Nationwide vs NJM: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Nationwide or NJM cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. NJM does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to Nationwide's $2,671/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Nationwide or NJM?

Neither has a clear edge. Nationwide scores 729/1,000 and NJM 731/1,000 on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Nationwide better than NJM overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. NJM does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. Nationwide scores 3.9 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Nationwide to NJM mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

Nationwide

NJMNot scored

Across our six scoring categories, Nationwide comes out ahead in 0, NJM in 2, with 4 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: NJM does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. Nationwide is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.

Nationwide vs NJM, side by side

Category

NationwideRead the full review

NJMRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

2.5$2,671/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

4.5729/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

4.5731/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

5.0Far fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

4.0A

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

4.5A+

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

Better

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

4.010 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: SmartRide and SmartMiles

4.08 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: NJM SafeDrive

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

4.54.69 iOS / 4.5 Android

App Store (70K ratings) and Google Play (21.4K ratings), August 2026

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

Availability

45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana or Massachusetts

5 states in the Mid-Atlantic, sold direct with no agents

Best suited to

drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model

Mid-Atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything

Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.

Nationwide vs NJM across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

NationwideNJM

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

NJM does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Nationwide's $2,671/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat NJM's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.

Nationwide

$2,671 a year for full coverage, 13% above the national average. Nationwide is not a discount carrier.

NJM

NJM's published average is a New Jersey figure, not a national one. New Jersey is a high-cost state, so setting it against a national benchmark would flatter NJM for reasons that have nothing to do with NJM. We have left it out rather than compare unlike things.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Nationwide posts 729/1,000 and NJM 731/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Nationwide

729 out of 1,000, fourth in the J.D. Power 2025 study and 29 points above the segment average.

NJM

731 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study — second only to Erie among ranked insurers, and 31 points above the segment average.

Complaint record

NJM ahead

NJM takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against Nationwide's Fewer than expected.

Nationwide

Fewer complaints than expected for its size.

NJM

Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest band we assign.

Financial strength

NJM ahead

NJM takes financial strength on A+ against Nationwide's A.

Nationwide

AM Best A (Excellent).

NJM

AM Best A+ (Superior). Note that AM Best revised the outlook on its separate issuer credit rating to negative in 2025, citing consecutive underwriting losses.

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Nationwide posts 10 published and NJM 8 published, a difference too small to choose on.

Nationwide

Ten published discounts, with bundling stated at an average of $1,032 saved on home and auto together.

NJM

Around eight published discounts, plus the NJM SafeDrive telematics program.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Nationwide posts 4.69 iOS / 4.5 Android and NJM Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Nationwide

4.69 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. Nationwide also won J.D. Power's usage-based insurance segment for the third year running in 2026.

NJM

NJM publishes no general policyholder app on either store — only the SafeDrive telematics app. Policy servicing is web-only, so there is no app experience to rate.

So which one?

Pick Nationwide if…

You are among drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model.
Availability fits: 45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana or Massachusetts.

Read the full Nationwide review →

Pick NJM if…

You are among mid-atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything.
You want the lower complaint record — NJM sits at Far fewer than expected.
Financial strength is a priority; NJM holds A+ from AM Best.
Availability fits: 5 states in the Mid-Atlantic, sold direct with no agents.

Read the full NJM review →

Nationwide vs NJM, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Nationwide or NJM cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Nationwide or NJM?

Is Nationwide better than NJM overall?

Can I switch from Nationwide to NJM mid-policy?

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