NerdWallet: A Review

We tried NerdWallet's car insurance quote tool ourselves and found the site great for financial education, though the tool may not be the quickest or easiest way to get quotes.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

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Beth Swanson

SEO Content Strategist

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. She is a licensed insurance agent whose goal is to make insurance content easy to r…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Ava Lynch

Insurance Analyst

Ava joined The Zebra as a writer and licensed insurance agent in 2016. She now works as a senior insurance contributor, providing insights and data a…

Credentials
  • 7+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry
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Renata Balasco

Senior Content Strategist

Renata joined The Zebra in 2020 as a Customer Experience Agent. Since 2021, she has worked as licensed insurance professional and content strategist.…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty

Is NerdWallet good for comparing car insurance?

NerdWallet serves as a comprehensive financial resource, offering tools and in-depth articles on car insurance, credit cards, and personal finance. It provides useful insights into car insurance rates, coverage options, and top insurance companies but doesn’t offer direct, real-time quotes. Instead, users are often directed to individual insurer websites for pricing details. For those seeking immediate rates, it may not be the quickest option, but its resources are valuable for making well-informed insurance decisions.

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Pros and cons of Nerdwallet

This site provides a wealth of financial information for those looking to deepen their understanding, but it’s not the best choice if you’re ready to purchase car insurance directly on one platform. While it offers detailed insurance insights for background research, rates aren’t available without redirecting users to partner insurance companies.

Pros
  • Easy-to-navigate website

  • No phone number is required to match with companies

  • Quality information about financial topics

Cons
  • No immediate quotes

  • You may have to enter information multiple times

  • Company results may be lacking

Save on car insurance with The Zebra

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No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

How does NerdWallet work? 

Like The Zebra and other similar sites, NerdWallet partners with some of the country's top insurance companies, including Progressive, Nationwide, and Farmers, to offer insurance quotes for its users based on their personal information.

car insurance

Visitors begin by choosing the kind of insurance they want to look into (I chose car insurance). Then, there are easy prompts that ask questions along the way. For example, you'll need to provide your age and location, the make and model of your vehicle, and a few other details.

One notable feature on their top menu under auto insurance is that they offer two different calculators: an auto insurance calculator and a total auto cost calculator. Answering the questions is relatively quick and easy. The site only asks for information you likely know off the top of your head—more detailed questions come later when you visit an insurer’s website. However, if you’re unsure of your car’s model or year, you’ll want to have that information ready. 

Nerdwallet menu

As a user, you can’t select coverage levels during the quote process—customization doesn’t happen until you leave the site and move to a partner company’s platform. The straightforward, quick questions are appealing, but the lack of personalized options upfront may feel limiting.

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Why do I need to share personal information?

Insurance companies rely on personal factors like age, gender, marital status, address, and driving history to provide accurate quotes. Details such as credit scores, education, homeownership, and military status can also impact rates or unlock discounts, allowing for quotes tailored to individual needs.

Since premiums change as personal circumstances evolve, it’s a good idea to shop around every six months or after major life events like a milestone birthday, marriage, or a move to a new state.

NerdWallet asks specific questions to help identify potential discounts. For example, factors like military status may lead to savings, though not all carriers honor the same discounts. It’s worth noting that certain scenarios, like having multiple drivers in your home, don’t always guarantee a reduced rate.


How Does The Zebra Work?

Here’s a quick run-down of The Zebra's business model and how we help people find the best insurance policies for them.


The Nerdwallet results page

After entering your information, you arrive on a, "Compare your car insurance matches!" page with clean, easy-to-read results. However, I was disappointed to see no actual quotes—just company names and rating scores. Only four companies were listed (two of which were hidden for unclear reasons), though results may vary based on your ZIP code.

The page suggests reviewing matches and getting quotes directly from the listed companies, noting that only some information will be prefilled. When I clicked on Progressive, I was redirected to their site and had to re-enter much of the same information I’d already provided.

NerdWallet quote results page

How many quotes will you get?

The number of quotes you receive depends on your location and coverage level. If you live in an urban area, you'll likely get more options, and adjusting coverage can expand results. For example, changing your search from 100/300 to the state minimum might get more quotes.

Because NerdWallet doesn't have its own agency, you can't bind a policy through the site; that's where the partner companies, such as Progressive, take over.

Insurance Contract

Life and home insurance

As mentioned, NerdWallet is a wealth of information on financial topics, and car insurance isn't the only thing you can compare on its website. They also offer home and life insurance comparison tools, although neither stood out as especially impressive.

It appears they only work with one life insurance company, Covr, and you don't actually get any information about the cost. When comparing home insurance, the results page was quite sparse (fewer options than my car insurance results page). I also tried to opt out of creating an account since there is an option to click, "No thanks, I'd like to see my matches." However, you can't select this until you add your name and email address.

home insurance

How does NerdWallet handle your personal information?

NerdWallet has a robust privacy policy that is updated several times a year, with access to previous versions for reference. They are transparent about sharing visitor data with third-party providers when a request is made through the website. For example, if you’re searching for a new credit card and want to get prequalified, your information will be shared with the credit card company to process the request.

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Can I opt out of information sharing?

NerdWallet has a form on its website where consumers can request that their information be kept private. You have several choices regarding the specific request you want to make, and you must enter your first and last names, email addresses, phone numbers, and the details of your privacy request. Overall, it appears they take consumer privacy seriously.


How Other Comparison Websites Measure Up

Review

Gabi compares quotes from 40+ companies, offering a 5-minute process per product with purchase options online or by phone.

Review

Insurify partners with top insurers and connects customers with licensed agents through its in-house agency. However, a phone number is required for quotes.

Review

Compare.com lets users compare insurance quotes but may offer limited results and share your info, leading to unwanted contacts.

Explore insurance quotes and save using The Zebra!

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No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

Customer ratings and reviews

NerdWallet reviews vary depending on user goals. While its financial literacy content is robust, its broad focus may not satisfy users seeking specific solutions. The site holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau but averages only one star from BBB customer reviews. PC Mag rates it 4 out of 5 for its free features, like credit score monitoring and savings tips. However, its car insurance section relies on partners for quotes and focuses more on education than on policy sales expertise.

Direct score comparisons of companies can be limited because many review platforms evaluate one but not both. This lack of overlap makes it challenging to provide a side-by-side analysis based on ratings from the same sources.

See how The Zebra's ratings stack up against NerdWallet
The Zebra NerdWallet
Better Busines Bureau 2.85 1.0
Clearsurance 3.87 Not rated
Trustpilot 4.5 3.7
WalletHub 4.0 1.5

NerdWallet vs. The Zebra

Zebra and NerdWallet operate in very similar ways. Here are a few of the key differences:

NerdWallet:

  • Offers insurance quotes from multiple companies.
  • Provides extensive educational content on financial topics beyond insurance, such as mortgages and credit cards.
  • Focuses broadly on personal finance education and directs users to partner sites to purchase policies.

The Zebra:

  • Specializes in insurance as the largest direct quotes comparison site, with strong partnerships with top providers.
  • Features an in-house insurance agency, allowing users to purchase policies directly.
  • Focuses primarily on helping users compare and choose insurance policies, with additional educational resources available.
  • Prioritizes user privacy with a strict "no-spam" policy.
NerdWallet vs. The Zebra: Features
The Zebra NerdWallet
In-house agency
Educational resources
Mobile app
Reviews and ratings
Data privacy and security
Requires phone number
Real-time quotes

NerdWallet: The final verdict

NerdWallet offers a wide range of high-quality content to help users navigate financial decisions, including insurance. While the site provides plenty of valuable information, it might not be the fastest option if you're looking to get insurance quotes directly. For those who prefer detailed resources over quick results, NerdWallet can be a helpful starting point.


FAQs

It pays to shop around if you’re searching for a new auto or home insurance policy. While there’s no shortage of comparison websites claiming to provide the best insurance quotes, The Zebra is a great choice if you want attention to detail and a great customer service experience. 

With an easy-to-use website and licensed in-house insurance agents, The Zebra can make finding the best insurance rates much more accessible. That, paired with a commitment to keeping your personal information secure, means you can put your confidence in The Zebra to help you find a policy that fits your needs.

NerdWallet partners with top insurers to provide real-time quotes, similar to The Zebra. Policies can be purchased online or by contacting insurers with a quote reference. While the site is free and easy to use, home and life insurance options are more limited.

The initial results on comparison websites are estimates, not final costs. Insurers need more detailed information, like driving history or credit scores, to provide an accurate quote.

Compare quotes and start saving!

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No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

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About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

  • The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
  • The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
  • The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
  • The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.