Preferred Mutual vs. Safety: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Safety offers significantly less expensive premiums than Preferred Mutual
• Safety offers cheaper average rates for policyholders who drive fewer than 6,000 miles yearly
• Safety tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who drive fewer than 12,000 miles annually

Preferred Mutual or Safety: 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 big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Preferred Mutual or Safety as potential options, but between the two, which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Safety has average rates that are around 60% a month cheaper than those from Preferred Mutual.

However, that doesn't mean Safety will necessarily be less expensive than Preferred Mutual for every single driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, how old you are, where you live, and a variety of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Preferred Mutual or Safety is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Preferred Mutual vs. Safety: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Preferred Mutual and Safety only compete against each other in one states, with Preferred Mutual offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. Massachusetts has the most noticable difference, where Preferred Mutual prices are $186 less expensive than insurance premiums at Safety.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance cost than just where you live. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Safety save over 60% per month compared to those who use Preferred Mutual.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. Safety offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Preferred Mutual's average premiums reduce more than 55% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Preferred Mutual and Safety? Safety gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older almost 60% cheaper than the national average for Preferred Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly more affordable insurance rates than single policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something quite a few auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Safety prices coming in at about a third of Preferred Mutual's. The advantage for married drivers with Safety is also obvious, where drivers save around $250 a month.

Preferred Mutual or Safety: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know men tend to pay more for car insurance than women? That's because men are more likely to get into collisions and get tickets, which raises the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

On average, men see rates about 3% per month higher with Preferred Mutual, and around 5% with Safety.

Looking at overall affordability, Safety comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums $327 less for men and $322 cheaper for women.

Preferred Mutual vs. Safety: 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 insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage 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).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Safety has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $122. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Safety again has the edge, with policies averaging about $313 a month to Preferred Mutual's $850.

Is Preferred Mutual or Safety Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is Preferred Mutual or Safety less expensive for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Preferred Mutual for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 1% after getting a speeding ticket. Safety policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 32%.

Even so, Safety has cheaper premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 67% and 52% more affordable, respectively, compared to Preferred Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Preferred Mutual drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates climb by over $95, while those who have insurance through Safety will see around a $95 increase.

At the end of the day, Safety offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $226 compared to Preferred Mutual's $486.

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 a collision. On average, Preferred Mutual will climb your rates about 57% after a DUI, while Safety's average premiums increase by more than 60%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Safety tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $324 to Preferred Mutual's $902.

How does Credit Score Impact Preferred Mutual and Safety 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 (Hawaii, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a car insurance factor) but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Insurance carriers 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.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Safety will usually reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Safety comes in over 71.66 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 73% with Safety compared to average rates from Preferred Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Safety typically offers lower prices than Preferred Mutual when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 71% per month less with Safety compared to Preferred Mutual, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of about 69% monthly.

Is Preferred Mutual or Safety 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 pretty big impact on your monthly rates? That's because the more milage you put on your vehicle, the more likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Safety offers more affordable premiums than Preferred Mutual. Preferred Mutual's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 60% more expensive than Safety. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay about 60% more with Preferred Mutual over Safety.

Preferred Mutual or Safety: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a substantial impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more cars on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

Safety tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $105 with Safety compared to Preferred Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay about $251 less with Safety compared to Preferred Mutual. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Safety Insurance's average rates are around $620 less than Preferred Mutual.

Preferred Mutual vs. Safety 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.

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

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Preferred Mutual and Safety so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Safety comes out ahead with 18 discounts to Preferred Mutual's 14.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like annual mileage discounts, discounts for being a good driver, group discounts, and multi-policy discounts. Safety also offers discounts for advance quote, book transfer policy, distant student, and more.

On the other hand, Preferred Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like ABS discounts, defensive driver discounts, DRL discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Preferred Mutual or Safety Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the best fit for you?

Safety might be best for you if....

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Preferred Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Preferred Mutual and Safety and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of companies, not just Preferred Mutual and Safety. Luckily, Compare.com does 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.

Preferred Mutual vs. Safety FAQs

Is Preferred Mutual or Safety cheaper?

Safety is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $217 a month with Safety and $542 for Preferred Mutual. But that doesn't mean Safety will be the lowest company for each policyholder, since there are a range of different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Preferred Mutual or Safety?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Preferred Mutual and Safety offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different factors when determining the premiums they charge. Variables such as where your home is, where you call home, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Preferred Mutual and Safety use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different companies.

How do I know if Preferred Mutual or Safety is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 area information and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Preferred Mutual or Safety 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.