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

Quick Facts

• In general, Travelers offers slightly less expensive premiums than Selective
• Selective tends to be a much cheaper option for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision
• Travelers has more affordable prices for policyholders who live in urban areas

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

Are you in the market for 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 might have narrowed it down to Selective or Travelers as potential options, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

As you can see, Selective is around $17 more a month than Travelers when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

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

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Selective and Travelers by lots of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Selective vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Selective and Travelers only compete against each other in New Jersey, where Selective offers the cheaper average prices. Undefined drivers tend to pay about undefined per month less on average compared to drivers who use undefined for their auto insurance.

But there's more to calculating insurance rates than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any other group of drivers. The reason is that 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 Travelers save almost 20% a month compared to those who use Selective.

Even so, both companies will drop rates by the time drivers turn 25. Travelers offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Selective's average premiums lower nearly 65% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the most affordable prices you can find.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? Selective gets the slight edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older almost 10% more affordable than the national average for Travelers.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single drivers than they are for married policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers normally cover more than one vehicle, which a lot of carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Travelers premiums coming in at about 15% less than Selective's. But for married couples, that advantage is much less clear - Travelers has the edge when it comes to average prices , but the difference is less than $5.

Selective or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

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

With Selective, men usually pay around 5% more per month than women., but with Travelers, the difference is closer to 6% a month.

When it comes to the cheapest premiums for each gender, Travelers comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $17 per month and women save about $18 with Travelers compared to the average Selective policyholder.

Selective 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.

For most people, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most 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, Travelers has the edge, with average monthly rates 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 around $225 a month to Selective's $241.

Is Selective or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Speeding tickets and collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Selective or Travelers cheaper for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Selective for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 35% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 20%.

However, Travelers has less expensive rates for drivers in both categories. With Travelers, drivers with a clean record can save about $13 per month and drivers with a ticket can save around $57 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Travelers raising by about 26%. Selective has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 15% more than you were prior to your first collision.

At the end of the day, Selective offers the cheapest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with average prices coming in at $162 compared to Travelers's $173.

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 an accident or speeding ticket. For example, Travelers increases average rates by more than $75 per month -- that's just under a 40% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Selective and Travelers Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

The reasoning car insurance companies use is that policyholders with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper premiums, while those with poor credit will normally be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the best rates for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Selective or Travelers 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 premiums. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable prices since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Selective charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Travelers, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle yearly paying around $5 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Travelers is the cheaper carrier.

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

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a considerable impact as well. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas since there are a lot fewer cars on the road where they live, which reduces the chances of an accident.

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

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Travelers's average premiums are about 3% less than Selective Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around 22% less with Travelers compared to Selective. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 2% with Travelers compared to Selective.

Selective 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 auto insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Selective and Travelers offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Travelers blows Selective away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 25 different discounts to Selective's 13.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Travelers also offers discounts for ABS, alternative fuel, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Selective has a few proprietary discounts of their own like occasional operator discounts and prior insurance discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Selective or Travelers Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car 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 best one for you and your specific profile and needs?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You haven't received any speeding tickets or been in an accident in the last few years.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.

Selective might be best for you if...

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Selective and Travelers and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Selective and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Selective vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Selective or Travelers cheaper?

Travelers is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $167 a month with Travelers and $184 for Selective. Even so, that doesn't mean Travelers will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are a range of different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Selective or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile. For example, Selective is cheaper for drivers who have already retired, while Travelers offers less expensive rates for single policyholders.

Why do Selective and Travelers offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use quite a few different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Factors like gender, your driving record, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Selective and Travelers calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

How do I know if Selective 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 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 insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Selective 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.