Is The Hartford or Liberty Mutual better for car insurance?
The Hartford, which offers a discount on auto insurance for individuals enrolled in the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), is a great option for seniors. For those looking for a discount for paying their premium in full or for a company with a long history, The Hartford is a good choice.
Liberty Mutual is a great choice for consumers who prioritize solid customer satisfaction and the variety of policy offerings. Although Liberty Mutual was not ranked in Insure.com’s survey of the top auto insurance companies since it does not publish its auto insurance rates, it did receive an A rating from AM Best for financial strength.
Keep reading to see how The Hartford and Liberty Mutual compare in several areas of Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies survey.
Pros – The Hartford vs. Liberty MutualThe Hartford Pros
- High ratings for renewals
- Offers a discount through AARP
- Available in every state
Liberty Mutual Pros
- Good variety of policy offerings
- Great customer satisfaction
- Solid customer renewals
How The Hartford and Liberty Mutual score on customer satisfaction
Liberty Mutual ranked much higher for customer satisfaction than The Hartford did – 18 percentage points higher. More Liberty Mutual customers are pleased with the service they receive than customers who are with The Hartford.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers that are satisfied |
|---|---|
| The Hartford | 74% |
| Liberty Mutual | 92% |
Do The Hartford and Liberty Mutual customers plan to renew?
Data from the Insure.com study show that customers with both auto insurance providers have similar intentions for renewal. There were no substantial differences between The Hartford and Liberty Mutual for plans to renew policies – a one-point difference.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| The Hartford | 89% |
| Liberty Mutual | 88% |
How The Hartford and Liberty Mutual score on policy offerings
Liberty Mutual had a much more positive response for policy offerings from customers than The Hartford did, far outstripping its competition.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers satisfied with the company’s policy offerings |
|---|---|
| The Hartford | 74% |
| Liberty Mutual | 90% |
The Hartford vs. Liberty Mutual: AM Best credit rating
AM Best rates insurance companies on their financial strength. There was no available rating for The Hartford through AM Best, but AM Best gave Liberty Mutual an A rating for financial strength. An A rating means “excellent.”
The Hartford vs. Liberty Mutual: J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction score
The Hartford and Liberty Mutual received similar scores on a 2022 auto claims satisfaction study from J.D. Power. Liberty Mutual scored 870, one point above The Hartford’s 869. Both auto insurers scored below 873 – the industry average in the study.
FAQ: The Hartford vs. Liberty Mutual
Can I buy The Hartford car insurance online?
On The Hartford website, you can get an online quote for auto insurance by providing information about yourself, your vehicles and the drivers in your household.
Can I buy Liberty Mutual car insurance online?
Yes, with Liberty Mutual, you can get a quote online and even save up to 12% when you purchase your car insurance on the website. You also can save when you bundle home and auto policies.
Who should get The Hartford car insurance?
Seniors may like The Hartford because of its exclusive car insurance deal through the American Association of Retired Persons. The Hartford is also available in every U.S. state.
Who should get Liberty Mutual car insurance?
Liberty Mutual is a solid choice for customers who want good customer service and want a variety of policy offerings through their insurer. Additionally, Liberty Mutual is available in every state in the U.S., making it easily accessible to all individuals.
What other types of insurance does The Hartford offer?
The Hartford also offers:
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Condo
- Umbrella
- Flood
- Business
What other types of insurance does Liberty Mutual offer?
Liberty Mutual also offers:
- Car
- Motorcycle
- Boat and watercraft
- ATV and off-road vehicles
- Recreational vehicle
Resources & Methodology
Sources
J.D. Power. “Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations in Auto Claims Process as Repair Times Increase, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed January 2024.
Methodology
Insure.com, which is CarInsurance.com’s sister site surveyed more than 1,500 insurance consumers (1,080 people with auto insurance). Online market research company Slice MR conducted the survey.
Respondents were asked to name their auto insurer and grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents ranked their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – including claims satisfaction, digital experience, discounts, military discounts, best for young drivers and teens, best for college students, best for senior drivers, best for drivers with a ticket, best for high-risk drivers and best for auto/home bundling.
For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as survey scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their auto insurer to someone else and whether they would renew with their company. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
Finally, respondents were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and A.M. Best data, which measures financial strength.
They also collected insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector.
For auto insurers, we took the following and gave each a weight.
- Survey: 40% of the total score (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
- Annual premium: 20% of total score
- AM Best: 25% of total score
- NAIC: 15% of total score
- Each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and 5 stars was the most any insurer could receive.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.