NerdWallet Car Insurance Review: Consumer Reviews, Quotes (2024)
NerdWallet’s car insurance quote tool doesn’t offer real-time quotes and instead collects your personal information for lead generation.
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Written bySarah Archambault
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Experienced personal finance writer
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
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Edited byKatie Powers
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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Reviewed byMark Friedlander
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Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
Updated June 14, 2024
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Advertiser Disclosure
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Table of contents
NerdWallet offers consumer finance education on topics like credit cards, personal loans, student loans, banks, and banking. If you sign up for membership, you also get free access to your credit reports, as well as big-picture advice and personalized offers for financial products, like credit cards.
While it offers car insurance quotes, it appears that the service is for lead generation and doesn’t offer real-time quotes.
Quick Facts
You’ll need to provide basic personal information to receive car insurance quotes, including your age, gender, location, and vehicle make, model, and year.
By completing the auto insurance quote form, you agree to share some personal information with NerdWallet, affiliated partners, and unaffiliated third-party companies.
NerdWallet provides car insurance quotes through Insure.com.
NerdWallet at a glance
NerdWallet is a personal finance website that provides various educational editorial content about credit scores, credit cards, identity theft, loans, banking, and investments. Informational articles are available to anyone who visits its site, which has more than 20 million active users each month. NerdWallet CEO Tim Chen states the company’s mission is to “provide clarity for all of life’s financial decisions.”[1]
You can also sign up for a free NerdWallet account to check your credit report and get personalized insights about your finances, spending, and credit utilization (aka Nerd-approved tips). The company also shows you partner offers for the best options in credit cards, loans, and more. If you link your financial institutions and bank accounts to NerdWallet, the credit card and lender offers become more personalized to help you make better financial decisions.
If you’re considering using NerdWallet to get a car insurance quote or want to sign up for a NerdWallet membership, here are a few things to keep in mind.
NerdWallet pros and cons
Pros
NerdWallet offers a vast library of free educational content for non-members.[2]
It’s free to sign up for a NerdWallet membership.
Members can check their credit scores and get personalized financial advice.
Cons
NerdWallet may sell your information to third parties when you apply for a quote, which can result in unwanted emails, texts, and calls.
You might not actually receive a car insurance quote, even after completing the online form.
NerdWallet offers only car insurance quotes to customers.
Compare Auto Insurers Online
Insurify partners with top insurance companies to provide real-time quotes
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
How to get a car insurance quote through NerdWallet
NerdWallet partners with Insure.com to provide car insurance quotes to customers who use its platform. To get a car insurance quote, users can navigate to NerdWallet’s interactive web form under the insurance tab on its website. Overall, it’s quick and easy to use, guiding users step by step through a series of questions.
The personal information users must provide to obtain a quote includes:
ZIP code
Driver’s license status (yes or no)
Existing car insurance company
Option to add another driver
Number of tickets and accidents received in the last three years
Whether you have a past DUI or DWI
If you need to file an SR-22 form
Vehicle year, make, and model
Option to add additional vehicles
Marital status
Homeownership status
Military status
Gender identity (with limited options, including female, male, and non-binary, and an explanation that some insurers use gender to calculate rates)
Date of birth
First and last name
Address, phone number, and email
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During the quote process, NerdWallet’s platform may offer users the opportunity for a quick quote from one insurance company via a pop-up window. But this quote option doesn’t always appear in the final results, which may frustrate users. After hitting submit, you may not receive any car insurance quotes, and the platform might prompt you to start the quote process all over again.
At two points during the quote process, NerdWallet informed me that it was going to share my information with its partner QuinStreet and other third-party affiliates that may text or call me “using an automatic telephone selection or dialing system, or an artificial, pre-recorded voice.” I consented, as it also advertised you can opt out at any time by texting STOP or “following instructions provided in the communication.”
Over the next couple days, I received emails from NerdWallet alluding to my car insurance quote, but they looped me back to the same starting screen. I’ve also received spam calls every couple of hours but have yet to receive any texts.
To its credit, signing up for a NerdWallet account is optional on the final quote screen. My next step will be to try to opt out of communication, as NerdWallet claims I can, but I’m concerned this may not be possible after reading some negative NerdWallet reviews from consumers who faced similar challenges.
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Learn More: The Best and Worst Car Insurance Comparison Websites
NerdWallet reviews: What real customers are saying
NerdWallet has mixed online customer reviews.
On its Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile page, NerdWallet has a rating of 1 out of 5 stars, though the company has fewer than 15 reviews. Of the limited reviews, several cite negative experiences with NerdWallet sending emails despite the user not creating an account.
In some cases, NerdWallet took the time to reply to the complaint and let the person know the company would remove their personal information from contact lists.
NerdWallet has a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, where the company has earned more than 1,500 customer reviews. Many reviewers on Trustpilot cite positive customer service experiences and note useful information, tools, and help from company representatives. Negative reviews have complained about redirects to other websites, confusing information about personal loans and credit, and unwanted calls and messages from NerdWallet and other companies.
Here are some real reviews from users for you to learn more about how customers feel about NerdWallet.
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NerdWallet vs. Insurify
Both NerdWallet and Insurify advertise that they can help you compare car insurance quotes, but they have several key differences. For example, NerdWallet’s quote tool runs through a third party, Insure.com. Insurify is a licensed insurance agency and provides direct quotes. And unlike NerdWallet, Insurify doesn’t sell your information to any third party.[3]
NerdWallet’s line of questioning only includes basics like age, gender, location, number of drivers, number of vehicles, and vehicle make, model, and year. Insurify’s quoting tool, on the other hand, is much more comprehensive and helps generate quotes based on the type of coverage you’re looking for and potential available discounts.
Insurify generates real-time quotes with a comparison tool that looks at more than 300 insurance companies, and you have the option to buy a policy or connect with an agent online. NerdWallet’s quote process didn’t actually generate any quotes at the end of it or in any of the follow-up emails I’ve received in the last couple days — which was frustrating.
Shop for Car Insurance Online
Insurify partners with top insurance companies to provide real-time quotes
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
Does NerdWallet sell your data?
NerdWallet doesn’t sell your account information to third-party companies,[4] but it does share your personal information with affiliated and unaffiliated third-party companies.[5] By filling out the NerdWallet car insurance quote request form, you agree to release certain types of personal information to NerdWallet, QuinStreet (a NerdWallet partner), and other unaffiliated third-party companies.
While you may receive calls or texts about your car insurance quote request, you can opt out of communication at any time. Some online reviews have cited issues with unsolicited calls and messages from third-party companies after working with NerdWallet.
While it’s unclear if its privacy and security measures apply to online insurance quotes, NerdWallet allows users to opt out of sharing personal information by completing its privacy web form. The NerdWallet website also confirms that it and its partners use encryption to protect sensitive information you share, but it doesn’t specify if this applies to quotes.[6]
NerdWallet FAQs
Check out Insurify’s guide to shopping for car insurance to help you compare quotes. And if you’re considering using NerdWallet to get a car insurance quote or signing up for a NerdWallet account, here are answers to some commonly asked questions.
Is NerdWallet easy to use?
NerdWallet’s quote process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes to complete. You can sign up to be a NerdWallet member during the process, but you can also easily sign up for a NerdWallet account directly on its website.
Is it safe to give NerdWallet my Social Security number?
NerdWallet says it uses industry-standard security controls, including cryptography, to keep your personal information secure.[6] As part of the car insurance quote process, NerdWallet will ask for your Social Security number.
Is it safe to link my bank account to NerdWallet?
NerdWallet assures customers it will keep bank information secure. NerdWallet links bank accounts through Plaid and has a partnership with TransUnion, which both also prioritize security, according to NerdWallet.[6]
Is NerdWallet free?
Having a NerdWallet account is free, but if you choose to add extra features, you may have to pay a fee.[7] NerdWallet also makes money through compensation from its partners.
What can you do with the NerdWallet mobile app?
The NerdWallet app allows account holders to access many of NerdWallet’s features. You can check your credit score as often as you want and start a dispute if something doesn’t look right. If you’ve connected your financial accounts, you can also use the app to check in on your credit utilization ratio, the details of your net worth, your home value, and your cash flow. You can also use the app to review and apply for recommended products, like credit cards and personal loans.
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- The 10 Best and Worst Car Insurance Comparison Sites
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Sources
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Amendment No. 2 to Form S-1: NerdWallet, Inc.."
- NerdWallet. "All things money."
- NerdWallet. "NerdWallet Privacy Policy."
- NerdWallet. "How secure is linking my accounts?."
- NerdWallet. "NerdWallet Privacy Policy."
- NerdWallet. "Smarter security features for your smart money moves."
- NerdWallet. "How much does a NerdWallet account cost?."
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Sarah Archambault
Sarah Archambault enjoys helping people figure out how to manage their finances and credit. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans. Her work has been featured on Credit Karma, Experian, LendingClub, Sound Dollar and USA Today Blueprint. She also writes for national insurers, banks and financial institutions like Aetna, MassMutual, Stripe, and UnitedHealthcare.
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
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