Nationwide vs. Safeco Insurance

Nationwide vs. Safeco: What You Need to Know

Murray D. Lincoln formed the company the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company with the goal of selling auto insurance at low rates for farmers in Ohio. In 1926, the first policy was sold. In 1928, Farm Bureau Mutual begins to expand into other states including West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Vermont, and North Carolina. By 1934, the company was insuring motorists in metropolitan areas and writing property insurance policies too and by 1943 was operating in 12 states and the District of Columbia. It was in 1955 that the company changed its name to nationwide, with an expansion into 20 new states. In 1982, Nationwide acquires a 100-year-old company and America’s leading farm insurer and goes public in 1997. In the year 2000, the Nationwide Arena opens and becomes home to a National Hockey League franchise, the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 2007, the Nationwide Bank opens. Today, Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company with a full range of insurance and financial services across the country, including car, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, farm, life and commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans, and specific health services.

In 1923, Hawthorne K. Dent founded the General Insurance Company of America. Most insurance activity during that time was taking place in the Northeast, so its Seattle location made “The General” a pioneer not only geographically but also with their competitive prices and great service. Today, however, “the General” is called Safeco, and they offer insurance to people across the country. It was in 1953 that the General Insurance Company of America created a subsidiary called Selective Auto and Fire Insurance Company of America (SAFECO). It was intended to compete with the national companies using computer automation tools, which allowed them to enter the life insurance business. By the end of the 1960s, the company also began offering mutual funds and commercial lines of credit. It became so successful that the changed the name entirely to Safeco. In 1997, Safeco began expanding east by acquiring American States Financial Corporation, doubling its agency in size. They soon became a leading insurer for small to mid-sized businesses. In 2002, the company’s dedication to automated technology helped the company recover from the slump of the late 1990s. In 2004, Safeco sold its life and investment division to refocus on surety bonds and its property and casualty lines of insurance. In 2008, Safeco was bought by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, a change that allows Safeco to focus solely on personal insurance lines today.

Below is a list of average rates, rankings, products and discounts for the two companies. For full company overviews, you can visit Nationwide Overview and SAFECO Overview.

Nationwide vs. SAFECO: How much are the Average Rates?

Nationwide vs. SAFECO: Rates by Number of Vehicle

Nationwide vs. SAFECO: Rates by Homeownership

What is Nationwide and Safeco Insurance Rating?

Which car insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how Nationwide and Safeco ranked among the industry ratings.

Nationwide or Safeco: Insurance Products Offered

What coverage is available through Nationwide and Safeco? Both insurance companies offer Auto, Commercial, Home, Motorcycle, Pet, RV insurance. Additional products from Nationwide insurance also includes Farm, Health, and Life insurance. Considering these two top insurance providers? Check out the list below. To view a full list of products that are available, visit Nationwide and SAFECO Insurance page.

Nationwide or Safeco: Ways To Save

Safeco offers a wide range of discounts to its policyholders, including Accident Prevention, Diminishing Deductible, and Distant Student discounts. In contrast, Nationwide also offers a few discounts that Safeco doesn’t, including SmartRide, Passive Occupant Restraint, and Paperless Documents discounts. Start taking advantage of discounts offered by insurance providers like Safeco and Nationwide insurance and save yourself some money. You can review the full list of discounts that these two companies offer below.

Nationwide or Safeco Mobile Apps Options

The Nationwide Mobile App for Android, iPhone and iPad lets you access accounts on the go. The app features fingerprint and facial login to a dashboard where you make payments, manage payment methods and save or share ID cards with drivers on your policy. You can also file a claim and check on its status. The app comes fully equipped to connect with roadside assistance too.

The Safeco Insurance mobile app is available for iOS and Android. This insurance concierge gives you access to your policy 24/7. This mobile and tablet friendly app helps you pull up your ID cards, make a payment, manage your policies and file a claim as well as submit accident photos.

Nationwide & Safeco Contact Info

Methodology
The statistics listed on this page are from our own in house reporting. We track and record quotes that carriers have provided based on various criteria. The rates and averages shown on this page should only be used as an estimate.