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

Quick Facts

• In general, Travelers offers significantly cheaper premiums than Metlife
• Metlife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Travelers
• Travelers offers more affordable prices for policyholders who drive fewer than 12,000 miles yearly

Metlife or Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Metlife or Travelers as your top options, but which company will save you the most?

As you can see, Travelers is quite a bit cheaper than Metlife, with rates averaging $167 a month compared to $340 with Metlife when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

However, Travelers may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among a range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Metlife and Travelers by several different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Metlife vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Metlife and Travelers compete against each other in 28 states, with Travelers offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all but two of them. If you live in Massachusetts or Michigan, Metlife is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums, but Travelers is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance payment than just your home state. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. It's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 65% less per month by choosing Travelers over Metlife.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your prices drop significantly by the time drivers turn 25. Travelers offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Metlife's average rates decrease more than 70% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the cheapest car insurance premiums out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for auto insurance.

When looking at Metlife and Travelers specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $73 less expensive than the national average for Metlife.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance premiums are normally more expensive for single drivers than they are for married couples? This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something several car insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with Travelers premiums coming in at around half of Metlife's. The advantage for married policyholders with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save over 35% a month.

Metlife or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they are less likely to file a claim with insurance. So, insurance companies will often charge women less than men.

With Metlife, women typically pay about $30 per month less than men, and around $11 less with Travelers.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Travelers offers the lowest average rates for both men and women, with average premiums 51% less for men and 51% cheaper for women.

Metlife 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.

It's no secret that auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Travelers has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Travelers again has the edge, with policies averaging about $225 a month to Metlife's $466.

Is Metlife or Travelers 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 collisions and speeding tickets lead to higher rates, but which company -- Metlife or Travelers -- has the most affordable premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Metlife for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 20%.

Even so, Travelers is usually the cheaper option for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record, offering rates that are $92 and $119 more affordable, respectively, compared to MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Metlife drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices rise by over 40%, while those who have insurance through Travelers will see around a 25% increase.

At the end of the day, the less expensive premiums come from Travelers, with average rates coming in at $173 compared to MetLife's $368.

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 -- generally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. For example, Metlife increases average prices by more than $250 per month -- that's more than a 55% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Travelers tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $205 to Metlife's $494.

How does Credit Score Impact Metlife and Travelers Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect many policyholders out there.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking at Metlife and Travelers specifically, which carrier has the cheapest prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Travelers will normally reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Travelers comes in over 46.4 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 48% with Travelers compared to average rates from Metlife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Travelers typically offers lower premiums than Metlife when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 49% a month less with Travelers compared to Metlife, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around 56% a month.

Is Metlife 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 big impact on your monthly car insurance cost? Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with cheaper prices since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

Travelers tends to be the less expensive option for both remote workers and those taking short commutes. Travelers average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in nearly $200 more affordable than Metlife. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay over $150 less with Travelers over Metlife.

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

Where you call home can have a sizable 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.

Travelers boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Travelers's average prices are about $204 while Metlife offers rates around $389. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay a monthly premium of about $160 with Travelers compared to $333 with Metlife. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $136 monthly with Travelers and $299 with Metlife.

Metlife vs. Travelers Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Metlife and Travelers 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 Travelers away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Travelers's 25.

Both carriers offer several of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, EFT discounts, and group discounts -- but Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, academic, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, Travelers has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, alternative fuel discounts, continuous insurance discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Metlife or Travelers Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, when it comes down to it, which company is the right fit for you?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You have a short commute.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Metlife offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Metlife and Travelers and that it aids in making a more informed decision about 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 Metlife and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Metlife vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Metlife or Travelers cheaper?

Travelers is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $167 per month with Travelers and $340 for Metlife. But that doesn't mean Travelers will be the cheapest carrier for every driver, since there are a variety of different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Metlife or Travelers?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Metlife and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use quite a few different factors when calculating the prices they charge. Variables such as your driving record, gender, age, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Metlife and Travelers calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Metlife 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.