Horace Mann vs. Liberty Mutual: Which is Better for Teachers?

Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual offer some of the best auto insurance discounts and benefits for teachers, making them both great potential options. They both have strong financial stability ratings and higher-than-average rates of customer complaints, though Liberty Mutual fares a bit better.

Horace Mann Is Better For:

• Drivers who only need standard coverage
• Those who prefer to work with a local agent
• Teachers looking to take advantage of other financial services like retirement planning

Liberty Mutual Is Better For:

• Drivers who prefer to get a policy from a major national insurer
• Drivers who need more coverage customization options
• Those who want to purchase their policy online

Data on Horace Mann’s average rates is not available, so it’s difficult to compare the cost of these insurers. Liberty Mutual’s rates for various categories and driver profiles are higher than the national averages, sometimes significantly. However, these are rates for non-educators, so it’s worth getting a quote if you’re a teacher given the company’s teacher-specific discounts.

Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual offer the basic coverages you’d expect to find from any auto insurer: liability, comprehensive and collision, medical payments, personal injury protection, and uninsured/underinsured motorist.

Beyond these standard options, Horace Mann has a much more limited range of add-on options than Liberty Mutual:

Neither company offers rideshare coverage, a common side hustle for teachers. Keep in mind that coverage options may vary by state, so check your quote or contact an agent to confirm what’s available where you live.

Like all auto insurers, Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual provide several discounts to policyholders. These include occupation discounts for educators. Both companies also offer additional benefits to teachers that can help them save money and get more value from their policy.

Customer service reviews for Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual are mixed. Horace Mann is not included in J.D. Power’s studies since it’s a smaller niche company, so there are fewer metrics available to compare the two companies.

Claims Satisfaction

Only Liberty Mutual is included in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, but it’s worth noting that it scored 717 out of 1,000, coming in fifth.¹ On the 2025 CRASH Network Report Card, which reflects auto repair shops’ experience of managing claims with insurance companies, Horace Mann comes out ahead by far.

It earned a rating of B-, placing it 48th out of 97, or almost exactly at the midpoint. Meanwhile, Liberty Mutual was near the bottom with a rating of D+ and a ranking of 89th.

Customer Service

Similarly, J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study only provides customer satisfaction information on Liberty Mutual, but it is useful nonetheless. Liberty Mutual ranked below average in almost every region in this study, sometimes falling very close to the bottom.²

This data is in line with the company’s NAIC Complaint Index, which is 3.15.³ This number means that Liberty Mutual’s rate of customer complaints is 3.15 times higher than average.  However, Horace Mann’s Complaint Index is even higher at 4.86.⁴ Liberty Mutual therefore fares a bit better, but neither company has high marks in this category.

Shopping

This is another area where data on Horace Mann is limited, but an important distinction between the two companies is the quote and purchase process: Horace Mann only allows customers to begin quotes online, but they must be completed via an agent. Policies can also only be purchased through an agent.

On the other hand, Liberty Mutual has a user-friendly online quote and purchase process, so you never have to deal with an agent if you prefer not to. Liberty Mutual ranked fourth in J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, indicating that customers are overall satisfied with the experience of buying a policy from the company.⁵

Liberty Mutual is undeniably the winner when it comes to digital experience — in fact, this is one of Horace Mann’s weakest points. The Horace Mann mobile app has a rating of only 1.9 stars on the iOS App Store, compared to Liberty Mutual’s 4.8. The difference is less stark but still notable on Android.

Both apps allow policyholders to access policy information, get roadside assistance, and file claims. However, Horace Mann’s claim filing is via a web browser embedded in the app, which doesn’t make for the best user experience.

Here’s a breakdown of each app:

As with the other J.D. Power studies, only Liberty Mutual is included in the Digital Experience Study, but it’s worth noting the results. The company’s score in the shopping category was in line with the average, and it ranked far below average in the service category.⁶

While Liberty Mutual did not rank particularly well in this study, it does have strong mobile app reviews, and its digital tools and functionality are much more robust than Horace Mann’s.

If you’re a teacher, Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual may have come up in your insurance search as particularly educator-friendly providers. They both offer teacher-specific discounts as well as other benefits and perks.

Data on costs for teachers is limited, so we recommend getting a quote from both, as well as at least one other company, to compare rates. Keep in mind that another company may end up giving you a better deal for the same coverage, even without teacher-specific discounts. In addition, those prioritizing customer service may be better off looking at other companies.

However, there are some additional benefits to consider from both Horace Mann and Liberty Mutual, including waived deductibles for certain covered incidents. Horace Mann also offers other financial products, like retirement accounts, and student loan help, giving policyholders the convenience of accessing multiple services from a single company.

In addition, Liberty Mutual has a much stronger digital presence and offers online quotes and purchasing, as well as a telematics discount program, unlike Horace Mann. It also has a much wider range of coverage options, so teachers who are looking for more than standard coverage may find that Horace Mann does not meet their needs.

At AutoInsurance.com, we use four key factors to evaluate auto insurers:

• Price (40%): We analyze average premiums for both full and minimum coverage for a standard driving profile of a good driver with good credit. We also look at rates for other driver profiles, including those with violations or low credit, and consider available discounts. Full coverage averages use the following limits:
  • Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $100,000 per accident
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident
  • Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
• Claims Handling (25%): Policyholders expect an auto insurer’s claims handling process to be quick, transparent, and efficient, with fair evaluation of damages, and timely payment or resolution. We assess claims practices using sources like the CRASH Network Insurer Report Card and J.D. Power’s Claims Satisfaction Report, and financial strength from sources like AM Best. We also include real-life customer experiences when possible.
• Customer Experience (25%): We evaluate insurance companies’ user experience, from getting a quote and purchasing a policy to managing an ongoing policy. We consider the availability and quality of both online and agent interactions, as well as the functionality of the company’s website and mobile app. Our sources include J.D. Power studies, the NAIC complaint index, BBB ratings, and app store reviews.
• Coverage Options (10%): We review each company’s coverage offerings and prioritize providers with options beyond the state-required minimums, such as accident forgiveness, gap coverage, rideshare coverage, and more.

Read more about our ratings and methodology.