MetLife vs. GEICO

Geico is so cheap because it sells insurance directly to consumers and offers a lot of discounts. Direct-to-consumer insurance sales eliminate the cost of middlemen and allow Geico to have significantly fewer local offices and agents than companies like State Farm and Allstate. Having a smaller agent network lowers Geico's overhead costs, so they can pass those savings on to consumers.

Average Monthly Rates for Geico vs. Top Competitors

Note: Premiums are representative of a 45-year-old good driver in California; individual premiums will vary.

Every insurance company determines its rates differently, so even though Geico is among the cheapest car insurance companies, the best way to make sure you're getting the cheapest rate is to compare quotes from multiple insurers.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's review of Geico and see Geico's full profile.

No, Shelter does not have accident forgiveness. As a result, Shelter car insurance customers should expect their rates to go up by around 37% after an at-fault accident, even if it's their first one. If you are looking for a policy with accident forgiveness, it can be purchased from most major car insurance companies.

Best Car Insurance Companies for Accident Forgiveness

• Allstate
• Geico
• Farmers
• Liberty Mutual
• Progressive

If you wish to keep your policy with Shelter, there are other ways to lower your rate after an accident. For example, you can look for any additional discounts that you may qualify for. You might also consider temporarily reducing your coverage.

To learn more, check out reviews and key information about Shelter, as well as our guide to accident forgiveness.

Yes. Geico is a good insurance company. Geico has been providing insurance since 1936, boasts an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, and is one of the cheapest major car insurance companies according to WalletHub's research.

However, Geico's NAIC rating is 1.33, which means it has received more complaints than the average insurance company. On the other hand, it may be encouraging to note that Geico is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which boasts famous investor Warren Buffet as its chairman and CEO.

Geico Insurance Company Ratings

• A+ BBB rating
• AA+ S&P rating
• A++ A.M. Best rating
• Average rating of 2.4/5 among user ratings on WalletHub
• NAIC rating of 1.33

Geico offers a wide variety of insurance products, including policies for your home, vehicle and business, through a network of affiliates as well as non-affiliated companies that specialize in writing different types of insurance policies. You can also bundle policies from Geico for a multi-policy discount.

You can get a free quote by contacting Geico online or over the phone at (800) 207-7847.

Yes, you can get MBI for a used car, although it is quite difficult unless the car is only lightly used. Generally, if a used car has more than 15,000 miles on it, it will not qualify for mechanical breakdown insurance coverage, and many insurers refuse to offer MBI on used vehicles altogether.

While your used vehicle might not qualify for MBI, you can still purchase similar protection through a vehicle service plan or an extended warranty. However, you should only purchase an extended warranty or service plan if you want peace of mind, not guaranteed savings. Generally, these coverage options are not worth the cost, as most people save less on repairs than they pay for their contract.

To learn more about MBI, check out WalletHub's guide to mechanical breakdown insurance.

You can lower your Geico car insurance costs by taking advantage of Geico discounts, opting for a higher deductible, and reducing your coverage, among other things. Geico considers a variety of factors when calculating your premium, though some – like your age and location – are out of your control. Fortunately, you can take steps to influence other factors in order to lower your rate.

How to Lower the Cost of Car Insurance from Geico

Use Geico's auto insurance discounts

Geico offers a wide variety of discounts that can help you lower your overall car insurance bill. For example, drivers can get a discount of up to 15% if they insure a car that's three years old or younger. Or you can save up to 25% on your premium if you insure more than one car with Geico.

Raise your car insurance deductible

Opting for a higher deductible on any of your insurance policies from Geico can lower your premium. But if you decide to go this route, it's important that you choose a deductible amount that you can still afford if you suddenly need to file a claim. Otherwise, you might not be able to use the coverage that you have.

Reduce your car insurance coverage

Most states require a certain amount of bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. But there are other coverage options (like comprehensive, collision, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist) that you may not have to purchase, depending on your state. Less coverage usually means lower premiums, but it could also lead to higher costs in the long run, so it's important to approach coverage decisions with caution.

Improve your driving record

Practicing safe driving habits and avoiding moving violations can help you qualify for lower Geico insurance rates long-term. You may also be able to attend traffic school in order to remove a violation or points from your record, depending on your state. Geico even offers a maximum 15% discount to drivers who take an approved defensive driving course.

Build and improve your credit

Because your credit history is correlated with your likelihood of filing an insurance claim, Geico uses your credit data to calculate your premium in states where it is legal. As a result, having good credit makes you less of an insurance risk, which will reduce your rates over time.

Drive less

Whether you can shorten your commute to work, use more public transportation, or even ride a bicycle more, driving fewer miles each year could lower your Geico premium.

Drive an insurance-friendly car

Expensive cars, sports cars, and cars with high rates of theft are considered to be riskier to insure than cheaper, more practical vehicles. Before you buy a new car, get a new quote from Geico to see how it will affect your rate. If the cost is out of your budget, then you should probably choose a different car.

Sign up for DriveEasy

DriveEasy, the Geico telematics program rewards you for good driving with a discounted premium. Specifically, DriveEasy tracks distracted driving, hard braking, cornering, smoothness, road type, distance driven, weather, speed, and the time of day that you drive. By using DriveEasy, drivers can save up to 25% on their rate.

Finally, if you're still struggling to afford your Geico policy, you should consider switching insurers. Even if you're not actively looking for a new policy, it's generally a good idea to compare quotes from three different companies every 6-12 months. To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to switching car insurance companies.

To cancel MetLife insurance, you must call or email a MetLife representative and decide if you want the cancellation to be arranged for a future date or take effect immediately. You will need your name, policy number, and the date you want your MetLife policy to end.

How to Cancel MetLife Insurance Policies 

• Cancel by phone, by calling 1-800-638-5433 or the specific number for your type of policy.
• Cancel by email if your specific policy allows it. Write a message that includes your policy information, your name, and the date you would like your policy to end, and a representative will respond to you with next steps.
• You cannot cancel a MetLife insurance policy without the assistance of a representative.

Contact Information for Cancelling MetLife Policies

Geico's rates increase when drivers add more coverage, get into an accident, receive a speeding ticket, or file a claim. Certain life events, like adding a teenage driver to your policy, can also increase your rates. Plus, it's possible to lose discounts, which could increase your premium. Your teen might lose a good student discount, for instance, or a speeding ticket could cancel your good driver discount.

Certain large-scale trends contribute to Geico and other insurance companies raising rates, too. Geico increases premiums as the cost of medical care rises, for example, because it makes bodily injury claims more expensive to pay out. Unpredictable, severe weather also causes prices to go up since insurers are hit with large numbers of expensive claims at once.

That helps to explain why Geico may continue to raise your rate even if you haven't had any accidents or made any policy changes. Geico sets premiums based on how much they predict claims will cost. If those predicted costs increase, so will your premiums.

The bottom line is that there are a lot of factors affecting your insurance premium, and not all of them are within your control. But it's still important to pinpoint the most likely causes of insurance rate hikes, so you can understand them better, at the very least, and hopefully make money-saving adjustments.

Why does Geico keep raising my rates?

• You got a high-tech car with more features, which is more expensive to insure and repair.
• Car accidents are on the rise, with 36,560 deadly crashes and 33,654 collisions in 2018—an 11% increase from five years earlier, despite safety improvements.
• The cost of healthcare rises by about 6% each year, which makes it more expensive to pay medical claims.
• Catastrophic weather is becoming much more common. In 2018, there were 55 weather catastrophes—the most in over a decade.

Those are some of the most common reasons why Geico may repeatedly raise a customer's premium. And, as you can see, increases in insurance costs won't always be about you in particular. The premiums we have to pay can also rise if the cost of providing car insurance goes up on the whole.

Does Geico increase rates after a claim?

Geico doesn't always increase your premium if you file a claim. They consider your driving history, the number of claims you've had in the past, the payout amount and type of claim, and whether you qualify for accident forgiveness before raising your rate.

This is also true for speeding tickets and other moving violations. If you're a loyal customer with a single incident, your premiums may not go up at all.

If your insurance rate is going to be affected by a claim or incident, you'll get a new policy payment amount 30 days prior to renewal, so you'll have time to shop around and compare rates if you want.

Mechanical breakdown insurance is coverage that protects major systems in your car – like the engine and transmission– that aren't covered by standard car insurance. Mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) is optional, but it might be a good choice if you want coverage for your car's electrical and mechanical parts.

If you have MBI coverage added onto your car insurance policy, you can submit claims for major system issues just like you would for any other covered claim. You can then take your car to whatever mechanic you would like, and your insurer will pay the mechanic for the repairs minus your deductible.

It is important to note that MBI does not cover routine tune-ups or damage caused by poor maintenance. It doesn't cover damage from collisions, either.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to mechanical breakdown insurance.

Yes, Geico offers accident forgiveness in 47 states and the District of Columbia, with the exceptions being California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Geico accident forgiveness protects you from increases to your car insurance premium after your first at-fault accident.

The accident forgiveness feature may only be used once. How much your premium would rise without accident forgiveness depends on your state, driving record, and claim payment amount. The increase could range from 2% to 50%, or even more for a bodily injury claim.

How to Get Geico Accident Forgiveness

There are two ways to get Geico accident forgiveness:

1. Earn it as a free upgrade. Policyholders who are 21 years of age or older can earn the upgrade by being accident-free for at least five years.
2. Purchase accident forgiveness. To purchase this protection, policyholders must meet minimum driving-record requirements. However, Geico does not specify what these minimum requirements are on its website, as the rules and coverage terms vary by state.

Geico windshield replacement is part of the company's comprehensive coverage. When a windshield is damaged by anything other than a car accident, Geico will arrange for repair or replacement as long as the policyholder has comprehensive coverage. Windshield repairs are not subject to Geico's regular comprehensive deductible, but full windshield replacement with Geico requires a deductible in most states.

If your windshield is damaged in a collision caused by another driver, his or her liability insurance will cover your repair or replacement costs. If you are at-fault in an accident that damages your windshield, you can file a collision claim with Geico.

Geico Windshield Replacement Policies by State

Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina require all insurance companies to waive the comprehensive deductible for windshield repairs and replacement. This encourages policyholders to fix a problem that poses a safety hazard to other drivers, passengers and cars.

Additionally, insurance companies are required to offer a $0 windshield deductible to customers in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York.

Everywhere else, you should expect to pay your comprehensive deductible for a windshield replacement unless your policy specifies otherwise.

Geico Windshield Replacement & Repair Timing

Geico schedules windshield repairs and replacements quickly, often the same day that the claim is made. If there is a small chip or crack in the windshield (generally smaller than a dollar bill), Geico will arrange for a professional technician to repair the damage at your home or office. This process can take 30 minutes or less. For more extensive damage, full windshield replacement usually takes less than an hour.