Updated April 2026 | Bankrate 2026, NerdWallet 2026, Consumer Reports
Car Insurance With a Clean Record: 15 to 25% Below National Average
Five years clean takes 15 to 25 percent off the average. Ten years adds another 5 to 12 percent. Here are the carriers that price clean records best, why loyalty discounts are usually worth less than shopping, and the diminishing-deductible feature most drivers overlook.
The carriers that price clean records best
All carriers offer some clean-record discount, but the magnitude varies. Based on cross-referenced 2026 carrier rate comparisons from NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, Bankrate, and The Zebra, the carriers with the most generous clean-record pricing for a 35-year-old with 10+ years clean record:
| Carrier | Typical premium (clean) | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $135-$165 | Military-eligible only. Top loyalty pricing |
| Erie | $145-$170 | Available in 12 states. Strong clean-record pricing |
| Auto-Owners | $150-$175 | Strong in Midwest and South. Loyalty discounts |
| State Farm | $155-$185 | Agent model. Drive Safe and Save UBI extends savings |
| GEICO | $155-$190 | Direct writer. Multiple discount stacks |
| Country Financial | $160-$185 | Available in 19 states. Strong loyalty |
| Progressive | $165-$200 | Snapshot UBI extends savings |
| Travelers | $165-$200 | IntelliDrive UBI. Solid clean-record pricing |
| Liberty Mutual | $170-$205 | RightTrack UBI. Tenure benefits |
| Allstate | $175-$215 | Drivewise UBI. Diminishing deductible feature |
The loyalty discount vs the loyalty tax
Loyalty is a double-edged sword in auto insurance. Most carriers explicitly offer a tenure or loyalty discount that scales with years on policy: 5 percent at 5 years, 8 to 10 percent at 10 years, 12 to 15 percent at 15+ years. This discount is real and shows on the declarations page.
The loyalty tax is the opposite phenomenon: many carriers raise base rates more aggressively on existing customers than on new ones. The Consumer Federation of America's 2023 study documented this pattern across multiple carriers. The result is that the visible 12 percent loyalty discount is partially offset by an invisible 5 to 10 percent loyalty tax embedded in the base rate increases between renewals. The net loyalty benefit is often only 3 to 8 percent, not the headline number.
The implication: shop quotes every 2 to 3 years even if you have been with the same carrier for a decade. The competing carrier sees you as a new customer and prices accordingly, and a clean record is universally attractive to all carriers. The savings from competitive shopping typically beat the loyalty discount erosion at most carriers. USAA is the documented exception; it has a strong reputation for not exhibiting the loyalty-tax pattern.
The diminishing deductible feature
Allstate Deductible Rewards, Nationwide Vanishing Deductible, and a few other carriers offer a feature where your collision deductible reduces by $50 to $100 per year of clean driving, down to a minimum (often $0 to $250). The math is straightforward: each clean year is worth $50 to $100 in stored deductible reduction. Over 5 years that is $250 to $500 banked toward the next claim, if it occurs.
The feature costs $1 to $5 per month to add. For a clean-record driver who plans to stay with the carrier for several years, the expected value is positive. Filing a claim resets the diminishing deductible to its starting value. The feature does not transfer if you switch carriers.