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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Travelers offers significantly less expensive premiums than The Hartford
• The Hartford has more affordable prices for policyholders who don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault collisions on their record
• Travelers may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than The Hartford

The Hartford or Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to The Hartford or Travelers, but between the two, which company has cheaper premiums for auto insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, The Hartford is quite a bit more expensive than Travelers, with rates averaging $265 a month compared to just $167 with Travelers.

That being said, that doesn't mean Travelers will necessarily be more affordable than The Hartford for every driver. Car insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like how clean your driving record is, where you live, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and tons of other factors, so rates could vary drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of The Hartford or Travelers is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each company broken down by many different rate factors.

The Hartford vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

The Hartford and Travelers only compete against each other in California, where Travelers offers the cheaper average premiums. Travelers drivers tend to pay about $110 per month less on average compared to drivers who use The Hartford for their insurance.

But there's more to car insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how insurance companies determine your rates. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of any group out there on the road. That's because 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 still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Travelers save over 20% a month compared to those who use The Hartford.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for The Hartford policyholders decrease more than 30% and Travelers's prices lower over 60% over that time.

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 cheapest rates you'll ever find.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $132 per month compared to The Hartford's $192.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance prices are usually cheaper for married drivers than they are for single drivers? That's because policies for married couples typically cover several vehicles, which many companies will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Travelers rates coming in at a third less than The Hartford's. The advantage for married policyholders with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save almost 40% per month.

The Hartford or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

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

With The Hartford, both genders end up paying the same monthly rate, but with Travelers, the difference is closer to 6% a month.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Travelers comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates 35% less for men and 39% cheaper for women.

The Hartford 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 car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are several different coverages that account for a variety of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Travelers has the 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 per month to The Hartford's $394.

Is The Hartford or Travelers 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use The Hartford for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 36% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 20%.

If you have gotten a ticket, Travelers tends to offer the best premiums at around 19% less expensive, while The Hartford has the edge for drivers with a clean record.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through The Hartford can expect to see about an $136 -- or around 52% -- rise in their insurance prices. Drivers who use Travelers for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $45 (or 26%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance company.

At the end of the day, the cheaper rates come from Travelers, with average premiums coming in at $173 compared to The Hartford's $262.

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 speeding ticket or even an accident. The Hartford drivers usually see a 73% increase in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Travelers will normally raise premiums by around 38%.

How does Credit Score Impact The Hartford and Travelers Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly car insurance rates. This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect several drivers out there.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable prices.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

You'll often be rewarded if you have excellent credit. Improving your "good" credit score to an "excellent" one will generally save Travelers customers about $25. On the other hand, The Hartford doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your prices.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit can cost you with Travelers. For drivers with less-than-stellar credit, at Travelers, you may pay around 25% a month more if you have "poor" credit compared to those with "fair" scores. It's an even larger difference when compared to drivers with "good" or "excellent" scores. On the other hand, because The Hartford doesn't have data available for credit scores, they may have better premiums for drivers with bad credit over Travelers.

Is The Hartford 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 car insurance bill. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive rates since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Travelers tends to be the cheaper option. Travelers's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in more than 30% more affordable than The Hartford. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay over 40% less with Travelers over The Hartford.

The Hartford 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a considerable impact as well. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

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

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $119 with Travelers compared to The Hartford. People who live in suburban areas pay around $105 less with Travelers compared to The Hartford. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Travelers's average rates are about $69 less than The Hartford.

The Hartford vs. Travelers Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every company has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts The Hartford and Travelers offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

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

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good driver, and multi-policy discounts. Travelers also offers discounts for advance quote, alternative fuel, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, The Hartford has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like employee discounts, lay-up credit discounts, renewal discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is The Hartford or Travelers Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right fit for you?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You are considering moving to another state -- undefined only offers policies in.
• Your neighborhood is in the suburbs.
• You live in a rural area.

The Hartford might be best for you if...

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault collisions on your record.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between The Hartford and Travelers and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just The Hartford and Travelers. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

The Hartford vs. Travelers FAQs

Is The Hartford or Travelers cheaper?

Travelers is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $167 per month with Travelers and $265 for The Hartford. But that doesn't mean Travelers will be the lowest carrier for every driver, since there are multiple different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, The Hartford or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile.

Why do The Hartford and Travelers offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things such as where your home is, age, where you call home, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both The Hartford and Travelers calculate prices using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if The Hartford 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 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 ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't The Hartford 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.