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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Mercury offers more affordable premiums than UAIC
• Mercury has less expensive prices for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods
• UAIC offers more affordable rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

Mercury or UAIC: 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 big savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Mercury or UAIC for your next policy, but which carrier will save you the most?

As you can see, UAIC is around $42 more a month than Mercury when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, Mercury may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how old you are or where you live (among a lot of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

Mercury vs. UAIC: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Mercury and UAIC only compete against each other in Florida, where Mercury offers the cheaper average premiums. Mercury drivers tend to pay about $15 per month less on average compared to drivers who use UAIC for their insurance.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance payment than just your home state. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any group on the road. The reason is that 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 that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have UAIC for their auto insurance pay over 15% less than those who use Mercury. It's worth noting that Mercury offers car insurance in 11 different states compared to UAIC's one, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your premiums drop significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Mercury policyholders reduce almost 70% and UAIC's prices lower nearly 50% 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 most affordable premiums you'll ever see.

When looking at Mercury and UAIC specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Mercury gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $47 cheaper than the national average for UAIC.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be less expensive for married couples than they are for those who are single. This usually boils down to married drivers having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something quite a few insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is not very significant, with Mercury prices coming in at about 6% less than UAIC's. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Mercury save around $70 a month.

Mercury or UAIC: Average Rates by Gender

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

On average, men see prices about $15 per month higher with Mercury, and around $4 with UAIC.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Mercury offers the cheapest average rates for both men and women, with average premiums 11% less for men and 14% cheaper for women.

Mercury vs. UAIC: 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 can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different terms and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

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

When it comes to state minimum liability insurance, Mercury has the edge, while UAIC offers the lowest average rates for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $90 with Mercury Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $10 cheaper with UAIC.

Is Mercury or UAIC Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher prices, but which company -- Mercury or UAIC -- has the most affordable premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Mercury for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 19% after getting a speeding ticket. UAIC policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 22%.

Even so, Mercury has more affordable prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are 7% and 9% cheaper, respectively, compared to UAIC.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Mercury policyholders who get in an accident can expect to see their rates climb by over $100, while those who have insurance through UAIC will see around a $70 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use UAIC end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average premiums coming in at $326 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 car insurance bill -- usually a lot more than a collision or ticket. For example, UAIC increases average rates by nearly $200 a month -- that's nearly a 45% increase.

Mercury has the overall cheapest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $303 monthly, but it's worth noting that Mercury's average rates come from 11 states compared to just one for UAIC, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Mercury and UAIC Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for a lot of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which raises the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

Looking specifically at UAIC and Mercury, which one has the lowest premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Mercury will normally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Mercury comes in just under 33.83 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save about 21% with Mercury compared to average prices from UAIC.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-stellar credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best rates. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 10% less with Mercury than UAIC, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 17% per month with UAIC.

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

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance cost. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable premiums since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Mercury or UAIC report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Still, Mercury comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle yearly, with average rates of $295 a month for both.

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

Where you live can have a considerable impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Mercury boasts the cheapest average prices 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 $11 with Mercury compared to UAIC. People who live in suburban areas pay about $115 less with Mercury compared to UAIC. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Mercury Insurance's average premiums are around $1 less than UAIC.

Mercury vs. UAIC 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 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 looked at all of the different discounts Mercury and UAIC offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Mercury knocks UAIC out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 27 different discounts to UAIC's 12.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Mercury also offers discounts for advance quote, continuous insurance, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, UAIC has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like agency transfer discounts, EFT discounts, intra-agency transfer discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Mercury or UAIC Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your car insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, is Mercury or UAIC the best company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Mercury might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

UAIC might be best for you if...

• You want to save money on your car insurance after a collision.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Mercury and UAIC and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your 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 car insurance -- comparing quotes from several companies, not just Mercury and UAIC. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do 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.

Mercury vs. UAIC FAQs

Is Mercury or UAIC cheaper?

Mercury is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $295 per month with Mercury and $337 for UAIC. That being said, that doesn't mean Mercury will be the most affordable company for each driver, since there are multiple different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance cost.

Who is better, Mercury or UAIC?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Mercury and UAIC offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use many different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Things like gender, age, your driving record, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Mercury and UAIC calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

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

The only way to find the insurance carrier 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Mercury or UAIC 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.