CSE vs. Nationwide: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Nationwide offers slightly more affordable prices than CSE
• CSE offers cheaper average premiums for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record
• Nationwide has more affordable rates for residents of rural areas

CSE vs. Nationwide: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to CSE or Nationwide as your top options, but which carrier will save you the most?

As you can see, Nationwide is about $5 per month cheaper than CSE when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

Even so, Nationwide may not be the lowest or best option for every driver out there. Insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and a ton of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if CSE or Nationwide is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

CSE or Nationwide: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

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That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just your home state. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. Normally, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use CSE save more than $25 a month compared to those who use Nationwide.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your rates drop significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for CSE policyholders decrease nearly $200 and Nationwide's rates reduce around $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest prices you'll ever see.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Nationwide gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at about $125 monthly compared to CSE's $128. However, the difference is only around 5%, so other factors (such as your driving record is or your credit score) will likely come into play when determining which company has the most affordable rates for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly less expensive auto insurance premiums than single policyholders. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one car on their policy -- something many insurance companies will reward with discounts.

If you're in the market for car insurance, Nationwide tends to have the cheapest average rates regardless of marital status, with prices about 5% more affordable for married couples and around 1% less expensive for those who are single.

CSE vs. Nationwide: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will generally end up paying a little more.

Men and women get the same monthly prices with CSE, and about 7% less with Nationwide when compared to their male counterparts.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, CSE is the lowest carrier for men. Rates with CSE are $1 less for men, while women can save around $11 with Nationwide.

CSE or Nationwide: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

Car insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

But the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which usually refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages alongside liability).

In this case, CSE offers the most affordable average prices for state minimum liability insurance, while Nationwide has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $30 with CSE Insurance Group, while full coverage comes out to be about $40 cheaper with Nationwide.

Is CSE or Nationwide Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

Tickets and at-fault collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is CSE or Nationwide more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

CSE policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $38 per month if they get a ticket, while Nationwide generally raises premiums around $24 a month, on average.

If you have a clean record, CSE tends to offer the best rates at about 2% cheaper, while Nationwide has the edge for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through CSE can expect to see around an $53 -- or about 30% -- increase in their insurance prices. Drivers who use Nationwide for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $53 (or 30%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance company.

Overall, drivers who use CSE end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly premiums averaging $176 compared to Nationwide's $178.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- typically a lot more than an accident or ticket. On average, CSE will raise your rates about 49% after a DUI, while Nationwide's average premiums increase by over 45%.

How does Credit Score Impact CSE and Nationwide Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when calculating rates? This isn't always the case (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

Insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which carrier offers the lowest prices for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

You'll often be rewarded if you have fantastic credit. With Nationwide, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will usually save you around $20. On the other hand, CSE doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit normally means you'll also see higher prices with Nationwide. If your credit score is in the "poor" range, at Nationwide, you may pay about $35 more per month compared to those with "fair" scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). On the other hand, because CSE doesn't have data available for credit scores, they may have better premiums for drivers with bad credit over Nationwide.

Is CSE or Nationwide Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in your monthly auto insurance bill. Generally, the more miles you put on your vehicle each year, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

Looking specifically at CSE and Nationwide, CSE is the less expensive option for people who work from home, while CSE has better rates for those with short commutes. CSE's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around $9 cheaper than Nationwide. Those who drive 12,000 miles yearly can expect to pay about $18 less with Nationwide over CSE.

CSE vs. Nationwide: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a pretty big impact on your monthly car insurance cost. Usually, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Nationwide boasts the most affordable average premiums in rural and suburban areas, while CSE wins in urban areas.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save around 6% with Nationwide compared to CSE. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay about 11% less with Nationwide compared to CSE. In urban areas, CSE Insurance Group's average rates are around 7% less than Nationwide.

CSE vs. Nationwide Discounts

You want to save as much money as possible, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as you can.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the table below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by CSE and Nationwide so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Nationwide blows CSE away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 17 more discounts than CSE.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Nationwide also offers advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, anti-theft discounts, and more that CSE does not.

On the flip side, CSE has a couple unique discounts of its own -- goverment employee discounts and mature driver discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is CSE or Nationwide Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is CSE or Nationwide the right fit for you?

Nationwide might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing car insurance by yourself.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" insurance.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's auto insurance policy.

CSE might be best for you if...

• You have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs.
• You want basic car insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between CSE and Nationwide and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several companies, not just CSE and Nationwide. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

CSE vs. Nationwide FAQs

Is CSE or Nationwide cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Nationwide is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $170 a month compared to $175 for CSE. Even so, Nationwide won't necessarily be the lowest company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, CSE or Nationwide?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for each driver -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, CSE offers more affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while Nationwide is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do CSE and Nationwide offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at several different variables when determining the prices they charge policyholders. Things like your driving record, age, gender, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both CSE and Nationwide calculate premiums differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if CSE or Nationwide is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be CSE or Nationwide at all!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.