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3 años de experiencia en redacción de contenidos
Artículos en destacadas publicaciones financieras
Alani es una escritora independiente especializada en finanzas personales. Su objetivo es hacer que los temas complejos sean más accesibles a través de contenidos divertidos y digestibles.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
Updated
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Table of contents
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 $156 per month from The Hartford and $94 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 | $94 | $156 |
| 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.
| User Reviews | 3.7 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 7 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $94/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $175/mo |
Drivers appreciate the quick and easy setup but are dissatisfied with the frequent and unexplained rate increases. Many find the customer service lacking and the claims process slow.
Drivers appreciate the quick and easy setup but are dissatisfied with the frequent and unexplained rate increases. Many find the customer service lacking and the claims process slow.
National General is part of Allstate. The insurer offers personal and commercial car insurance, home insurance, renters coverage, and more through a nationwide network of independent agents. National General offers liability, collision, and comprehensive auto insurance. The company has an excellent A- rating from AM Best for financial strength and long-term credit, meaning National General should be able to pay policyholder claims. But the company has nearly six times the expected number of complaints in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Complaint Index.
Has 24-hour claims processing
Offers $500 emergency expense allowance
Low-mileage drivers could save with DynamicDrive program
Poor customer reviews with Better Business Bureau
Quotes may be higher than some competitors
Bad 1.6/5 Trustpilot score
The Hartford
The Hartford is the 18th-largest personal auto insurance company by market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[1] It has an AM Best financial strength rating of A- (Excellent).
| User Reviews | 4.2 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.3 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $156/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $244/mo |
Drivers appreciate the prompt customer service and reliable coverage but are frustrated by the significant annual price increases and limited policy options.
Drivers appreciate the prompt customer service and reliable coverage but are frustrated by the significant annual price increases and limited policy options.
The Hartford is known less for its home and auto coverage and more for its other products, including workers’ compensation, professional liability, and other business insurance, and its employee benefits offerings. The company sells auto insurance policies only to AARP members, offering member incentives like a 10% insurance discount. The Hartford provides several additional discounts for safe driving, taking a defensive driver course, certain vehicle safety features, paying in full, getting a quote online, and bundling auto with homeowners or another type of insurance.
Savings for AARP members
Above-average customer satisfaction
Available in all states and D.C.
Available only for AARP members
No accident forgiveness coverage
Higher-than-average number of complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
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.[2]
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.[3]
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 | $94 | $156 |
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 | $116 | $233 |
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 | $209 | $422 |
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 | $67 | $90 |
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 | $115 | $207 |
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 $94 per month for liability insurance and $175 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.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Allstate Insurance Review: 7,746+ User Ratings
Sources
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "2023 Property and Casualty Market Share."
- National General. "DynamicDrive."
- The Hartford. "FleetAhead."
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Alani Asis is a personal finance freelance writer with nearly three years of experience in content creation. She has landed bylines with leading publications and brands like Insider, Fortune, LendingTree, and more. Alani aims to make personal finance approachable through fun, relatable, and digestible content.
Alani has been a contributor at Insurify since January 2023.
)
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
)
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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