Mercury

The California based company boasts low cost insurance since 1968. We'll review their claims for your convenience.

Overview

Mercury is a California based company that offers automotive and home insurance in eleven states in the United States. Mercury General Corporation was started in Los Angeles, CA in 1962 by George Joseph as an alternative to high priced insurance by the major companies. His growth came fast and furious opening offices in Orange County, San Fernando Valley, and San Diego. In 1968 they established a holding company and opened an office in Northern California and set up shop in San Francisco, CA. The company expanded rapidly from there and in the 1980s went public. Towards the end of the decade they expanded out of California to Georgia and Illinois. Currently they are the fourth largest Insurance company in California and the 15th in the country and operate 19 companies under the umbrella of Mercury Insurance Group. Their rates are not the absolute lowest in the country but they are significantly lower than many of the major companies. They are in some ways old fashioned in their approach however and the lack of web presence and connectivity coupled with the low service area make them an uneasy fit for younger drivers.

Mercury Pros and Cons

Pros

• They earned an A+ from the Better Business Bureau and have been doing business for fifty years. They have been featured in Forbes for their financial work.
• They have legitimately lower rates due across the board. Their rates are consistently 25% below the average for insurance rates nationally.
• If you're lucky enough to live in a state that offers Mercury's services, they are great for younger drivers.
• They offer more than just car insurance they do home, business, and other products as well.

Cons

• They only operate in 11 states nationally.
• Their customer service isn't always the best.
• They do not offer online claims filing.
• They don't offer as many discounts as some of the more mainstream companies and they have limited coverage options.

Mercury Coverage

Mercury is at its heart a company that tries to provide the best service for the cheapest price which has been part of their success over the years and why they have survived for over fifty years. They provide legally required coverage but they do offer some services above and beyond the usual.

• Mercury Mechanical Protection is a service provided in the event of car failure. Car's break down, it happens in spite of routine maintenance and is close to an inevitability. Mercury is prepared for it with their mechanical protection. There are options for both new and used vehicles and it's good for seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Mercury mechanical coverage is included at no additional cost and includes 24-hour roadside assistance, rental vehicle assistance, road hazard tire protection, and trip interruption coverage.
• Rental Car Coverage is for when driver's need a car but yours is out of commission due to a covered incident. This option is available at a few different tiers and is good for up to thirty days. Levels begin at $30 and can cover up to $100 depending on your coverage. Mercury rental car coverage will absorb some of the cost.
• Roadside Assistance will provide customers with towing, battery charging, locked doors, and the replacement. Assistance varies from $75 to $1,000 per occurrence depending on your coverage.
• Mercury Commercial Auto Insurance provides coverage for business vehicles with some versatile options.
• Mercury RealDrive® Insurance is a pay-per-mile insurance program that bases your rates on how much you drive.
• Ride Hailing is designed explicitly for rideshare programs and extends your policy towards those functions. This add-on starts at $0.90/day.

Mercury coverage options are dependent on state law which may restrict add-ons. These features are not available with every insurance company and sets Mercury apart.

Standard Coverage Offered

• Liability
• Collision Coverage
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Comprehensive Coverage
• Personal Injury Protection
• Med Pay Insurance

Car Insurance Rates

Average rate was difficult to ascertain but throughout the research the rates were consistently lower than the national average. Mercury's average coverage price was $974 annually which was in keeping with the desire to keep rates low. The highest rate listed was $1,680 annually for an 18-year-old with a clean driving record. Also listed was a 45-year-old male with a clean record, speeding ticket, and DUI, with rates of $672/864/1,092 respectively. That is markedly lower than other companies with the same data.

Car Insurance Discounts

Mercury offers few discounts compared to their competitors which can be frustrating accept that their rates are so low to begin with.

• Multi-policy discount bundling insurance with home or renter's insurance offer a discount to their customers.
• Multi-vehicle discount is another bundling option that allows a discount for buying coverage for two or more vehicles.
• Anti-theft discount when customers equip their insured vehicle with an anti-theft-device they will receive this discount.
• Auto pay discount paying digitally offers a discount for their customers.
• E-sign discount drivers finalizing their policy with a digital signature get a discount through Mercury.
• Good student discount is designed for younger drivers giving a discount for those drivers that maintain a good GPA.
• Mercury Insurance RealDrive® discount is a milage reporting system that rates drivers on actual miles driven. It offers a 5% discount that drivers get as long as they report their mileage.

Mercury Automobile Insurance Vs. Competitors

Mercury is only available in eleven states but here we will compare rates between three major insurance companies to see how Mercury stacks up against them.

Mercury Vs. AAA: At a glance Mercury are similar companies and they stack up very well against each other. Mercury does have a spottier record for complaints but both have A+ ratings from the Better Business Bureau. AAA only offers four service calls per year where Mercury doesn't have a limit on service calls and despite the low number of discounts Mercury offers, they still offer more than AAA. Mercury edges out AAA in terms of price at $263 vs. $285 for six months average for minimum insurance. AAA is offered in more areas and many of the differences are negligible.