National General and The Hartford are both companies in the insurance industry that sell coverage throughout the U.S.
The Hartford offers a variety of coverage options through its AARP auto insurance program. You have to be a member of the AARP network to access the benefits and coverage options. National General Insurance has cheaper average rates for drivers, but it advertises fewer coverage options and discounts than The Hartford.
Before deciding what company to take out an auto insurance policy with, you should conduct your own research and compare rates, customer service rankings, customer reviews, discounts, and coverages from National General, The Hartford, and other insurers.
The average cost of liability insurance is $161 per month from The Hartford and $95 from National General.
National General offers a telematics program for personal auto insurance, and The Hartford has a telematics program specifically for businesses.
The Hartford earned higher rankings than National General in the 2023 J.D. Power claims and customer satisfaction studies.
National General vs. The Hartford: The verdict
The Hartford is a great option if you’re 50 or older and an AARP member. The company has affordable prices, better customer satisfaction rankings, and provides access to unique coverage options and discounts that can suit your needs as a senior driver.
If you’re younger than 50 and have a clean driving record, National General is the better option for you. The company offers cheaper average rates, access to specialized coverages, and several discounts.
Factor | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Insurify Quality (IQ) Score | 7.0 | N/A |
| Customer satisfaction score | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Average quote: liability only | $95 | $161 |
| Number of available discounts | 7 | 8 |
| Number of states where it operates | 50 | 50 |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
National General
National General is a subsidiary of the Allstate company, one of the largest insurers in the nation. The company has an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best.
The Hartford
The Hartford is the 18th-largest personal auto insurance company by market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[?] It has an AM Best financial strength rating of A- (Excellent).
National General DynamicDrive vs. The Hartford FleetAhead
National General’s DynamicDrive is a telematics program that tracks driving behavior such as phone handling, sudden braking, and speeding. It also keeps track of what time of day you drive. Drivers who enroll need to download the Routely mobile app. You can earn up to 10% for enrolling and additional savings for driving safely.[?]
The Hartford FleetAhead program helps businesses track and improve their employees’ driving behavior. Business owners can potentially save money on insurance costs through the FleetAhead program. It’s not available for private auto insurance customers.[?]
National General vs. The Hartford: Which is the cheapest?
National General is the cheaper auto insurer, on average. But your specific rate depends on different factors, including your location, age, gender, driving history, vehicle type, credit score, how much coverage you buy, and more.
See how much the companies charge different types of drivers for insurance below.
National General: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
National General sells car insurance to drivers with clean records at a rate lower than the national average. Drivers with clean records pay the cheapest average liability rates for car insurance by driving record.
Driver Type | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $95 | $161 |
National General: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
Speeding tickets tend to increase insurance rates. So if you have a speeding infraction on your record, National General is the cheaper choice. The table below illustrates the price difference in liability insurance between both companies.
Driver Type | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with a speeding ticket | $117 | $240 |
National General: Cheapest for teen drivers
Teen drivers experience the highest insurance rates due to their lack of experience on the road. Both companies have expensive average liability insurance rates for teens, but National General is a bit cheaper. See the table below for the average premium for an 18-year-old driver.
Driver Type | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| 18-year-old | $212 | $437 |
National General: Cheapest for senior drivers
According to Insurify data, National General offers slightly cheaper average liability rates for senior drivers than The Hartford.
Driver Type | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Senior drivers | $68 | $93 |
National General: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit
In many states, having bad credit can increase your insurance premiums. National General offers more favorable rates for people with less-than-perfect credit histories. Here’s how both car insurance companies compare in price for liability insurance.
Driver Type | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with bad credit | $116 | $216 |
Compare coverages: National General vs. The Hartford
Both companies sell standard car insurance products — such as bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and full-coverage insurance, which includes collision and comprehensive coverage.
National General and The Hartford also offer unique coverages to customize your car insurance policy, but National General has slightly fewer options than The Hartford.
For example, The Hartford has gap insurance, rental car reimbursement, and full glass coverage, while National General has accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
National General has a unique Accident Protection Plan that covers medical bills after a car accident, including insurance coverage for accidental death and dismemberment, loss of sight, and loss of wages while injured.
Compare available additional coverages below.
Coverage | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental death and dismemberment | Yes | No |
| Accident protection plan | Yes | No |
| Full auto glass coverage | No | Yes |
| Gap insurance | No | Yes |
| Rental car reimbursement | No | Yes |
| Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes |
Compare discounts: National General vs. The Hartford
National General has more discount opportunities than The Hartford, but neither insurance company advertises all available discounts on their websites because offerings vary by state. So, you’ll likely have to call your insurance agent or get a quote on the insurer’s website to see which discounts you qualify for.
The Hartford has a discount for completing defensive driver training courses, and National General has a low-mileage discount. Compare discount offerings below.
Discount | National General | The Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | Yes | Yes |
| Defensive driving course | No | Yes |
| Multi-policy | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-car | Yes | No |
| Low-mileage | Yes | No |
| Telematics (safe driving app) | Yes | Yes, for commercial fleets |
| Anti-theft device | Yes | Yes |
| New car | No | No |
| Military/affiliation | No | No |
| Good student | No | No |
| Pay-in-full | Yes | Yes |
| Auto pay | No | No |
| Student away at school | No | No |
| Homeowner | No | No |
| Alternative fuel | No | No |
National General vs. The Hartford FAQs
National General and The Hartford both have their strengths and weaknesses. The following information can help you compare the two companies further.
Is The Hartford good at paying claims?
Yes. The Hartford is good at paying claims. It has an AM Best financial strength rating of A+ (Superior). This shows that the company has a good track record of meeting its financial obligations and would pay for your covered claim in the event of loss.
What’s the difference between National General and The Hartford?
The Hartford primarily offers car insurance to senior drivers through its AARP auto insurance program. While non-AARP members can buy car insurance, AARP members 50 or older can take advantage of its full car insurance benefits at competitive rates.
National General can be an excellent option for most drivers due to its customer inclusivity and affordable monthly payments.
Why is National General so expensive?
National General costs $95 per month for liability insurance and $177 for full-coverage insurance. You may face more expensive rates if you have a high-risk driver profile. High-risk drivers include teen or senior drivers, people with moving violations, or consumers with poor credit scores.
If National General is out of your price range, shop around to find the best policy for you at a less expensive rate. You can call an independent insurance agent for advice.
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