It’s hard to avoid all the catchy commercials from auto insurance companies like Liberty Mutual and The General promising big savings, so drivers just need to select the one with the best jingle, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are a ton of unknown aspects such as if you want full coverage, tickets or driving violations, if you have maintained coverage continuously, and whether or not your vehicle has good safety ratings, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. This article goes into detail about the best ways to find cheap auto insurance and will give you a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
Determining which companies quote the best insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will involve a tad more effort in order to find the lowest price quote. Each auto insurance company uses a slightly different approach to determine premium rates, so we need to take a look at the most affordable insurance companies in Wisconsin.
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $598 |
| 2 | Partners Mutual | $614 |
| 3 | Erie | $724 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $745 |
| 5 | Rockford Mutual | $754 |
| 6 | Rural Mutual Insurance | $756 |
| 7 | Pekin Insurance | $768 |
| 8 | Integrity Mutual | $770 |
| 9 | Western National | $777 |
| 10 | Travelers | $828 |
| 11 | West Bend Mutual | $890 |
| 12 | State Farm | $896 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $922 |
| 14 | General Casualty | $936 |
| 15 | Auto Club Group | $939 |
| 16 | Progressive | $1,118 |
| 17 | American Family | $1,137 |
| 18 | Auto-Owners | $1,148 |
| 19 | Farmers | $1,176 |
| 20 | GEICO | $1,238 |
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USAA quotes some of the lowest car insurance rates in Milwaukee at around $598 a year. Partners Mutual, Erie, Nationwide, and Rockford Mutual would also be considered some of the most economical Milwaukee, WI auto insurance companies.
As shown above, if you are currently insured with Erie and switched to USAA, you might realize savings of upwards of $126. Policyholders with Nationwide could save as much as $147 a year, and Rockford Mutual insureds might cut rates by $156 a year.
To see if your current coverage is too expensive, click here to start a quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Remember that these rates are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 30 companies shown above. That’s why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
For bad drivers, one of the big factors that help determine insurance cost is where you live in Milwaukee. Areas with more people or more claims are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas more rural areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The following table rates the most expensive places in Wisconsin for drivers with a bad driving record to buy an auto insurance policy in. Milwaukee comes in at #1 with a yearly cost of $1,396 for the average policy, which is about $116 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | $1,396 |
| 2 | Wauwatosa | $1,359 |
| 3 | West Allis | $1,246 |
| 4 | Kenosha | $1,218 |
| 5 | Greenfield | $1,192 |
| 6 | Oak Creek | $1,190 |
| 7 | Racine | $1,181 |
| 8 | Beloit | $1,118 |
| 9 | Franklin | $1,117 |
| 10 | Wausau | $1,079 |
| 11 | Menomonee Falls | $1,068 |
| 12 | Brookfield | $1,067 |
| 13 | Waukesha | $1,065 |
| 14 | Madison | $1,062 |
| 15 | Eau Claire | $1,049 |
| 16 | La Crosse | $1,033 |
| 17 | New Berlin | $1,029 |
| 18 | Janesville | $1,022 |
| 19 | West Bend | $1,017 |
| 20 | Fond du Lac | $965 |
| 21 | Sheboygan | $963 |
| 22 | Green Bay | $960 |
| 23 | Manitowoc | $957 |
| 24 | Oshkosh | $951 |
| 25 | Appleton | $926 |
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Prices are comparative as specific Milwaukee zip code can revise coverage rates noticeably.
Which insurance company is best in Milwaukee?
Picking the right car insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Milwaukee. The company ratings shown next could help you analyze which providers you want to consider buying from. The rankings below only include insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so smaller regional companies will not be included in these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 90 | 90 | 84 | 85% | A+ | 89.1 |
| Progressive | 83 | 85 | 99 | 87% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
| The Hartford | 87 | 89 | 84 | 87% | A+ | 88 |
| Esurance | 84 | 88 | 85 | 83% | A+ | 86 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Full coverage rates vs. liability-only in Milwaukee
Finding cheaper insurance is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one common way to find cheaper insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is to not insure for full coverage. The chart below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with and without full coverage. Data assumes a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
If averaged out across all ages, physical damage insurance costs $1,217 per year over liability only. At some point, every insured wonders if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no clear-cut rule to delete physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.
Low rates can quickly become overpriced
Milwaukee, WI insurance rates are impacted by many factors that may substantially change the cost of coverage. Simply improving your credit, buying another vehicle, or getting into an accident can trigger changes in premium resulting in some rates now being more affordable than the competition.
Also, car insurance companies amend premium rates every year to ensure their profitability. An extended period of higher than normal claims may result in higher rates, while lower claim expenses can result in lower-priced Milwaukee car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Milwaukee, WI for a 35-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a high credit rating. When quoting prices based on his current rating profile, USAA quotes the most affordable car insurance rates in Milwaukee at $902 a year. This is $259 less than the average premium paid by Wisconsin drivers of $1,161. Partners Mutual, Erie, Pekin Insurance, and Rockford Mutual also make the list of the top five cheapest Milwaukee, WI auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the first rate comparison an at-fault accident, a lower credit score, and a blemish on his driving record. Due to the fact that every insurance company has their own process to determining premium rates, comparing quotes most likely will result in a different ranking of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Rural Mutual Insurance now has the cheapest rate in Milwaukee, WI with Nationwide, Integrity Mutual, Travelers, and Partners Mutual now being in the top five. This shows why Milwaukee drivers need to spend some time comparing rates when trying to get the best auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record.
Car insurance prices are influenced by many things and can change without notice, so the lowest-price company when you last compared rates may now be an over-priced policy.