Progressive vs. Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual is so cheap because the company offers a wide variety of discounts and is the sixth largest insurer by market share, which helps Liberty Mutual keep prices competitive. A minimum coverage policy from Liberty Mutual costs an average of $73 per month, and Liberty Mutual premiums can be made even cheaper by taking advantage of discounts such as safety features discounts and accident-Free Discount. Plus, Liberty Mutual rewards customer loyalty with discounts for insuring more than one car and bundling multiple policies, such as home and auto.

Average Monthly Rates for Liberty Mutual vs. Top Competitors

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

Liberty Mutual is especially cheap for young drivers in particular. That's because Liberty Mutual has special savings opportunities for drivers in this category, such as discounts for students who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.

Your final premium is based on a variety of factors, though, such as your driving record, insurance history, and more. Every insurance company determines their rates differently, so even though Liberty Mutual is among the cheapest car insurance companies, the only way to confirm you've found the lowest price is to compare quotes from multiple companies.

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

Yes, Progressive does raise rates after 6 months in some cases. If you're a new Progressive customer, you'll see your auto insurance premium go up after your first 6-month policy period if you file a claim or traffic violations get added to your driving record during that time.

Auto insurance rate increases are usually related to increases in the insurance risk of the policy holder. But another reason that Progressive might raise rates after 6 months is that insurance costs market-wide have been rising over time. For example, the amount the average person spends on car insurance increased by 27% from 2008 to 2017, according to the Insurance Information Institute. However, your rate could go down for various reasons, too, like if you get married, move to a more rural area or improve your credit score.

• You had a costly accident. Progressive won't raise your rate when you file a claim for less than $500, whether it's your fault or not.
• You filed a claim and are not a longtime customer/safe driver. Progressive won't raise your rate when you file a claim for more than $500 if you've been a customer for at least 5 years and haven't had an accident in the last 3 years – whether it's your fault or not.
• You've gotten two or more speeding tickets in a 3-year period.
• You moved to a more densely populated area (considered a higher risk).
• You added a more expensive car to your policy.
• You added a new driver to your policy (especially a bad driver or teen driver).
• You started using your car for business.
• You increased your coverage.

Remember, auto insurance rates are not stagnant. While they rise as you make claims on your policy, they typically decrease as you get older, until about age 75, and as the number of years you've been an active driver increases. With Progressive, you can avoid rate increases on your auto insurance policy every 6 months as long as you don't file any claims and you maintain a good driving record.

Yes. Liberty Mutual offers accident forgiveness. To qualify for Liberty Mutual accident forgiveness, drivers must not have any accidents, claims, or violations from the past five years. Customers must have at least five years of driving experience, but they don't need to have been insured with Liberty Mutual.

In general, Liberty Mutual accident forgiveness prevents one at-fault accident every five years from raising premiums. It will also forgive two accidents by different drivers on the same policy, as long as they occur in the same year. Liberty Mutual is the only major insurer to offer this two-accident forgiveness perk.

For example, say Driver A files a claim in 2019 for an at-fault accident. If her spouse, Driver B, files a claim for a separate at-fault accident in 2019, both accidents will be forgiven. But if Driver B files a claim for an at-fault accident in 2022, this accident will not be forgiven. The accident forgiveness clock will then reset after five years, rendering both policyholders eligible again.

The bottom line is that Liberty Mutual accident forgiveness is a great perk for drivers who have been safely on the road for at least five years, even if they are only now switching to Liberty Mutual. To find out more, check out WalletHub's Liberty Mutual Review and accident forgiveness insurance guide.

Your progressive insurance premiums went up for one of several reasons, such as filing a claim or getting a moving violation. However, it's possible that your premium went up for reasons outside of your control, such as crime and accident trends where you live.

Reasons Your Progressive Insurance Went Up

• Filed a claim
• Got a moving violation
• Increased coverage
• Added a new driver
• Switched cars
• Moved to a new part of town
• No longer qualify for certain discounts
• Lost points on your credit score

Your Progressive car insurance premium can even be affected by factors completely outside your control, like severe weather, economics, and crime and accident trends where you live. That's because Progressive sets premiums based on how much they predict claims will cost, and increases rates when expenses are higher than expected. Many of the factors affecting your insurance premium are related to who you are and how you drive, but not all of them.

As medical costs rise, the cost of bodily injury claims goes up as well. When major storms hit, a sudden surge of claims are filed. These kinds of situations help to explain why Progressive may have to raise prices across the board, even for customers without recent changes. When the cost of providing coverage goes up, Progressive raises rates for everyone.

If your car insurance has gone up, you should definitely compare quotes from at least two or three other insurance companies to see if you could get a lower rate elsewhere.

To cancel Liberty Mutual, the policyholder must call a representative at 1-800-658-9857 or cancel in person. The cancellation can be arranged for a future date or set to take effect immediately. You will need your name, policy number, and the date you want your policy to end.

• Cancel by phone by calling 1-800-658-9857.
• Cancel in person by taking your name, policy number, and the date you want your policy to end to your local Liberty Mutual agent.
• You cannot cancel a Liberty Mutual policy online.

If you've already paid your premium for the policy period in full, Liberty Mutual will refund the unused portion. Liberty Mutual states that possible fees vary by state, so the best way to know how much it might cost to cancel your policy is to reach out to a representative.

It's important to remember that you don't need to cancel your policy just because you're going through some life changes. For example, you should have Liberty Mutual update your mailing address or vehicle information if you're moving or buying a new car.

If you're canceling your current policy in order to switch to another company, be sure to activate your new policy before canceling the old one. This prevents a lapse in coverage, which would lead to higher premiums in the future.

Progressive is so cheap because it offers a wide variety of discounts and gives consumers tools to acheive the best rates possible, such as Progressive's price comparison tool and their Name Your Price® program. A minimum coverage policy from Progressive costs an average of $54 per month, and Progressive premiums can be made even cheaper by taking advantage of discounts such as continuous insurance discount and paperless discount. Plus, Progressive rewards customer loyalty with discounts for insuring more than one car and bundling multiple policies, such as home and auto.

Average Monthly Rates for Progressive vs. Top Competitors

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

Progressive is especially cheap for safe drivers in particular. That's because Progressive has special savings opportunities for drivers in this category, such as lower rates for drivers who have not had any accidents or tickets for at least three years.

Your final premium is based on a variety of factors, though, such as your driving record, insurance history, and more. Every insurance company determines their rates differently, so even though Progressive is among the cheapest car insurance companies, the only way to confirm you've found the lowest price is to compare quotes from multiple companies.

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

Yes, Liberty Mutual does bill in advance. Liberty Mutual's billing process allows customers to pay their car insurance premium either monthly or in full upfront, and coverage won't go into effect until a payment is made. An exception to this rule is the short grace period the insurance company may afford customers who are late on a payment for an existing policy.  

Liberty Mutual customers can pay their bill by mail, by phone or through the company's online system. Payments can be made with a credit card, debit card, bank account, or payroll deduction. Policyholders can set up automatic payments, too.

Yes. Progressive Snapshot can raise your rates, unlike the usage-based insurance programs offered by some other major auto insurance providers. Roughly 20% of drivers see their auto insurance rates increase after using Snapshot, according to Progressive. Good drivers save an average of $145 per year with Progressive Snapshot, however. Plus, in most states, new Progressive customers get an automatic discount just for participating in the Snapshot program (an average of $26), though the discount expires when it's time to renew your policy. The sign up discount is not available in Alaska, California, Hawaii, North Carolina or New York.

For those who aren't familiar, Progressive Snapshot is a usage-based auto insurance program that uses telematics to monitor and analyze driving information, like the time of day, distance and a driver's acceleration and deceleration habits. Progressive uses that data to personalize customers' insurance rates based on their unique driving habits. To participate in Progressive's Snapshot program, you must either download the mobile app or use a GPS device that plugs into the OBD-II port of your car, which is usually found under the steering wheel.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Progressive Snapshot Raising Your Rate:

• Limit rapid acceleration and braking
• Avoid driving between midnight and 4 a.m.
• Avoid driving on weekends
• Stay off your phone while driving
• Drive less overall (carpool if you can)

Enrollment in the Progressive Snapshot program is free and available in all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. You can sign up for it online or by calling an agent at 1-877-329-7283. Just note that if you ever decide to opt out of the Snapshot program, Progressive retains the driving data and analytics information it collects indefinitely.

A Progressive umbrella policy covers claims beyond the limits of an existing auto or home insurance policy, adding up to $5 million in additional liability coverage. Progressive umbrella insurance may also cover claims that aren't covered by a standard liability policy, like slander, libel, and psychological harm.

What Progressive Umbrella Policies Cover

• Personal injury coverage for claims of libel, slander, and defamation of character, among other things
• Worldwide coverage
• Vacation rental liability
• Defense coverage for legal fees and court costs

Progressive's umbrella policies are a good choice for customers with a high net worth who want extra coverage for property damage, injuries, and possible lawsuits that could result from various types of incidents. To be eligible, you will also need an auto, home, renters, or condo policy from Progressive.

You can get a quote for Progressive umbrella insurance by calling (877) 777-1783.

Yes, Progressive does offer free towing for customers who have the company's roadside assistance coverage. Progressive roadside assistance is provided by Agero, generally costs $16 per year and includes towing services up to 15 miles or the nearest repair shop. Progressive customers can request roadside assistance online, or they can call 1-800-776-2778.

What Progressive Roadside Assistance Covers

• Towing services up to 15 miles or the nearest repair shop
• Winching service (within 100 feet of a road or highway)
• Battery jump-start
• Fuel delivery
• Battery charge for electric cars
• Locksmith services
• Flat-tire changes
• Up to one hour of onsite labor

While Progressive's roadside assistance covers towing and other services, it doesn't cover the cost of repair parts, replacement keys, or major fixes due to things like engine failure or structural damage.

Progressive Free Towing Limit vs. Popular Competitors