Whether you or an immediate family member served in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you may be able to save on car insurance by taking advantage of military and veteran discounts. Some insurance companies take their military offerings further by offering additional features like dedicated support lines and complimentary policy suspensions while deployed.
Here are CNBC Select’s top picks for military members, both current and former, and their families based on coverage, customer service and cost. (See our methodology for more information on how we chose the best car insurance companies for military members and veterans.)
Best car insurance for veterans and military families
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Best for active military members
USAA Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
USAA’s auto insurance is available in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and some international locations. In addition to low rates and coverage options for unique circumstances, such as for active-duty members, customers have access to an intuitive mobile app.
Pros
- Cheapest insurer for liability-only coverage
- Stellar customer satisfaction
- Track record of financial strength
- Available in all 50 states
Cons
- Limited to military families and veterans
- No brick-and-mortar insurance agencies
- Customer service is not available 24/7
- Safe-driver discount not available in every state
Who’s this for? USAA is only available to former and current military members and their families. That includes active U.S. military members and veterans (including guard and reserve members), pre-commissioned officers and their spouses and children. It’s a strong choice if you are actively serving, as it includes discounts for those living on a U.S. military installation or storing a vehicle during duty.
Standout benefits: USAA stands out for its low average rates across a variety of policies — we’ve previously highlighted USAA in our coverage of the top overall and cheapest car insurance companies. It also consistently receives top marks for customer service from J.D. Power and is available nationwide, simplifying the process for those who need to move during service.
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Best for affordability
Geico Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Geico coverage and services are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and there are 16 different types of discounts available. In addition to the standard coverage options, Geico offers various optional add-ons, such as emergency roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and mechanical breakdown insurance.
Pros
- Lowest average rates
- Inclusive coverage options, including high-risk drivers
- Available nationwide
Cons
- High premiums for high-risk drivers
- Fewer branches for in-person services
- Doesn’t offer gap insurance
Who’s this for? Current and former members of the military can get exclusive discounts with Geico, one of the largest auto insurers in the U.S.
Standout benefits: Geico has a dedicated military support team composed of veterans. It offers a military discount of up to 15% for current and former military and National Guard members, as well as special features for military members, including the option to suspend or reduce coverage during military duties.
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Best for discounts
Farmers Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Farmers sells car insurance in every state except Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia and offers a whopping 23 discounts.
Pros
- Offers 23 types of discounts
- Below-average NAIC complaints
- Ability to bundle coverage with other products
Cons
- Not all discounts are available in every state
- Average premium for maximum coverage is higher than the national average
Who’s this for? Farmers Insurance is a top choice for anyone looking to save due to the many different types of discounts it offers, including an affinity discount for military members.
Standout benefits: Farmers offers a discount to those who are currently serving or who have served in the military. It also offers a wide variety of other discounts and ways to save, such as for enrolling in paperless billing, bundling other insurance products and paying premiums on time.
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Best for customer satisfaction
Auto-Owners Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Auto-Owners offers affordable premiums with high customer satisfaction ratings. There are 12 different types of discounts available, as well as various other types of insurance besides auto.
Pros
- Offers at-fault accident forgiveness as an add-on
- High customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power
- Low NAIC complaint index score
Cons
- Only available in 26 states
- Quotes must be obtained through an agent
- Claims must be filed through an agent
Who’s this for? Auto-Owners boasts consistently high customer satisfaction scores and relatively affordable prices. While it’s not available nationwide (it’s only in about half of U.S. states), it could be a strong option for military members and veterans looking to combine affordability and service.
Standout benefits: Auto-Owners is a good fit for families with young drivers, as it offers three discounts for students and discounts for bundling and insuring multiple cars to further lower costs.
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Best pay-per-mile car insurance
Nationwide Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Nationwide offers near-nationwide availability and personalized services, such as On Your Side® Review, a free annual insurance evaluation to ensure you are adequately protected and are taking advantage of any discounts available to you.
Pros
- Available in 47 states and the District of Columbia
- Lowest average premiums for full coverage
- Quotes available online
Cons
- High average premium for minimum coverage
- Not available in all states
- Lower than average scores from J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey
Who’s this for? Nationwide’s SmartMiles policy could be a good fit if you don’t drive much, such as if you’re a retired veteran or have a work-from-home job. This program charges an affordable base rate per day, and then adds a per-mileage cost on top of that base cost.
Standout benefits: SmartMiles could lower your overall car insurance cost and include a discount of up to 10% based on driving behavior when you renew your policy.
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More on our best car insurance for veterans and military families
USAA Auto Insurance
App available
Yes
Discounts available
8
Notable perks
USAA offers auto insurance in addition to a variety of other insurance types and financial services, allowing you to bundle your coverages to save. Its services are tailored towards former and current military members and their immediate families. Discounts available include on-base garaging discounts, multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts and a good student discount. There’s also a 10% legacy discount if your parents were USAA members. USAA also offers pay-as-you-drive car insurance which could be a good fit for those who don’t drive much.
Coverage is available in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and some international locations.
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Geico Auto Insurance
App available
Yes
Discounts available
16
Notable perks
Geico offers a discount of up to 15% for military members, including veterans. It also offers a 25% discount for military members deployed to an imminent danger zone. Additionally, military members have access to a dedicated phone line for the company that’s staffed by veterans.
Geico enjoys a relatively high J.D. Power score for customer satisfaction, an A++ ranking from AM Best and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Coverage is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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Farmers Auto Insurance
App available
Yes
Discounts available
23
Notable perks
Farmers Insurance offers a whopping 23 discounts, including one for military members. It’s also one of our top choices for bundling home and auto insurance and could help you save if you need to insure both — the company states that customers bundling their policies could save an average of 20% on their policies.
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Auto-Owners
App available
Yes
Discounts available
12
Notable perks
Auto-Owners’ average premium is much lower than the nationwide average by several hundred dollars per year — the average Auto-Owners premium is $1,631 according to Bankrate data, while the average U.S. driver pays $2,299.
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Nationwide
App available
Yes
Discounts available
10
Notable perks
Nationwide offers many insurance policies outside of car insurance to bundle and save. Plus, it’s available in all 50 U.S. states, making it easy to keep your policy for military families who need to move.
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FAQs
Is USAA car insurance only for military members?
Only current and former military members and their immediate family members are eligible for USAA membership and services. This includes individuals who have served in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard. Cadets and midshipmen are also eligible. For more details on eligibility, see USAA’s eligibility guidelines.
Who has the cheapest insurance for military members?
Based on sample quotes we gathered, USAA and Geico offer the most competitive car insurance rates for military members, veterans and their families.
Do veterans get discounts on car insurance?
Many car insurance companies including some on this list, extend discounts to veterans, but not all.
How can you get a military discount on car insurance?
To get a military discount on car insurance, you’ll need to provide some documentation to prove eligibility. This may include a letter of deployment, D214 Member 4 copy, ROTC contract, discharge certificate or a similar document.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every car insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of car insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best car insurance for veterans and military families.
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Our methodology
To determine the best auto insurance companies for veterans and military members, CNBC Select analyzed several insurance companies.
We focused on car insurance companies that offered discounts for car insurance and prioritized those that made special considerations for the special needs of military life. When narrowing down and ranking the best insurance companies for veterans and military members, we focused on availability, ease of use and customer satisfaction using data from J.D. Power rankings, financial strength ratings from A.M. Best and car insurance premium data from Bankrate.com.
Average annual premium data was based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a 2021 Toyota Camry, commuting five days a week for a total of 12,000 miles annually, and a clean driving record and good credit score. Rates were based on the following coverage:
- $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
After reviewing the above features, we sorted our recommendations by best for active military members, best for affordability, best for discounts, best for customer satisfaction and best for pay-per-mile car insurance.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
Source link: https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-cheap-car-insurance-veterans-military/