We researched the top auto insurance companies and found that Liberty Mutual, Farmers Insurance and California Casualty featured the best car insurance for teachers. These insurers offered some of the most valuable discounts for teachers as well as coverage options designed to be especially helpful to educators.
Best auto insurance for teachers
The following companies feature some of the best discounts and customized auto insurance for teachers. Often being employed as a educator is enough to qualify for these offers, though in some cases additional perks may be available to you if you are a member of an affinity group such as the National Education Association.
Liberty Mutual: Special coverages and deductible waivers
Liberty Mutual’s Teachers’ Auto Insurance policies include a number of free special coverages and features designed to specifically benefit teachers. These include:
- Waiver of your deductible for a covered collision that occurs while you are driving your car on school business
- Your deductible will be waived for damage to your vehicle caused by vandalism while on school ground or at school events
- Coverage of $2,500 per occurrence, for teaching materials or school property in your vehicle that are stolen or damaged
The waiver of the deductible for collision damage while on school business is a particularly valuable benefit, as it is comparable to having a $0 collision deductible during these times. Car insurance policies with low collision deductibles are very expensive. In fact, we found that choosing a $50 collision deductible with Liberty Mutual increased insurance costs by over 25% for full coverage policy.
Farmers: Discounts on coverage
Teachers who prioritize cheap auto insurance rates over additional coverages should consider Farmers—which, according to our research, offers a discount of around 4% on certain coverages. Assuming you pay the national average for car insurance of $942 per year for a full coverage policy, then this teachers discount translates to an annual savings of $38.
| Coverage | Educator rate | Standard cost | Teacher discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Liability | $140 | $146 | 3.6% |
| Property Damage Liability | $209 | $218 | 4.4% |
| Personal Injury Protection | $420 | $440 | 4.6% |
| Comprehensive | $99 | $103 | 4.5% |
| Collision | $391 | $409 | 4.5% |
Rates represent the cost of a full coverage policy for a 40-year old male driver living in New Jersey, with liability limits above the state minimum.
This may not seem like a massive savings, but when paired with Farmers’ other discounts, teachers can still get low rates. For example, we found that its home and auto insurance bundling discount alone could save around 10% on insurance costs.
California casualty: Custom policies for teachers
California Casualty is unique because, unlike the insurers mentioned above, it only offers coverage to select affinity groups, including teachers, law enforcement, nurses and firefighters. Similar to Liberty Mutual, California Casualty offers a number of features to teachers at no additional cost:
- California Casualty will cover your premium—up to $1,000 for your policy term—if you are an eligible educator and are laid off (only available in Ill., Ohio, N.J. and Pa.)
- No deductible for repairs if your parked car is hit or vandalized on school grounds
- Custom automated monthly payment plans that allow teachers to skip payments during the summer break
In partnership with the National Education Association (NEA), California Casualty offers an Auto and Home Insurance Program for NEA members and their families. This program includes a number of benefits for teachers, such as $1,000 in pet injury coverage and free identity theft defense.
It’s also worth pointing out that, despite the name, California Casualty offers coverage to drivers in all states with the exception the following:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Mass.
- Maine
- N.Y.
- Wis.
Which companies offer car insurance discounts or benefits for teachers?
Many insurance companies offer extra benefits and cheap rates to educators and teachers. These typically include cheap car insurance premiums and complementary coverages, such as waived deductibles for vandalism that occurs while your car is parked on school grounds. Below, we detail some of the insurance companies that feature special car insurance deals for teachers.
| Company | Highlighted feature |
|---|---|
| Liberty Mutual | Waived deductible for collision damage that occurs while you are driving your car on school business |
| Farmers | Discount of around 4% on full coverage auto insurance policies* |
| Plymouth Rock Teachers’ Insurance Plan of NJ | Free First Class Roadside Assistance coverage that includes 25 miles of towing, locked out and battery-jump service |
| California Casualty | No deductible for repairs if your car is hit while parked on school grounds |
| GEICO | Members of select education organizations, such as the National Association for Music Education, can get a discount on their car insurance premiums |
| Horace Mann | Up to $1,000 of coverage to pay for injury or death of a pet that is the result of a car accident |
*Based on quotes we gathered for a 40-year-old profile driver living in New Jersey
Why insurance companies offer discounts and benefits to teachers
One of the reasons some insurance companies offer complimentary features and special discounts to teachers is that they have been shown to be less risky as drivers than those in other professions. Occupation is one of the many factors that car insurance companies can consider, and if drivers with a particular job are linked to safer driving, then insurers will reward them with lower rates.
How to get auto insurance discounts for teachers
When purchasing a car insurance policy, with many insures, taking advantage of features and discounts for teachers is as simple as noting your occupation in the online quote form. With Farmers, for example, your 4% discount on your premium will be applied to the price of your policy, if you’ve selected “teacher” as your occupation (and the discount is available in your state).
With some insurers, discounts for teachers are not tied directly to your occupation, but instead, these deals are dependent on membership in an educational organization. If this is the case, you must be a member of one of these organizations to qualify for the discount. GEICO, for example, offers an affinity discount to members of over 70 educational organizations, including the Association of American Educators and National Tutoring Association.
This article originally appeared on ValuePenguin.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Featured Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
