Nationwide is a large provider that has more to offer customers besides some of the best homeowners insurance. In fact, the company offers a range of financial services, from banking and borrowing to investments and retirement, and has a number of services for businesses too.
Nationwide is a major organization and the tenth largest provider of homeowners insurance in the country. Size is relevant when it comes to insurance. It has an A+ rating for financial strength from A.M. Best, which means it has plenty of assets and should never have a problem paying claims. It might not be quite as secure in this regard as State Farm (which has an A++ rating), but Nationwide’s strong financials are reassuring nonetheless.
However, Nationwide only notches two out of five for overall customer satisfaction in the most recent JD Power Home Insurance survey, which is based on how customers rate every aspect of their experience with a provider. It does better with claims handling, with three out of five stars, but overall its JD Power customer scores are well below industry leaders like Amica Mutual.
Nationwide Homeowners Insurance review: Features
Information support: Good online information hub, tackling subjects beyond basic insurance.
Customer support: Telephone, online and email support available, but no live chat. The company is also on social media.
Interface: Browser and mobile app.
- A strong list of discounts
- Ordinance coverage is a useful feature
- Good annual review
Nationwide isn’t lacking when it comes to features. It boasts one of the most comprehensive lists of discounts we’ve come across, from the more standard bundling of homeowners and auto insurance together, to more unusual discounts, like a roof rating discount and a discount for living in gated communities. In terms of discounts, Nationwide is at least as good as anyone in the sector.
Unusually, Nationwide also offers what is known as ordinance or law coverage. That means if your roof, plumbing or electrical system is badly damaged, it won’t just pay for like-for-like replacements, but may help you upgrade your infrastructure to meet current building codes and safety standards. That’s a potentially major saving in the event of disaster striking your home.
You can get a quote online or through one of Nationwide’s network of agents. Included in its plans are an annual On Your Side review, a free insurance assessment that helps to ensure your policy still meets your specific requirements. As Nationwide says, a lot can happen in a year, so it’s a useful feature and can help to identify discounts or areas where further coverage is required.
Nationwide Homeowners Insurance review: Interface and usability
- Good resource center
- Online and mobile services among the best
Nationwide boasts a clean, well-considered website that is nice to look at and easy to navigate. Its Learning Center is packed with useful information. This goes beyond basic insurance, and covers more general home ownership and maintenance topics. Subjects like umbrella insurance, coverage while moving property and insuring musical instruments are tackled well.
In fact, Nationwide is generally good when it comes to online services. Customers can choose paperless billing and documents, and pay bills, print ID cards and documents, view policy details and start and track claims from their online account. There’s 24/7 claims support and the Nationwide mobile app - for Android and iOS - lets you view your policy or start a claim wherever you are. You can also make payments and manage payment methods. Both apps are well reviewed in their respective stores.
Nationwide Homeowners Insurance review: Quality of product
- Popular, strong financials, good agent network
- Pricier than average
- Customer service a weakness
We know that Nationwide has strong financials, a large customer base and some good discounts and features. All of that should make it among the top players in the homeowners insurance sector, yet it falls short in one or two key areas.
One of those is price. Nationwide scored two out of five on price on the JD Power survey, which is based on how customers see price compared to coverage. Nationwide does have a reputation of being one of the pricier national providers. We wouldn’t advise anyone disregard the company entirely on price, though. It has a number of good discounts available and for those wanting ordinance coverage, for example, the price might be worth paying. As ever, make sure you get more than one detailed quote.
The second niggle is that JD Power customer satisfaction score of two out of five. One survey is not everything and Nationwide has done better in other roundups, but JD Power is a well established study and Nationwide did little better than average across all six categories. It did best in policy offerings and claims, with three stars in both, but attained just two stars in price, billing information and interaction, as well as overall customer satisfaction.
Should that put you off? Not necessarily. An individual's experience of a homeowners insurance provider might come down to the agent you talk to, or how much you like its online portal. If Nationwide offers the kind of cover you want, you should check it out; then, however, you need to compare it with other providers before making an informed choice.
Should you use Nationwide Homeowners Insurance?
We like a lot about Nationwide homeowners insurance. It has some interesting features, a very good website and mobile app, and a selection of well thought out discounts. It boasts a decent list of add-ons too.
You can also be reassured that Nationwide has a strong financial position, while insurance is just one of a family of financial services the company offers. If you like dealing with one organisation for all your insurance, banking and investment needs, Nationwide might be a good option.
Nationwide is, however, far from perfect. Its scores are no better than average in the JD Power survey, and there is a reputation for being at the pricier end of the market. It might still be worth a look if you like its features and add-ons, but buyers looking for bargains are likely to be put off.
