Nationwide Car Insurance Review [Rates, Coverage, & More]

Ever feel like there are so many car insurance companies out there that you have no idea who you can trust?

You are not alone! Most Americans find car insurance to be overwhelming and aren’t even sure if they have “the best” provider or “the right” coverage. Many people just stick with the same company and basic coverage for years because it is “easy” and feels “safe.”

We understand it can be scary, but a simple switch in providers could save you hundreds of dollars in unnecessary expenses!

In 2007 on average car insurance cost $798.54 a year. Fast forward to 2016 and that cost increased by 17.2 percent to $935.80!

Car insurance is not cheap. You should fully trust your provider, know what you’re paying for, and understand what your coverage provides.

Don’t just pay a bill to a company you know nothing about and hope for the best!!

That’s why we created this guide for you. Read on to discover if Nationwide is the right auto insurance provider for you, your vehicle, and your loved ones.

Reminder: this page is dedicated to Nationwide, but you have seemingly endless provider options at your fingertips. Enter your zip code into our FREE (no strings attached – we promise!) comparison tool to get quotes from a few of the top providers in your area.

The box below lists the topics covered in this Nationwide Auto Insurance Guide. Clink any of the discussion points to go directly to that section:

Let’s jump right in to Nationwide’s public ratings.

7 Most-Telling Ratings for Nationwide Auto Insurance

Want to know the best way to find a provider you can trust? See what valued companies and real-life consumers have to say!

This section lays out how Nationwide ranks by the most reputable financial and consumer ratings available today.

#1 – A.M. Best Rating = A+

Nationwide received the highest possible rating A.M. Best gives out, A+.

– Why trust A.M. Best?

“It is the oldest and most widely recognized provider of ratings, financial data and news with an exclusive insurance industry focus. Best’s Ratings…are a recognized indicator of insurer financial strength and creditworthiness.”

Here’s how insurance advisors, Doyle & Ogden, explain an A+ ranking:

“A.M. Best’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) is an independent opinion of an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. Superior A+ – Assigned to insurance companies that have, in our opinion, a superior ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.”

#2 – Better Business Bureau Rating = A+

Nationwide also received the highest score possible from the Better Business Bureau, another A+.

Here’s why entrepreneur and author, Joy Hawkins, thinks consumers should value the BBB’s reviews and seal of approval:

“Unlike many review sites, including Google, they [the BBB] take the validity of reviews seriously. I do extensive manual monitoring of the data on the BBB and have found they are one of the most reliable sources of local business data on the internet. Like Google, the BBB also doesn’t accept listings using virtual offices or P.O. boxes and aims to represent the ‘real world.'”

The BBB uses 13 categories to grade each company. Each of those categories has its own number of points the business can earn or lose.

Receiving an A+ from the Better Business Bureau means that Nationwide earned an impressive 97 to 100 total points across 13 detailed, rigid ranking categories.

With eight tough scoring categories where Nationwide could have lost up to 41 points each, losing no more than three points total is rather remarkable!

#3 – Consumer Reports Rating = 88

Nationwide’s auto insurance division received a score of 88 on Consumer Report’s 2017 Winter Survey.

– Why trust Consumer Reports?

“Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. We use our rigorous research, consumer insights, journalism, and policy expertise to inform purchase decisions, improve the products and services that businesses deliver, and drive regulatory and fair competitive practices.”

In 2017, Consumer Reports surveyed 23,609 customers in regards to their auto insurance claims process.

In this satisfaction survey, Nationwide auto insurance received 88 out of 100 possible points, which means overall customers were “very satisfied” with this provider’s claim process.

Here is the full breakdown of how Nationwide scored in CR’s survey:

Customers rated Nationwide Auto the highest in regards to the way they were treated by their agent during the claims process.

Having to sort through an insurance claim is often stressful and overwhelming for the consumer. Nationwide agents are sensitive to this and treat their clients with courtesy and respect.

Although Nationwide has areas they can improve, a score of 88 on this survey is commendable.

#4 – J.D. Power Rating = 858

Nationwide Auto Insurance scored 858 on J.D. Power’s 2018 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

– Why trust J.D. Power?

“J.D. Power has been capturing and analyzing the Voice of the Customer across more than a dozen industries globally for 50 years…Our peerless data, analytics, and consumer intelligence drives and defines brand strategies worldwide. With every client, we look to enable and enhance customer loyalty, retention, and expansion – while helping every customer buy smarter.”

Nationwide’s Auto Insurance division received 858 out of 1,000 possible points, three out of five power circles, and an “about average” rating on J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

Although Nationwide is lacking two power circles, it did score higher than 13 auto insurance providers including some of the biggest names around: Allstate, Esurance, Geico, and Progressive.

#5 – Moody’s Rating = A1

In 2017, Moody’s scored Nationwide Insurance the highest level within their third-highest letter grade, A.

– Why trust Moody’s rating?

“Moody’s Investors Service is a leading provider of credit ratings, research, and risk analysis. Moody’s commitment and expertise contributes to transparent and integrated financial markets, protecting the integrity of credit.” 

Moody’s ratings track debt that covers over:

• 130 countries
• 11,000 corporate issuers
• 21,000 public finance issuers
• 76,000 structured finance obligations

Moody’s explains a score of “A” to mean “upper-medium grade and subject to low credit risk.”

Although it isn’t the highest score possible, Nationwide’s A1 is a solid score labeling them with a low credit risk.

Each letter can earn a one, two, or three modifier. One is the highest score within the A grade; however, Aa 1-3 and Aaa 1-3 are six full scores above A.

#6 – NAIC Complaint Index = 0.49

Thanks to practically non-existent complaints, Nationwide has a complaint ratio score that’s so low it’s hard to compete with.

Here’s the complete score card from the NAIC (Updated 3/12/2019):

Trusting NAIC is easy; it’s the insurance companies you can’t always trust. That’s why the NAIC is such a vital organization.

“NAIC members are the elected or appointed state government officials who along with their departments and staff, regulate the conduct of insurance companies and agents in their respective state or territory.”

Nationwide’s complaint ratio and index scores are fantastic! Complaint ratio shows how many complaints Nationwide received for every $1 million of premiums written—an exceptionally low 0.32. Complaint index shows how a company stacks up to its competition.

Nationwide’s complaint index means that they received over 50 percent less complaints than the national average among insurance companies in 2018.

“Of all the types of information that departments initially collect for other purposes, consumer complaints have the most obvious relevance to market conduct…This complaint information is used by the states as an early warning system to detect problems and to provide a basis for further market conduct review.”

#7 – S&P Global Rating = A+

Nationwide received yet another perfect score, this time from S&P Global.

– Why trust S&P Global?

“In 28 countries around the world and a history that dates back more than 150 years…Our proven methodology protects the integrity of our ratings while providing unmatched accuracy…our opinions and risk measurement are rooted in our experience and unparalleled scale.”

A+ from S&P Global means “above average” performance. Only about 30 percent of the fortune 500 companies are able to maintain such a high score.

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Review of Nationwide’s Ratings

Phewww! That was a lot of ground we just covered. Here are the key facts all in one place:

Success & Growth of Nationwide Auto Insurance

To accurately judge a provider you have to look at how they have performed and proven themselves over time.

Let’s take a look at how successful Nationwide has been across six consecutive years in the auto insurance industry.

The two most telling factors of an auto insurance company’s success are 1 – the number of premiums they have written and 2 – their market share.

Check out those indicators of financial strength and advancement below.

– What are direct premiums written?

The term “direct premiums written” means the total number of an insurance company’s written premiums from one year of business minus any premiums passed off or accepted from other companies.

Here’s how Insuranceopedia explains Direct Premiums Written:

“Direct premiums written represents an insurance company’s growth during a specified period. Although increased premiums bring in more revenue, new policies are the principal driver of growth.”

From 2012 to 2017, Nationwide wrote the most direct premiums in 2016—over 3.5 million more than in 2014. 

What you should take notice of however, is that in 2017 Nationwide wrote $598,164 less premiums in these three auto insurance categories than the year prior.

Now let’s look at Nationwide’s 6-year market share trend for the same three categories:

– What exactly is market share?

In this context, Nationwide’s market share is the percentage of sales they made out of all the auto insurance consumer purchases that year.

This is how the significance of market share is explained in The Economic Times:

“Market share is a measure of the consumers’ preference for a product over other similar products. A higher market share usually means greater sales, lesser effort to sell more and a strong barrier to entry for other competitors. A higher market share also means that if the market expands, the leader gains more than the others.”

As you can see in the six-year time frame illustrated above, Nationwide’s most successful year was 2012.

Nationwide’s market share in the auto insurance sector has been on a steady decline since 2012. In fact, its market share dropped 1.15 percent from 2016 to 2017, which is a detrimental decline.

As shown in the above graphs, Nationwide ranked 8th out of 125 auto insurance companies studied by the NAIC during those years.

To give you a better idea of Nationwide’s position in the auto insurance industry, let’s look at how this provider compared to the companies holding the top two positions in 2017:

While State Farm and Geico had significant increases from 2015 to 2017, Nationwide had a drastic decrease totaling 299,082 premiums in those two short years.

And, now for an even greater comparison of success, their market share:

From 2016 to 2017, Geico started making gains on State Farm – crept up to only be 5.28 percent behind.

Nationwide, on the other hand, experienced a big drop and found itself 14.9 percent below the top auto insurance provider in 2017.

Alright, let’s see what Nationwide did to pick up their sales going forward.

Big Changes for Nationwide Coming 2020

In April of 2018 Nationwide announced it was moving to a fully independent distribution model by July 1, 2020.

All exclusive Nationwide agents will need to transition to independent contractors – who file a 1099 – by the time the company changes over.

This means by the summer of 2020 Nationwide will no longer have “captive agents,” which are local agents who are employed by Nationwide and only sell that one provider’s insurance.

Still confused? Here is a helpful video that breakdowns the various types of insurance providers, agents, and business models:

President and Chief Operations Operator of Nationwide Property & Casualty, Mark Berven, explained the company’s reasoning behind this pivotal conversion:

“Market dynamics, customer preferences and an increased desire by exclusive agents for more flexibility make now the opportune time to move to a fully independent model. It will create a win-win for our distribution partners, and ultimately, our members.”

Nationwide’s business leaders believe moving to an independent model will not only increase their market share, but will also allow their 2,000 existing agents to be more successful.

Amy Shore, President of Property & Casualty sales & distribution for Nationwide was interviewed on this very topic:

“Significant market share has shifted out of captive agency companies into direct companies. It’s becoming harder and harder for agents to major in personal lines— and particularly to major in personal lines as captive agencies…And to be able to attract the talent that they need to thrive in the future, we think the independent model is the best model for them.”

Nationwide already has relationships with over 10,000 independent agents, and they plan to acquire thousands more across the country once this major shift takes place.

Above we compared a few of the top providers in regards to their historical success by premiums and market share, but what’s even more important is that YOU – as the car insurance consumer – compare the actual policies they have to offer now in your area. Here’s our free tool that makes comparing policies quick and easy:

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Nationwide is an Award-Winning Insurance Company

Here is a list of Nationwide’s most recent, prestigious awards:

• 100 Best Companies to Work For – Rank: 57th; five years on this list
• 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity – Rank: 49th; by Fortune
• 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work – Rank: 13th; every year since 2013
• 50 Best Companies for Diversity – every year since 2011
• Top 100 Women Impacting Supplier Diversity – by Women’s Enterprise USA
• Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality – 13 years in-a-row
• Best Places to Work in IT – top workplace for technology professionals every year since 2013
• Catalyst Award – for efforts to advance women in the workplace
• C. Everett Koop National Health Award – for health promotion and disease prevention
• Companies Providing Most Opportunities for Latinos – three straight years
• Corporate Equality Index – 100% score for 14 straight years for equality efforts
• Corporate Leadership Award – for economic empowerment and fair treatment of all
• Diamond Leadership Award – for supporting the academic achievement of black students
• Gallup Great Workplace Award – received this award every year since 2011
• Inspiration Award – for helping veterans get careers in claims management
• Learning Elite Award – for exceptional learning and development every year since 2011
• Silver Torch Award – for workplace diversity: advancement of minority professionals
• Training Top 125 Company – for the breadth and quality of development support
• Watts S. Humphrey Software Process Achievement Award – for improving the ability to create and evolve software

Nationwide Awards Outstanding Members of the Community

If we all lived like Nationwide’s insurance agent, Ernie Yarborough, the world would be a better place.

Not only does Nationwide hire inspirational, outstanding members of the community, but they work hard to recognize their selfless efforts each year.

Here are some of the awards Nationwide presents – each includes generous funding to further the winners’ efforts:

• Community Service Award – for an agent who gives back to the community
• Golden Owl Award – for the agricultural educator of the year
• Jefferson Award – for service to the local community – an “unsung hero”
• Volunteer of the Year – for an agent who dedicates time and service
• Walter Payton Man of the Year – for an NFL player who enriches the community

The Employees of Nationwide Insurance

Financial ratings, customer reviews, market share trends . . . these are all excellent indicators of success and strength. But, one of the clearest views inside the workings of the company is through the eyes of the employees.

Nationwide’s employees by age and generation:

Nearly half of Nationwide’s employees are 39 to 54-years-old.

Just about as important as Nationwide keeping its clients is their ability to keep their employees both working for them and happy to be there. No one is going to buy insurance from a disgruntled employee.

Here’s how long those employed by Nationwide stay with the company:

According to Great Place to Work:

“Nationwide is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. The company provides a broad range of insurance and financial products and services.”

Let’s see if the people who work at Nationwide agree:

The vast majority of Nationwide’s employees are proud of where they work, feel the company contributes to the community, and that the business is run ethically.

I’d say that’s a pretty glowing review from those who know this leading insurance provider best.

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Nationwide’s Killer Commercials

Back in 2012, Nationwide kicked off their most expensive marketing campaign since it was founded over 90 years ago.

One of the company’s biggest moves took place in the spring of 2014, when they hired Denver Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning, for a five-year marketing gig.

“We’re really excited. He’s considered by some the most-popular player in the most-popular sport in the country. It’s important when you’re investing in sports marketing to have a face…He’s a funny guy. That helps break through the clutter and helps sell. He’s also a very sincere guy. We think he is a person with class and grace.” – Matt Jauchius, Nationwide Chief Marketing Officer

Peyton’s southern accent, goofy humor, and lovable character pairs perfectly with Nationwide’s mission and catchy jingle.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, Nationwide decided to add another friendly face to up their game even more. 

Just in time for the summer Olympics of 2016 to air, Nationwide signed another deal with a famous, fan-favorite: Brad Paisley.

Peyton and Brad make a dynamic duo.

Two sincere, sickenly-talented, yet humble guys come together in a perfect mashup of music and comedy—and Nationwide’s advertising (albeit costly) soars to success.

The country singer and retired football star are so natural in front of the camera, you can hardly tell the difference between the commercials and blooper reels:

As discussed earlier, each year Nationwide recognizes an NFL player who makes a positive impact on his community with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

Proving their marketing campaign doesn’t end with comedy, in the spring of 2018 Nationwide aired a standout commercial inspiring us all to use our gifts to give back.

“Great happens on the field. Good happens off. And both inspire the next generation of players to do the same.” – Nationwide

This trusted insurance provider has made bold and brilliant advertising moves year after year. You could spend hours on YouTube watching their hundreds of killer commercials that date back over a decade.

Arguably Nationwide’s most-moving commercial aired during Super Bowl XLIX.

Teaming Julia Roberts’ voice with a gorgeous boy illustrating every parent’s worst nightmare…really sends the “Join the Nation” message home to families across America.

Keep your eyes peeled for more commercials from – quite possibly – the best marketing team an insurance company has ever had.

Coverage Offered by Nationwide Auto Insurance

Auto insurance coverage needs vary greatly from one household to the next. Plus, laws regarding car insurance can be surprisingly different across state lines, which is why the best providers will have countless coverage combinations.

Nationwide has a variety of coverage options that meet – and exceed – state minimum requirements and are guaranteed to keep you, your loved one, and your investments safeguarded.

Follow the links below to learn more about each specific line of coverage.

– Where is Nationwide auto insurance available?

This exceptional company provides car insurance in 46 states (and D.C.) just not in the following four: Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.

All of the blue states on the map below are where Nationwide currently provides auto coverage:

Keep reading to find out what those pink arrows mean! 

Find your state on Nationwide’s website here, to learn more about the specific coverage options in your area.

Discounts and Savings from Nationwide

The biggest savings from Nationwide (up to 20 percent) come when you bundle your lines of coverage.

– What in the world is bundling?

In the insurance industry, “bundling” just means having multiple lines of coverage from one provider.

Follow the links below to learn more about these multi-line coverage savings:

– What other discounts are there?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to have multiple lines of coverage with Nationwide to qualify for discounts. 

If you click on the discounts below, you’ll be navigated to pages with more info on each one:

Wondering how those discounts compare to the other insurance companies out there? So were we! Which is why our researchers did a major study to find out which companies had the most discounts.

Out of the 22 top auto insurance providers operating in the U.S., Nationwide ranks 5th for offering the most discounts.

Nationwide has 35 unique discounts for their customers to take advantage of, and each one takes a nice chunk out of those car insurance bills.

Don’t miss it! SmartRide is available in all the states with a pink arrow pointing to it in the Nationwide coverage map above.

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What Sets Nationwide Apart from the Rest

When comparing car insurance providers, does it start to seem like they are all the same? Are you feeling overwhelmed with the whole process?

You’re not alone! Choosing what car insurance company to trust with your hard-earned money is a very difficult decision.

That’s what we’re here for! Unlike all the insurance providers competing for your business, we don’t sell car insurance…We’re here to help you pick what provider is best for you by laying out the unbiased facts.

So, here are three major elements that set Nationwide apart from the competition:

#1 – Nationwide is the BIGGEST & BEST Provider for Farmers

Did you know? Nationwide was originally designed to provide insurance solely to farm owners.

It sure has come a long way since then!

“Over the last 85 years, Nationwide has grown from a small mutual auto insurer owned by policyholders to one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world, with more than $158 billion in statutory assets.”

Thanks to deep roots in farming and continued dedication to the world of agriculture, Nationwide is still the #1 insurance provider for farmers and ranchers in the country.

“Through decades of relationships built on honesty and integrity, we’ve earned our position as the largest insurer of farms and ranches in the country.”

Nationwide gives a 10 percent discount to all their customers who are members of a farm bureau, and they have their very own EZ Ag App that allows farmers to easily manage their insurance policies.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a farmer or rancher to get a handy app. Nationwide has another mobile app that allows their clients to pay a bill, view insurance cards and policies, and even file a claim.

#2 – Nationwide is Famous for the Vanishing Deductible

Nationwide didn’t invent the concept, nor are they the only ones to offer it . . . But, they might just do it the best.

Here’s how Nationwide’s deductible savings work:

Every year of safe driving as a Nationwide customer, you will earn back $100 with their vanishing deductible—up to $500 in total.

This is how Nationwide explains it on their website:

“Let’s say you have a $500 deductible. After three years of safe driving with Vanishing Deductible, you’ll earn a $300 credit. If you have an accident, you would pay just $200 toward your deductible before your insurance starts to cover any damages…you don’t have to worry about your deductible going all the way back up to $500. Your Vanishing Deductible reward would be reset to $100, still providing you savings.”

Another major benefit of Nationwide’s auto insurance compared to the competition is that their accident forgiveness can be extended to any drivers on your plan—even teen drivers!

#3 – Exceptional GAP Insurance Coverage

Nationwide isn’t the only provider to offer this, but GAP coverage is one of their specialties.

– No idea what GAP insurance is? Keep reading:

Standard car insurance policies only pay for the value of the vehicle at the time it was damaged or stolen.

The problem? Cars depreciate in value – A LOT and FAST.

Vehicles lose over 10 percent of their value in just the first month after they’re purchased, and that amount continues to drop at a rapid rate.

A new car’s value typically drops over 20 percent in the first 12 months, and over the next four years expect to lose another 10 percent annually. In total you’ll lose a whopping 40 percent of the car’s original value in just five years!!

That’s where Nationwide’s GAP insurance comes in! This is the real-life example on their website to help explain how it works:

“Let’s say your car cost $35,000 when new, and you currently owe $30,000. If the car is totaled, the ACV (actual cash value) of the vehicle may be only $25,000. You have a deductible of $500, so the car accident settlement is $24,500. Your gap insurance coverage may pay the remaining $5,500 on the loan instead of having to come up with the money yourself.”

Many car insurance companies do not sell standalone GAP coverage, but Nationwide does. Think about it if you want to avoid having no car to drive (due to an accident) but a huge bill to pay for what your car was worth when it was all shiny and new on the lot.

Please note: Nationwide’s GAP coverage is only available in select states and only applies to vehicles that are six years old or newer.

How to File a Claim with Nationwide

There are multiple ways you can quickly and easily make a claim on your auto insurance through Nationwide:

1. Online: Log in here
2. Phone: 1-800-421-3535
3. Agent: Locator here
4. App: Download here

And as shown in the news clip above, when natural disasters strike, Nationwide has even been known to send a team of insurance adjusters directly to those in need.

Nationwide makes filing a claim and getting the full value of your insurance a fast and simple process.

Nationwide’s Loss Ratio over Six Years

Loss ratio can be a confusing element of insurance to the average person, but it’s key in the world of insurance so we’ll do our best to make sense of it for you.

An insurance provider’s loss ratio paints a clear picture of where they spend their money and how strong they are financially. 

Example: customers pay $200,000 in premiums for their insurance coverage, and in that year the insurance provider spends $100,000 towards claims filed, their loss ratio is 50 percent.

It’s a simple formula: Premiums (money they earned) ÷ Losses (money they paid)

Click here to see how many premiums Nationwide wrote from 2012 to 2017 and check out their loss ratio for that time frame below:

Car accident attorneys, Murphy & Prachthauser, suggest you don’t just compare the cost of the coverage, but more importantly the value – what you’ll get back – when comparing insurance companies and policies. This is how they suggest you interpret a provider’s loss ratio:

“Lower pay loss ratio means the insurance company is paying more for salaries, defense costs, and advertising, rather than paying the policyholders who purchased their coverage. All other things being equal, try to find car insurance companies with a higher pay loss ratio.”

However, you do not want the loss ratios to soar much over 85 percent, because that’s when the company likely won’t be generating enough income and will need to raise the cost of the coverage they provide.

The average loss ratio for the top 125 providers of private passenger auto insurance in 2017 was 71.8 percent. Nationwide’s loss ratios have typically been slightly below average, but not too high or too low.

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Nationwide’s Car Insurance Rates

How much is this gonna cost me?? That’s usually the number one question on the consumer’s mind. And as the news report warns, car insurance rates are on the rise across the country.

As the wisest shoppers know, what’s more important than the price tag is how that price compares to what the competition has to offer.

Unfortunately, price comparing insurance premiums is a very time consuming, tedious job . . . especially since most auto insurance providers won’t quote you a price until you answer what seems like a million questions. Good thing we rounded up those prices for you!

Scroll down to see how Nationwide’s annual auto insurance rates compare to the competition.

Rates by Age & Gender

First let’s start with annual premiums by age, gender, and whether the individual is married or single:

The most expensive age and gender we came across in our rate search was for a 17-year-old male.

A 17-year-old male’s car insurance through Nationwide costs $5,046 more a year than the same level of coverage costs a 60-year-old married male.

Age, gender, and whether you are single or married are often the biggest factors in determining your car insurance rates.

Rates by State

Okay now let’s look at average annual premiums from the same ten providers by location:

Currently, Nationwide is available in all 50 states except for the following:

• Alaska
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Maine

Curious how Nationwide’s annual rates compare to the state average? So were we!

Nationwide vs Average

Look below to see if Nationwide’s prices are high, low, or average where you live, and even discover the exact dollar amount and percentage that their rates vary from the norm:

Since 65 percent of humans are visual learners, we created some graphs to help illustrate the data—and so we don’t bore you!

Below you can see where (and by how much) Nationwide is more expensive than the average in that state/district:

Now for the good news! These are all the areas in the country where Nationwide costs less than the average cost for car insurance:

As you can quickly see with the two bar graphs above, Nationwide is usually LESS expensive than the state average. The cost of Nationwide’s auto insurance coverage is only more expensive than the average in eight states and D.C. Not bad!

Overall, Nationwide’s auto insurance premiums beat the national average by $474 a year—making their policies 15 percent cheaper than the average rates!

Rates by Commute

For most car insurance companies, the length of your commute is a big factor in determining the cost of your insurance, but for Nationwide there’s only one state where a longer commute changes your rate: California.

Here are the average annual rates based on two common commute lengths in The Golden State:

• 10-mile commute: $4,108.45
• 25-mile commute: $5,197.92

Rates by Coverage

What does make a significant difference in the cost of your car insurance, however, is the level of coverage you decide to get.

Here are Nationwide’s average annual car insurance rates in each state according to the level of coverage you invest in. Look closely! The rate differences are not always what you’d expect:

Did you catch it? When it comes to auto insurance with Nationwide it is often LESS expensive to invest in more than just the lowest level of coverage.

Why would Nationwide charge you less for more coverage? Because after nearly a century of writing auto insurance policies, Nationwide knows from experience that more coverage will go a lot further and will save everyone money in the long run. 

Here are the ten states where the level of coverage you invest in makes the greatest difference in the price you pay for your premiums with Nationwide Auto:

There is a huge range in price when comparing coverage levels with Nationwide across the U.S.

In Florida the difference between high and low coverage is $1,652 a year, whereas in Ohio, a high level of coverage costs $592 less than low coverage!

Wisconsin is one of the most expensive states to have a high level of auto coverage through Nationwide with annual premiums costing $5,384.

Rates by Credit Score

How is your credit? If you’re not sure, Credit Karma is a great website where you can check your scores for free.

These days, more than ever before, your credit history plays a big part on how much you will pay for your car insurance.

The CBS news report below sheds some light on how providers are now evaluating consumers to determine their risk level and associated price tag:

Here’s how the cost of Nationwide’s auto insurance fluctuates – in every state data was available – based on credit score:

Alright, so where do you fall? Wondering how you compare to the norm? Here’s how Experian describes the average American consumer:

“Jane holds 3.1 credit cards, and has an average balance of $6,354. She also holds 2.5 retail credit cards with an additional $1,841 in balances. Her mortgage balance is $201,811, and her other debt — mostly car loan debt — totals $24,706. Her credit score is 675.”

In 2017, the average credit score in the U.S. reached 675 (“fair”), which was the highest it had been since 2012.

Here are the average credit scores in the 10 best and worst states:

The average credit scores across the U.S. don’t have a very big range, but the 62 point different between the best and worst states would make a drastic different in the cost of your car insurance.

As you can see in the above chart listing annual rates by score level, the higher your credit is, the lower your car insurance rates will be! 

Did you notice? California was not in the above rate chart, because insurance providers are not allowed to use your credit score in Cali as part of your coverage cost calculation.

Here are the ten states where your credit score makes the greatest difference in how much you are charged by Nationwide for your auto insurance:

If you have poor credit in Michigan, you can expect to pay a whopping $7,940 a year for your car insurance through Nationwide.

In the states where your credit history matters most, drivers with poor credit are charged up to $2,868 more annually for their car insurance compared to drivers with good credit.

When it comes to car insurance in 2019, it truly PAYS to have good credit!

By Driving Record

Are you a safe driver? One thing you can never hide from your car insurance company is your driving record.

It should come as no surprise that moving violations, traffic accidents, and the less forgivable offenses – such as DUIs – can and likely will increase the price tag on your car insurance.

Some car insurance companies are more merciful than others when it comes to the first ticket or the first accident.

Take a look at how being involved in an accident or getting caught speeding or driving drunk will increase your auto insurance premiums with Nationwide:

In six states your car insurance rates with Nationwide will not increase because of just one accident claim.

However, in every state Nationwide’s rates do increase with one speeding ticket or one DUI.

The below graph shows the ten states where your driving record makes the biggest difference in the price you pay for auto insurance with Nationwide:

The above ten states have the greatest total rate increase with Nationwide after the three violations combined.

Below are the five states that have the greatest price jump for each of the three offenses we compared:

One Accident:

One Speeding Ticket:

One DUI:

Get one DUI in Georgia, and your annual car insurance rates with Nationwide skyrocket up to $9,033 – a price the average American can’t afford!

It just takes one mistake for your car insurance rates to increase by $337 a month! Keep that in mind the next time you think about doing something stupid.

How to Get a Quote Online from Nationwide

Nationwide makes it easy to get an online quote for auto insurance on their website.

You start by entering your zip code:

Then you need to fill out your full name, address, phone number, and email address on the next page, which looks like this:

At the bottom of this page, don’t miss their privacy notice:

Here is a list of the information you will need to provide on Nationwide’s website before you can get your online quote:

• Your full address, phone number, and email
• All the drivers in your home that will be on your policy
• The vehicles you need insured: make, model, and year
• The distance you commute to/from work
• The type of travel you use your vehicles for
• The last five years of violations, accidents, or claims: dates and details
• Your previous insurance: coverage, lapse, and minimums

Unlike with some companies, you do not need to provide your social security number to get an online auto quote through Nationwide. However, doing so will allow you to get a more accurate dollar amount for your premiums.

Click here for more information on getting a quote for your car insurance coverage online from Nationwide.

Nationwide’s Apps & Online Presence

Nationwide has eight mobile apps that are available for iOS and Android products.

Nationwide has done a phenomenal job of creating user-friendly applications that meet a wide-variety of consumers and their individual interests and needs.

Scroll down to learn more about Nationwide’s mobile apps, how they are rated, and what each one has to offer.

Nationwide Mobile

This is the most popular app by Nationwide as it meets the needs of the greatest number of Nationwide’s customers.

Here are the top examples of what you can do with the Nationwide Mobile App:

• Access your policies
• View and pay your bills
• Manage auto payments
• File a claim and get updates
• Upload damage photos
• Get an insurance quote
• View your insurance card
• Find your agent’s contact info
• Choose a repair shop or rental car
• Get roadside assistance

– Click here for the Nationwide Mobile Android app
– Click here for the Nationwide Mobile iOS app

Nationwide SmartRide

This app is for drivers insured by Nationwide Auto who are enrolled in their usage-based, driver monitoring program.

When you sign up for SmartRide, you get an automatic 10 percent discount, then with safe driving you can save up to 40 percent off of your premiums with Nationwide!

– Click here for the SmartRide Android app
– Click here for the SmartRide iOS app

Private Client Connect

You can get secure online access to your policy documents and manage your accounts with this handy app.

• Click here for the Private Client Android app
• Click here for the Private Client iOS app

More Mobile Apps by Nationwide

Click in the box below for more information and to navigate directly to the version you need.

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Pros and Cons for Nationwide Auto

We gathered all the praise and complaints we could find on Nationwide in general and more specifically on their auto insurance division.

Scroll down to find all the dirt – positives and negatives – we could dig up on Nationwide Insurance.

The table below contains feedback from past and present consumers, comparison shoppers, and insurance experts in regards to Nationwide Mutual.

Frequently Asked Questions for Nationwide Auto

Do you ever scour Google reading article after article but still have your questions go unanswered? It’s extremely frustrating to have that happen, especially since today’s marketing and sales are mostly online.

As you’ve probably learned the hard way, customer service and sales have shifted and there are far fewer chances for your questions to be answered in person or over the phone.

Our goal is for this Nationwide Auto Guide to give you all the information you came here looking for today.

Still have questions? Scroll down for answers to the most-asked questions.

– What is Nationwide’s SmartRide and what’s in it for me?

This driver monitoring device makes sure you get rewarded for your safe driving. SmartRide will record your speeds, distances, hard stops, etc and provide you with personalized feedback so you can make safer driving decisions on your next trip.

Plus, you will instantly save 10 percent just for signing up for this usage-based program!

The better your driving reports are, the more you will save. SmartRide can save you up to 40 percent for your safe driving.

“Safe drivers cost less to insure. We want to pass those savings on to you. So give SmartRide a try. It’s simple. Just plug in and drive.”

Is Nationwide’s Accident Forgiveness worth the extra cost?

You have to buy accident forgiveness as an add-on, but you will recoup the money you spend on it – and save even more money on top of that – when you are able to avoid the rate increase after your first at-fault accident.

Just one at-fault accident is going to increase your car insurance premiums by nearly $600 annually, and most accidents will cause increases that last for at least three years.

This supplemental coverage could save you about $1,800 in rate increases.

• Perk: Nationwide lets you apply your accident forgiveness to any driver on your policy – even teen drivers.
• Exclusion: This only works to forgive one at-fault accident per policy (not per driver).

How does Nationwide’s Vanishing Deductible work and what does it cost?

For every year you are accident-free, you earn $100 off your deductible – up to $500. Here is an example from Nationwide’s official website:

“Let’s say you have a $500 deductible. After three years of safe driving with Vanishing Deductible, you’ll earn a $300 credit. If you have an accident, you would pay just $200 toward your deductible before your insurance starts to cover any damages.”

If you do get in an accident, your vanishing deductible reward can allow your deductible to be reset to $100 not all the way back to the full amount. You do have to pay extra for this add-on. The additional fee is about $60 a year for the first car and $10 for each car after that.

How much does Nationwide’s GAP coverage cost and is it worth it?

Most of the large auto insurance companies do not offer standalone GAP coverage, but Nationwide does. Usually, people have to buy GAP coverage through the company they are getting a loan or lease from.

A great benefit of choosing Nationwide as your provider, is that you can get GAP coverage as part of your auto policy.

If you missed the section above, click here for specific details on how GAP coverage works. GAP coverage is an optional add-on that on average will cost you an extra $20 a year. Here is how Nationwide determines how much the GAP coverage will cost you: the actual cash value (ACV) of your car, your age, where you live, and the previous claims you have filed.

We suggest you consider buying GAP coverage if at least one of the following is true for you:

• You bought a vehicle that loses value faster than average
• You rack up miles fast – this causes a car’s value to drop
• You are paying off a loan over more than four years
• You made a small down payment on a new car
• You are leasing your vehicle
• You did not pay a down payment at all

Remember! The goal of this coverage is to “close the gap.” Once you reach that goal (owing less than the ACV), you won’t need GAP coverage.

How do you qualify for Nationwide’s Good Student discount and what will it save me?

Teen drivers cause serious spikes on your car insurance rates. Here’s a great way to motivate your child to get good grades: saving money on his/her car insurance.

On average the Good Student discount through Nationwide will save you up to 15 percent off your car insurance premiums.

To qualify for this helpful discount, drivers must:

• Be 16 to 24-years-old
• Keep a B average or higher

Homeschooled? That’s fine! Your teen just needs to score at the top 20 percent of the national average on a standardized test.

How do you qualify for Nationwide’s Safe Driver discount and what will it save me?

To qualify for Nationwide’s Safe Driver discount, drivers must meet both of the following strict criteria:

• Be free of at-fault accidents for at least five years
• Be free of major violations for at least five years

The Safe Driver discount through Nationwide can save you up to 10 percent off of your car insurance payments.

More ways to save! Nationwide’s SmartRide program explained in detail here, is another way to get rewarded for your safe driving.

The Full Scoop

Now that you have the good, the bad, and all the facts in between, we hope you can make a more informed decision on whether or not Nationwide is right for you.

But remember, everyone’s needs are different, and as you saw with our tables and graphs above, rates vary greatly by several determining factors.

As thorough as this guide is, we still strongly suggest that you shop around with your personal details and specific vehicle details before you choose an auto insurance provider.

Compare a few of the best policies in your area by simply entering your zip code in our free comparison tool.