Nationwide Insurance review 2024

Nationwide car insurance coverage could be a good fit for drivers who prioritize policy customization and affordable rates. Our Nationwide insurance review found that the company offers coverage options that may not be found at other insurance carriers. These include accident forgiveness and a vanishing deductible, although the availability of these features may depend on your location and state regulations. Plus, the company scored a 4.0 out of 5.0 Bankrate score.

In addition to insuring personal vehicles, Nationwide also offers car insurance for classic cars through its partnership with Hagerty. Those who own vehicles like antique, classic and muscle cars might be interested in coverage, but it’s interesting to note that Hagerty also extends coverage to collector motorcycles and scooters, classic military vehicles and even retired commercial vehicles.

Nationwide car insurance is not available in all states. Coverage is offered in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Drivers in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana and Massachusetts are not currently eligible for coverage. The lack of nationwide availability combined with no 24/7 customer service kept Nationwide’s Bankrate Score from being higher.

Pros and cons of Nationwide car insurance

As you’re shopping for the best car insurance company, it may be helpful to get several auto insurance quotes to compare rates and coverage offerings. There’s more to a company than what shows up on a quote, though, and comparing car insurance rates may only give you a limited view of how a company might suit your needs. It may be helpful to know other areas where each company excels and lacks. Here are some of the pros and cons of Nationwide car insurance that we identified in our analysis:

Based on Bankrate’s assessment of Nationwide homeowners insurance, the company could be worth considering for homeowners with high-value homes. On top of the standard homeowners insurance coverage options, Nationwide offers a variety of endorsements to enhance your policy. Homeowners can add Better Roof Replacement, which allows for the use of stronger and safer roofing materials to be used to repair your roof if it is damaged due to a covered loss. The company also offers Valuables Plus, which provides additional coverage for high-value items. These are just a few of the reasons the company received a Bankrate Score of 4.3 out of 5.0.

Nationwide home insurance isn’t available nationwide. It’s sold in 43 states and Washington, D.C., but currently does not accept new home insurance customers in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Mexico. Nationwide also received a below-average score for overall customer satisfaction in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study, which contributed to its lower Bankrate Score. However, Nationwide placed above-average in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, indicating that customers who filed home insurance claims with Nationwide had a more positive experience.

Pros and cons of Nationwide homeowners insurance

Nationwide might be the best home insurance company for some, but it still has potential drawbacks. Comparing home insurance quotes, coverage options, digital tools and third-party scores and ratings may be a valuable step in finding the right insurer for your needs. Here are some pros and cons of Nationwide home insurance that you may want to consider:

Nationwide life insurance may be a good option if you like having all your policies with one company and are looking for a company that offers several life insurance options. The company has four different types of life insurance products — term, whole, universal and variable — and could be the best life insurance company for you if you're looking for policy customization.

If you’re not sure if Nationwide is the right fit for your insurance needs, you might want to research these similar companies.

After reviewing Nationwide's offerings and comparing these with our insurance editorial team's assessment of more than 100 other insurance companies, we determined that Nationwide might be a good company for drivers and homeowners looking for personalized insurance coverage and banking products.

The insurer offers a range of insurance products and robust optional coverage types that might help you build the coverage that you need.  Plus, Nationwide has a relatively high AM Best financial strength rating and favorable customer service and claims handling scores according to the NAIC complaint index and J.D. Power studies. Still, you may want to talk with current Nationwide policyholders before deciding if the company is right for you.

What are real-life customers saying about Nationwide?

If you don’t know anyone who has Nationwide, you might consider reading public forums, such as Reddit and TrustPilot, to get a broad range of opinions. Contributors frequently point out the company’s low rates and wide availability, but within the past year, more users have been discussing the company’s uptick in non-renewal practices and poor claims service.

Nationwide company details

If you’re interested in contacting Nationwide for more details about policies or coverage, here are a few ways to contact the company:

• Insurance product service: 1-877-669-6877
• Life insurance service and claims: 1-800-848-6331
• Auto and home claims: 1-800-421-3535
• Pay by phone: 1-888-891-0267
• Pay by text: Text PAY to 245569
• Corporate office and customer relations: 1-800-882-2822
• Live chat available at nationwide.com
• Payment address:
• Nationwide Insurance
  P.O. Box 742522
  Cincinnati, OH 45274-2522

State availability

Nationwide writes car insurance policies in all states except for LA, AK and HI. Home insurance is more limited; Nationwide home insurance is not available for new customers in AK, FL, HI, LA, MA, NJ and NM.

Nationwide tools and benefits

Auto, homeowners and life insurance are common products for major insurers, but Nationwide offers many more products and services including:

• Banking: Nationwide’s partner Axos Bank offers customers an array of personal banking and lending services. These include checking, savings, money market and CDs, mortgages, refinancing for home and auto loans, and personal loans.
• Renters insurance: If you are a renter, a renters insurance policy insures your belongings and provides liability protection and additional living expenses. You may even qualify for a bundling discount on your auto insurance and renters insurance.
• Umbrella insurance: Umbrella coverage provides an additional layer of liability coverage above the standard liability limits on any underlying auto and home policies you have.
• Pet insurance: With Nationwide’s pet health insurance, eligible veterinary costs may be reimbursed. Existing Nationwide customers might even earn a 5 percent discount off their pet health insurance policy premium.
• Long-term care insurance: Nationwide offers long-term care insurance, which may help cover expenses that result from home care, assisted living or facility care.
• Mobile app: The Nationwide mobile app can make it faster to file a claim or make changes to your insurance policy. While you may want to talk to a licensed local agent before you update your coverage, the app allows you to request policy changes from the comfort of your home at any time.

Frequently asked questions about Nationwide

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze July 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region.

Auto

Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket, single at-fault accident and single DUI conviction.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Homeowners

Quoted rates are based on married male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $300,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $30,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $150,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $60,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible, a $500 hail deductible and a 2 percent hurricane deductible (or the next closest deductible amounts that are available) where separate deductibles apply.

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.