If you currently have different insurance providers for homeowners/renters insurance and auto insurance, you might be overpaying.
That’s because most insurance providers will offer you a nice bundling discount if you purchase both your home and auto policies through them. Even companies many consider to be -only offer home and bundles (think GEICO).
So how big are the discounts? Is bundling always worth it? Which providers offer the best deals?
Here’s my home and auto insurance bundle comparison.
Best Home and Auto Insurance Bundles Overview
Best for Hybrid-Electric Car Owners: Liberty Mutual
Best for Discounts: Allstate
Best for Loyal Policyholders: Progressive
Best for Fast Claims Process: State Farm
Best for Comparing Home and Auto Bundles: Policygenius
Liberty Mutual
Best for: Hybrid-electric car owners
Bundle discount: Up to 30%
Liberty Mutual’s premium rates start out notoriously high but tend to quickly fall within a competitive range once you chisel away at them with their laundry list of discounts. Member of a fraternity or sorority? Safe driver? Drive a hybrid or electric vehicle? Discount, discount, discount.
That last one is worth highlighting because to the extent of my nerdy insurance knowledge, Liberty Mutual is the only insurance provider that offers a discount for driving a “green” car. It seems like an obvious discount, but why would your provider care how many MPG you get? For that reason, Liberty Mutual deserves kudos.
Regarding their bundle options, Liberty Mutual offers them but doesn’t broadcast how much you’ll save. I called a few agents and averaged their claims to around 30%. That’s pretty darn high (the industry highest, in fact), but I don’t think it’s unrealistic given Liberty Mutual’s penchant for generous discounts.
Learn more about Liberty Mutual or read our full review.
Allstate
Best for: Long discount list
Bundle discount: Up to 25%
Allstate is your all-in-one one-stop-shop for insurance. Heck, the number of discounts, perks, and features they offer customers probably couldn’t fit onto a CVS Pharmacy receipt.
But to me, the one-perk-to-rule-them-all is their Claims Satisfaction Guarantee. Insurance companies tend to lure customers in with low premiums and slick technology, but the romance quickly fades during the tedious, painful claims process. With Allstate, if you’re dissatisfied with the process of filing your insurance claim, they’ll comp your six-month premium.
Bundle-wise, Allstate offers discounts up to 25% plus an online quote wizard just for bundles.
Learn more about Allstate or read our full review.
Progressive
Best for: Loyal policyholders
Bundle discount: Customers save 12% on average
Progressive heavily advertises its multi-policy discounts, which apply when you combine any of its products. That means you can bundle auto and home, whether that home is a single-family house, a condo, or a rental unit.
But Progressive’s bundling doesn’t end there. You’ll also get discounts for bundling insurance on your RV, boat, motorcycle, and more. Whatever’s parked in your driveway is likely covered by Progressive.
As you add on policies later, you’ll continue to enjoy discounts for bundling. Progressive will apply your discount to any new policies you set up.
In addition to multi-policy discounts, Progressive also issues discounts for multiple cars, as well as loyalty discounts that even apply to the time you were with your previous insurer. This gives you an extra incentive to switch from a previous insurer, especially if they’re giving you a discount for being a longtime customer.
Learn more about Progressive or read our full review.
State Farm
Best for: Fast claims process
Bundle discount: Up to $854
Likely in an effort to attract younger buyers, State Farm’s renter’s insurance rates compete even with online-only providers.
Bundle-wise, State Farm claims that you can save up to $854 on a home and auto bundle. They do disclaim, however, that this number reflects how much new policyholders saved when switching in 2018, not necessarily how much State Farm discounts their own bundles. Still, the savings surely exist, and you can find out how much by calling an insurance agent.
Learn more about State Farm or read our full review.
Policygenius
Best for: Automatically comparing home and auto bundles
Bundle discount: Varies by lender
Policygenius, an insurance marketplace, makes finding the best home and auto insurance bundles easier than ever. After going through Policygenius’s quick application, a handful of lenders will be presented to you with rates and terms laid out in easy-to-read language.
Policygenius partners with a large number of reputable, big-name lenders, so there’s a little something for everyone. Plus, getting quotes through Policygenius will never affect your credit. And, when you’re ready to apply through a direct lender, Policygenius is there to help walk you through the process.
Learn more about Policygenius or read our full review.
How I Came Up with This List
When creating this list I looked at which insurers offer bundles to begin with, how much their potential savings are, and also the reputation of the insurance company.
Potential Savings
I focused on companies that offer at least one of the following:
- A generous expected bundle discount.
- A bundle-exclusive perk.
- Low premiums to begin with.
Good Reputation
I only included insurance providers with an A.M. Best rating of Excellent or higher.
Should I Bundle Home and Auto Insurance?
While it may seem like a no-brainer, bundling home and auto doesn’t make sense in every case. In fact, some “bundles” aren’t even real bundles.
Here are the pros and cons to bundling home and auto together.
Benefits of Bundling Insurance
It’s (Often) Cheaper
As mentioned, you can save up to 25% in a bundle versus paying for home and auto separately. Allstate, known for having generous multiple-policy discounts, is currently offering up to 10% off of auto and a whopping 25% off of home when bundled together.
It Simplifies Things
Bundles typically enable you to manage both your home and auto policies through the same provider. Plus, they let you see all of your insurance coverage at a glance from a single web portal, like Liberty Mutual’s Service.
It Strengthens Your Relationship with Your Provider
Bundles make you a more valued customer. Your provider may offer you extra discounts, perks, and better service. Plus, they’ll probably fight harder to keep your business (more on that later).
But, like the most recent Star Wars flick, home and auto bundles aren’t as flawless as the glitzy marketing would have you believe.
Here are some lesser-known drawbacks to bundling home and auto.
Drawbacks of Bundling Insurance
It’s Not Always Cheaper
“Discounted” doesn’t always mean “best deal.” A bundle may still be more expensive than purchasing multiple policies. If you drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year, for example, you may save much more than a bundle discount by insuring with a pay-per-mile provider like Metromile.
Bundles Are Subject to Creeping Rates
A few reasons why your provider would hike up your rates are: having an accident, moving into a less safe neighborhood, driving a fancier car, and loyalty (yes, If you stick around, your insurer might assume you can’t be bothered to shop around for a better deal, so they might raise your premiums by up to 15%).
Some “Bundles” Aren’t Even Real Bundles
When you read the fine print, you may discover that the auto or home coverage in your “bundle” is given to an affiliate of your provider. This means you may still have the hassle of dealing with two separate insurance companies: filing claims through two apps, calling two agents, etc.
How to Get the Best Deal on a Home and Auto Bundle
1. Combine Your Current Rates
What combined figure are you currently paying for home and auto? Have this number handy so you can rapidly compare bundle rates.
2. Calculate Your Projected Mileage
If you plan to drive your car fewer than 5,000 miles next year, it’s worth reiterating that you may save more money with pay-per-mile car insurance like Metromile than in a bundle. (Note: Metromile is auto-only and currently available in CA, IL, NJ, PA, VA, WA, AZ, OR).
That being said, some traditional providers are beginning to offer super low-mileage discounts to stay competitive, so be sure to ask. If the lowest mileage you can input in an online quote calculator is “<15,000 miles,” call up an agent to see if your insurance rate would differ if you drove 5,000 versus 15,000 miles.
3. Price Shop
Take your time shopping for quotes online. It may take a little extra effort, but collecting separate quotes for home/renters insurance, auto insurance, and a bundle from each provider will reveal the truly best deal for your insurance needs.
4. Start a Bidding War
Let’s say you’re currently paying $1,200 to Provider A for auto, and $1,300 to Provider B for home. Provider C quotes you $2,300 for identical coverage in a bundle. It’s totally fair to share Provider C’s quote with Insurers A and B. Let them know that you’d like to stay with them, and are hoping they can beat the lower rate (this may also remove you as a candidate for price optimization).
Insurance providers, like car dealers, are open to negotiation. Continue sharing the lowest offer until you discover where the price floors really are. While it may feel uncomfortable pitting providers against each other, all you’re really doing is giving them a fair opportunity to keep your business and saving big money in the process.
5. Defend Yourself from Price Optimization
Keep your premiums low by challenging your provider every six months with a competitor’s offer, or by simply asking what new discounts are available. If they know that you’re an informed shopper, they’ll fight harder to keep your business.
FAQs
What Is Bundling Insurance?
Bundling insurance is purchasing two or more types of insurance policies — like home, auto, or life insurance — from the same insurance provider. Providers usually incentivize this by making the premium for the insurance bundle cheaper than separate premiums would be.
Does Bundling Insurance Save Money?
Bundling insurance typically does save money. I’ve seen deals where you can save up to 25% by bundling home and auto insurance together, but you can conservatively expect around a 10% discount.
Can I Bundle Renters and Auto Insurance?
Yes, chances are that if an insurance provider offers a home + auto insurance bundle, they’ll also offer a renters + auto bundle as well.
Summary
It’s a tricky business, these home and auto bundles. When providers say you can save “up to X%” in a bundle, they’re not trying to hoodwink you into high hopes; they really don’t know how much you’ll save until the almighty algorithm delivers a number.
For that reason, bundles should be considered the third dimension of quote collection. If you need home and auto insurance bundle quotes, grab them for a number of lenders to know what is truly the best deal for you.
Never assume that if you bundle home and auto insurance, you’ll be getting the best deal by default.