Mercury also offers advance quote discounts, continuous insurance discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more that Hastings Mutual does not.

On the flip side, Hastings Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- company car discounts and workloss exclusion discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Hastings Mutual or Mercury Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors 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 carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

Hastings Mutual might be best for you if....

• You have an at-fault accident on your record.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- undefined is only available in.
• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You care about discounts (Mercury offers the most).

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

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Hastings Mutual and Mercury. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Hastings Mutual vs. Mercury FAQs

Is Hastings Mutual or Mercury cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Hastings Mutual is the more affordable of the two carriers, offering average rates of $211 a month compared to $295 for Mercury. But Hastings Mutual won't necessarily be the lowest company for each driver, since there are a variety of different variables (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Hastings Mutual or Mercury?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Mercury offers cheaper prices for drivers with a recent DUI, while Hastings Mutual is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Hastings Mutual and Mercury offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at several different factors when calculating the premiums they charge drivers. Variables like where you live, age, where your home is, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Hastings Mutual and Mercury calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Hastings Mutual or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once 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 best rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Hastings Mutual or Mercury 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.