Metromile vs GEICO

You may not know it, but auto insurers, even the familiar national brands, are governed by both Federal and state regulations. Most of these have been put in place to protect consumers and ensure that the carriers are sufficiently solvent to meet their financial obligations. In order to legally drive a car there are two main requirements: you must have a valid license and your car must be insured.

Auto insurance is a variable priced product. Inevitably the price of your insurance will depend on your own personal profile and the depth of coverage you wish to purchase. Your profile includes such information as your place of residence (will you be driving primarily in rural, urban or suburban locales), your demographics (are you a newly minted driver or an experienced one) and most important of all, your driving safety record.

Finally, most insurance companies offer a range of auto insurance products ranging from basic liability up to more comprehensive packages that can protect you from various contingencies over and above personal injury and/or collision. When you’re shopping for car insurance, get free quotes upfront in order to get the best savings. We at General.com can obtain free quotes for your car insurance needs through our web based platform and help you save money.

Some background on Metromile Insurance

Metromile is a relatively new auto insurance company that has been using a different business model from most of its competitors in the field. It allows you to buy car insurance that is priced according to the number of miles you drive. In other words, it is a usage based product. The company issues its policy holders an electronic device known as the Metromile Pulse that plugs into the standard onboard diagnostic port that virtually all modern cars have, and transmits the data back to Metromile.

The fees customers who use Metromile pay are twofold: a basic monthly rate to which they add a cost per mile charge. Customers pay their monthly base rate upfront and get charged their mileage based rate the following month based on the data transmitted back to Metromile by the Pulse device.

Metromile was founded in 2011 by a couple of entrepreneurs, David Friedberg and Steve Pretre, in the Bay area of California. The company has raised funding from a variety of venture capital firms and is currently privately held.

What Discounts or Savings Can I get with Metromile??

First, be aware that Metromile is only available in eight states (remember, each of the 50 states licenses insurance companies to operate within their state boundaries). Presently, it is only available to residents of Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Mileage based auto insurance primarily benefits low mileage motorists. They pay their monthly base charge and then pennies per mile on top of that. Folks who use their car primarily for weekend errands can perhaps save money compared to a standard policy.

Let us at General get quotes for you through our easy to use online web site to see what Metromile might do for you.

Next, Let’s Look at GEICO.

GEICO’s full name is actually the Government Employees Insurance Company and was founded in 1936 by Leo and Lillian Goodwin. The husband and wife team created the company as a vehicle to sell auto insurance directly to federal government employees. The Goodwins saw them as a more stable market segment in Depression era America.

Their business grew and they eventually expanded their customer base beyond federal workers. By the early 1950’s they had caught the eye of the young Warren Buffet who bought his first shares of GEICO while a business student in New York City. Many years later Buffet bought out the outstanding shares of GEICO and brought it under the umbrella of his Berkshire Hathaway holding company.

GEICO is known for its humorous, sometimes absurdist advertising campaigns that have variously featured camels, cavemen and lizards along with a catchy slogan that assures consumers that “15 minutes can save you money”.

Will GEICO Offer Discounts and Savings?

Having a safe driving record is the very best way to get favorable rates from auto insurance carriers. But, for those of us with less than perfect records, fear not. You can still get coverage. Smart consumers should do their due diligence to see if GEICO offers affiliation discounts for, say, membership in the armed services. You will also need to assess what level of financial coverage you are seeking and are comfortable paying for.

The General.com platform can help organize and distribute your profile and coverage requirements to GEICO quickly and easily in order to get you the free quote that you can use to compare to other carriers to ensure you’re not paying more than you have to.

Metromile vs GEICO – Which Is the Insurer for Me?

Without having actual quotes in hand it is difficult to determine which carrier would give you the better deal. The demographic, safety geographic and personal profile variables are too complicated to make a blanket statement. The savvy shopper will get free price quotes up front and make an apples to apples comparison in order to save the most money.

The Bottom Line for Car Insurance Savings

Auto insurance price quotes based on the exact same inputs - coverage levels, personal profile, etc. – will allow you to drive the best deal possible. Let us at General.com help you get that deal by facilitating free car insurance quotes. Our platform streamlines the process for obtaining free quotes and allows you to do side by side comparisons of insurance prices. A few onscreen button clicks and you’re on your way to savings money.