You have seen the commercials from companies like State Farm and The General promising big savings, so drivers just need to pick the company with the cutest commercial, right?
Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a lot of unknown factors such as what deductibles to use for physical damage coverage, any tickets or violations, whether you just want liability only, and if you have ever had a gap in coverage, that all factor into the price you pay. We know insurance is not everyone’s favorite topic, but in this article we will cover the best ways to avoid paying too much and will give you some help in finding cheaper rates.
Trying to buy budget auto insurance is difficult, and figuring out which insurers offer the cheapest car insurance rates for infrequent drivers will require even more diligence.
Each auto insurance company uses a different method for determining rates in each state, so we’ll go over the overall cheapest car insurance companies in Nebraska.
Best Insurance Companies in Nebraska
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safeco | $804 |
| 2 | The Hartford | $873 |
| 3 | Allied | $921 |
| 4 | Auto-Owners | $932 |
| 5 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $980 |
| 6 | Farmers Mutual of Nebraska | $989 |
| 7 | Nationwide | $1,027 |
| 8 | State Farm | $1,043 |
| 9 | General Casualty | $1,081 |
| 10 | American National | $1,087 |
| 11 | USAA | $1,150 |
| 12 | California Casualty | $1,270 |
| 13 | American Family | $1,284 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,293 |
| 15 | GEICO | $1,322 |
| 16 | EMC | $1,340 |
| 17 | Iowa Mutual | $1,347 |
| 18 | Progressive | $1,402 |
| 19 | Farmers | $1,650 |
| 20 | North Star | $1,659 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Safeco offers some of the best car insurance rates in Lincoln at around $804 each year. This is $512 less than the average premium paid by Nebraska drivers of $1,316. The Hartford, Allied, Auto-Owners, and Farm Bureau Mutual also are some of the cheaper Lincoln, NE car insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are a policyholder with Farm Bureau Mutual and switched to The Hartford, you could realize an annual savings of in the neighborhood of $107. Insureds with Farmers Mutual of Nebraska could save as much as $116 a year, and Nationwide insureds might reduce rates by $154 a year.
Remember that these premiums are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and do not factor in an exact location for infrequent drivers. So the company that is best suited for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That’s why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
The car, truck, or SUV you are trying to insure is one of the largest considerations when shopping for cheap car insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The list below ranks coverage premiums for a selection of the more affordable vehicles to insure in Nebraska.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $806 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $856 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $860 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $866 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $888 |
| Ford F-150 XL Regular Cab 2WD | $930 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $934 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $941 |
| Toyota Prius | $956 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $962 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 2WD | $1,000 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $1,006 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,002 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,020 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,029 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,020 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $1,040 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,049 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,056 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,066 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Prices based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Nebraska minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Premium amounts do not factor in specific garaging location which can alter auto insurance rates significantly.
By looking at the data, you can see that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, Ford Edge, and Ford Escape will be the most economical vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
For low mileage drivers, one of the big considerations that determine auto insurance rates is where you call home in Lincoln. Areas with more people or more claims tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims tend to receive slightly lower rates.
The table below rates the most costly cities in Nebraska for infrequent drivers to buy an auto insurance policy in. Lincoln is ranked #24 with an annual rate of $1,073 for the average insurance policy, which is about $89 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McCook | $1,331 |
| 2 | Scottsbluff | $1,320 |
| 3 | South Sioux City | $1,303 |
| 4 | Gering | $1,303 |
| 5 | Alliance | $1,300 |
| 6 | Lexington | $1,277 |
| 7 | Beatrice | $1,259 |
| 8 | Omaha | $1,257 |
| 9 | North Platte | $1,250 |
| 10 | Blair | $1,236 |
| 11 | Seward | $1,215 |
| 12 | Nebraska City | $1,212 |
| 13 | Crete | $1,210 |
| 14 | Kearney | $1,188 |
| 15 | Hastings | $1,158 |
| 16 | York | $1,156 |
| 17 | Bellevue | $1,144 |
| 18 | Columbus | $1,139 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,131 |
| 20 | La Vista | $1,128 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Annual rates are comparative as zip code location can revise price quotes significantly.
What is the best car insurance company in Lincoln?
Selecting a high-quality auto insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different companies sell coverage in Nebraska. The company ratings in the lists below may help you select which coverage providers to look at when comparing insurance rates for infrequent drivers.
The ratings below are for insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Nebraska are not included in the list. To compare rates from these top insurers and more, click this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 90 | 90 | 84 | 85% | A+ | 89.1 |
| Progressive | 83 | 85 | 99 | 87% | A+ | 88.7 |
| The Hartford | 87 | 89 | 84 | 87% | A+ | 88 |
| Esurance | 84 | 88 | 85 | 83% | A+ | 86 |
| Farmers Insurance | 79 | 88 | 84 | 87% | A | 84.7 |
| The General | 88 | 80 | 85 | 80% | A- | 84.5 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The illustration below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can change insurance prices when researching cheap insurance for infrequent drivers. The data assumes a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could pocket $272 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $410 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the 20-year-old example, could drop their prices $602 or even more by using a higher deductible.
When increasing deductibles, it is a good idea to have additional savings on hand to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the primary disadvantage of high deductibles.
Full coverage rates vs. liability-only in Lincoln
Saving money when shopping for car insurance is important to most vehicle owners, and an effective way to find cheap insurance for infrequent drivers is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The information below illustrates the difference between car insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The rates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If the expense is averaged for all age categories, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs $1,366 per year over having just liability coverage. That may make you wonder if buying full coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive guideline that works best for making the decision to drop full coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s settlement value is $6,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $5,500 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying over $550 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
Shop around and save
Lincoln car insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of having a policy. Simply getting older, filing a claim, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes that may make certain companies cheaper than before. Not only that, but insurers change rates as needed in order to maintain liquidity for claims. An unexpected high level of claims can result in high rates, while long-term profits can cause cheaper Lincoln car insurance rates.
As an example, the data below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Lincoln, NE for a 45-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and a good credit history. When comparing rates based on her personal profile, Safeco might offer the most affordable car insurance rates in Lincoln at $780 per year. This is $536 less than the average price paid by Nebraska drivers of $1,316. The Hartford, Auto-Owners, Allied, and Farm Bureau Mutual are also on the list of the cheapest Lincoln, NE auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver from the above example a couple of claims, a little lower credit rating, and a speeding citation. Since every car insurance company uses a different method to determine rates, comparing rates most likely will result in a substantially altered list of companies as shown below.
Farmers Mutual of Nebraska now has the best insurance rate in Lincoln, NE with State Farm, American National, General Casualty, and USAA now being in the top five. This example illustrates why it is crucial to take the time to shop around to find cheap car insurance rates for infrequent drivers.
Rates are influenced by many different factors and change frequently, so the cheapest rate a year ago may now be wasting a lot of money.