Personal Service vs. Selective: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Selective offers significantly cheaper prices than Personal Service
• Selective has more affordable rates for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• Selective offers less expensive average premiums for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Personal Service vs. Selective: 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 large discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering Personal Service or Selective for your next policy, but between the two, which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Selective has average rates that are about 45% per month cheaper than those from Personal Service.

Even so, that doesn't mean Selective will necessarily be more affordable than Personal Service for each driver. Car insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how old you are (among a multitude of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Personal Service and Selective by many different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Personal Service or Selective: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Both Personal Service and Selective only offer auto insurance in New Jersey, so you'll see that the average figures here will mirror the ones we mentioned above. For New Jersey residents, Selective offers insurance for $184 per month on average. Personal Service's average rates come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $325 a month.

Typically, the state you live in will play a huge role in how much you pay for car insurance, but since both companies only do business in New Jersey, lots of other factors will come into play when you compare Personal Service and Selective. 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 normally pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group out there on the road. That's generally because young, inexperienced 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. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of nearly $200 less a month by choosing Selective over Personal Service.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Personal Service policyholders lower more than $300 and Selective's rates decrease almost $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the lowest car insurance prices you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually lowers their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

When looking at Personal Service and Selective specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Selective gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $120 monthly compared to Personal Service's $231.

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 single drivers. This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple cars on their policy -- something several car insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Selective is the clear winner for those who are single, with premiums about $152 per month cheaper than Personal Service, on average. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - Selective offers the cheapest average rates.

Personal Service vs. Selective: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll generally end up paying more for insurance than women.

Normally, men see prices nearly 15% a month higher with Personal Service, while with Selective, the difference is closer to 5% per month.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, Selective offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women, with average prices $159 less for men and $123 cheaper for women.

Personal Service or Selective: 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, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

The two most common 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 an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Selective normally offers significantly more affordable rates of $127 compared to Personal Service's $228. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Selective again has the edge, with policies around $200 a month less expensive than Personal Service, on average.

Is Personal Service or Selective Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from car insurance carriers offering great premiums 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 accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Personal Service policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $35 per month if they get a ticket, while Selective usually raises premiums about $76 a month, on average.

However, Selective is typically the more affordable option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 45% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 26% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Personal Service drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their prices rise by $90, while those who have insurance through Selective will see around a $20 increase.

Overall, drivers who use Selective end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $162 compared to Personal Service Insurance Company's $348.

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 ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. Personal Service drivers usually see a 36% increase in their car insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Selective will generally raise prices by about 35%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable premiums, Selective tends to be the much more affordable option with average prices of $217 a month compared to $400 from Personal Service.

How does Credit Score Impact Personal Service and Selective Rates?

Often times, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect a lot of policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so typically, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive rates.

Looking specifically at Personal Service and Selective, which one has the most affordable premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Selective. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save over 30% compared to Personal Service, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $132 or 42% cheaper each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Selective typically offers lower prices than Personal Service when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $162 per month less with Selective compared to Personal Service, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around $185 monthly.

Is Personal Service or Selective 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 your monthly insurance payment. Normally, those who drive less will end up with more affordable rates since there's less of a chance of getting into an accident and causing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Personal Service or Selective report increasing premiums for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, Selective comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their car annually, with average prices of $184 a month for both.

Personal Service vs. Selective: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a substantial role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas because there are a lot fewer cars on the road in those areas, which decreases the chances of an accident.

Selective boasts the cheapest average rates 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 carriers, but Selective comes out on top with average rates about $139 per month. Selective also has less expensive average prices for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 48% and 43% per month respective difference when compared to Personal Service drivers in similar areas.

Personal Service vs. Selective Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to find all the ones you qualify for or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Personal Service and Selective so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Selective has advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Personal Service offers a grand total of 10 discounts, while Selective has 13.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Selective also offers advance quote discounts, distant student discounts, driver training discounts, and more that Personal Service does not.

On the flip side, Personal Service has a couple unique discounts of its own -- cellphone safety discounts, good payer discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Personal Service or Selective Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which company is the right company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Selective might be best for you if....

• You have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

Personal Service 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 better idea of the difference between Personal Service and Selective. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Personal Service and Selective. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Personal Service vs. Selective FAQs

Is Personal Service or Selective cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Selective is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $184 a month compared to $325 for Personal Service. But Selective won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a variety of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Personal Service or Selective?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Personal Service and Selective offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Things like age, your driving record, gender, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Personal Service and Selective calculate prices using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if Personal Service or Selective is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers 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 ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Personal Service or Selective 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.