Who is the best car insurers

Although USAA is only available for active military, veterans and their families, it is ranked highly for providing top-notch customer service to its members. Coverage options with USAA include liability coverage, comprehensive and collision insurance, car replacement assistance coverage, accident forgiveness, rental reimbursement, towing and labor and rideshare gap protection.

We evaluated insurance companies based on their financial strength, discounts, technology and customer experience. The following insurers were close runners-up. Erie ranked above average in J. Erie stands out, however, with its unique ERIE Rate Lock feature — which freezes your car insurance premium year after year, including after filing a claim.

Discounts with Erie include a multi-policy discount, bundling home and auto, safe driving, paying annually upfront, first accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible option, vehicle storage, safety savings, paying a lump sum annually, and youthful drivers and college student discounts. Like other insurers, Liberty Mutual offers various discounts.

Discounts available with Liberty Mutual include: bundling policies, multiple cars, homeownership, military, good student, student-away-at school, paying-in-full, going paperless, driving safely and more. Other available coverage options are roadside assistance, gap coverage, rental reimbursement and insurance for teachers who store valuable supplies in their cars. To learn more about Travelers insurance products, policyholders must connect with an insurance representative or independent agent.

Travelers' coverage options include liability, collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection and medical expenses. Rideshare coverage for Uber or Lyft drivers is only available in Colorado and Illinois. QuoteWizard is a great place to compare car insurance quotes from different providers without doing all the legwork.

As a marketplace, it allows prospective customers to compare auto insurance rates and double-check coverage details before committing to one insurer. Keep in mind that average car insurance rates as advertised by QuoteWizard will vary depending on the coverage options you select. You will also need to verify whether your coverage limits comply with the minimum liability requirements in your state, as the site does not offer this information.

Spark Auto Insurance is an online marketplace designed to connect potential customers to a large network of insurance providers. This network of providers offers standard and optional coverage options, such as bodily injury liability, damage liability, collision, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payments and underinsured motorist, among others. As a marketplace, the company will allow you to compare various insurance providers and help you save with numbers that fit your particular situation.

In this section, you will learn what auto insurance covers, the types of coverages most companies offer, how much auto insurance can cost and the factors that influence those costs. We also include a step-by-step guide on buying car insurance and explain why car insurance is worth your money.

Auto insurance is a form of financial protection against theft, collision and liability. In simple terms, you pay premiums to an insurer, and it pays for any losses as stipulated in your policy, which generally includes only damage to the vehicles and injury to the persons involved.

For example, if your car is broken into and your laptop is stolen, the insurer pays for replacing the window and any other damage done to the car, but not the computer. For that, you would need homeowners or renters insurance. All states, except New Hampshire and Virginia, require drivers to buy car insurance or pay some sort of fee if uninsured. Consider optional insurance riders if you need additional coverage such as roadside assistance, glass replacement and rental reimbursement.

However, this can vary greatly depending on a wide range of considerations. In fact, the NAIC explicitly mentions that state-to-state comparisons are difficult to make because of the high degree of variance on insurance requirements and other factors. While your driving record and the type of car you drive influence your premium, there are other factors that affect what you pay for car insurance.

Broadly speaking, the higher the risk for an insurer, the higher the premium will be. Consider one of our best homeowners insurance providers if you're looking to bundle auto and home. The deductible is the amount you will pay out of pocket on a claim before the insurance company pays the rest. Increasing your deductible can reduce your premium payments. This may be a worthwhile gamble, especially for infrequent drivers.

Companies offer discounts to policyholders that maintain a clean driving record and drive vehicles with good safety features. You can reduce your premium by dropping collision or comprehensive coverage on vehicles older than 10 years. Similarly, you might consider dropping collision coverage on vehicles you don't use or have in storage. Usage-based insurance options take into account your actual driving habits to calculate your premium.

Usage-based insurance options that measure how fast you drive, how quickly you turn and how abruptly you break could end up costing you more if you don't drive safely.

Shopping around and comparing price quotes from at least three different insurance providers can help you get the lowest possible car insurance rate. This guide to the best car insurance companies should help you sift through the options and figure out which company and policy best fits your vehicle and situation.

We'll begin with some basics. The most general car insurance policies offer protection against property damage, personal injury protection and bodily injury liability coverage if an accident occurs. From there, you can add other coverage types. These may include damage to your own vehicle for a variety of reasons collision coverage , roadside assistance, car accident incidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers, plus personal injury protection and medical expenses incurred due to accidents.

Some auto insurance companies even have comprehensive options that can include roadside assistance or that can be bundled with homeowner's insurance, if you own a home. It's also worth mentioning that not every car insurance company has your best interests at heart , both when offering auto insurance quotes or after you've been in an accident.

A BuzzFeed News report from August revealed that State Farm, Farmers and Erie Insurance are among a number of insurance companies that have paid off law enforcement to investigate customers for fraud. All of those companies have been excluded from this ranking. If you're just starting your car insurance search, it could take a lot of time to delve into every auto insurance company's website to better understand its coverage level and how it arrives at a coverage cost.

We're making it easier to find the best car insurance coverage by narrowing down the list. We've picked the 10 best insurance companies in the country, based primarily on audience satisfaction, as measured by the J. The car insurance review study measures five criteria: interaction, policy offerings, price, billing process and claims. Let's dive in. This affects overall placement. The top-scoring auto insurance policy overall was Geico, reporting high customer satisfaction levels in all regions of the country and making it the No.

This insurance carrier is also routinely ranked among the cheapest car insurance coverage providers and a big premium is a big expense , which undoubtedly contributes to the satisfaction. Geico's clever commercials ensure that it remains one of the best-known car insurance options in the country, but its customers know the company for the great service and support it offers, along with some of the cheapest insurance prices.

You know, just in case the gecko isn't enough to convince you that you want its insurance coverage. Allstate was one of the rare car insurance companies ranked on every single one of J.

Power's regional customer satisfaction lists -- and was No. Allstate prides itself on claims satisfaction and on its scope of coverage options.

It offers a host of car insurance discounts that, depending on your circumstances, could easily make it the most cost-effective auto insurance policy coverage option available for many motorists. Further, Allstate offers many types of insurance -- auto, home, motorcycle, off-road vehicles, renters, term-life and more -- and will offer deals to customers who bundle.

A giant in the insurance world with over 18 million customers, Progressive manages to attract and retain so many satisfied customers with continued commitment to saving its customers money on their car insurance rates. Progressive was the first auto insurer to offer safe driver discounts, which makes the company a great option for people with a good driving record who are looking for the cheapest car insurance options. The Progressive website even has a nifty tool that allows you to compare rates with competitors to find the best option.

Auto-Owners Insurance may not have the flashy marketing presence of the competition, but how many of them can say they've been around almost as long as cars have? Established in , the company has nearly 3 million car insurance policy holders across 26 states. Its high rankings from J. Power might prompt you to check if it has coverage where you live. Ranked the No. A division of Allstate, Esurance promises customers that switching or signing up for car insurance can be as easy as possible, or "painless," as the company puts it.

It offers auto, motorcycle, renters and homeowners insurance. Esurance also offers a policy meant to help fill gaps in coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers. Users agree with the assessment, as reviews on the website call attention to how fast and easy it is to sign up with this car insurance provider, either online or with the Esurance app.

And calling all introverts, you likely won't have to talk with an insurance agent directly to get set up. The app is also super useful if you live in a state that allows digital insurance ID cards -- so long as you have your phone, you have your most current ID card.

Operating globally, Liberty Mutual is the fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the world. Still, the company makes it very clear that its business starts with you and the first step in that journey is getting an insurance coverage quote. Further, getting that quote only takes a few minutes -- you just have to answer a few questions about where you live and how often you drive.

With over 90 years covering drivers, Nationwide has learned a thing or two about what keeps customers happy and in turn, what keeps them customers. The company's list of visions and values shows exactly where its priorities lie. The company really stepped up during the COVID pandemic, suspending policy cancellations, waiving late fees and deferring payment deadlines to help its members remain insured.

Top ratings from a variety of outlets such as A. Those values extend to employees, as well -- Nationwide was ranked No. Among the many plans Travelers offers is a car insurance coverage policy that you can customize based on your needs.

The best car insurance companies understand your needs and provide coverage you can feel confident about on the road. And they can provide those services at an affordable rate. MoneyGeek looked at claims satisfaction, affordability and other factors to rank the best car insurance companies for you. When shopping for a policy, you should consider a company's costs, available discounts, customer service reviews and the claim-filing process. Using these factors, we ranked the top 10 car insurance companies for at a national level and at a state level.

If you are a young driver, have poor credit or have an accident in your history, we also ranked the best car insurance companies for specific types of driver profiles. MoneyGeek has ranked the best car insurance companies based on several factors, including J. Power customer satisfaction ratings, financial stability ratings from AM Best and affordability.

Using these metrics, MoneyGeek found that the best car insurance companies for are:. These rankings, and our research on what makes these companies stand out, can help you when shopping for car insurance for your personal needs. Those just looking for the most affordable option can compare this list to our rankings of the cheapest car insurance companies. Travelers has an excellent record of paying claims, the core business of an insurance company, and also ranks exceptionally for discounts and financial stability.

They also offer some unique coverages, such as coverage for weddings or other big events. GEICO is typically among the cheapest insurance options in almost every state. They also offer instant online quotes and the ability to buy a policy at any time, day or night, without an agent's help.

Its ease of the customer service experience extends to its mobile app, which makes it simple to track your policy and submit claims. USAA is only available for current and former military members and their families, but it has a strong customer service reputation and some of the cheapest base rates in the country.

Active military members can get even cheaper rates by garaging their vehicle on base. Progressive is mostly strong across the board, ranking well or average in all of our measured categories. However, customer satisfaction with Progressive is not as strong as some of the other top insurers. They also provide an array of discount and coverage options for customers. State Farm ranks middle of the pack, but it has a strong agent network making it a great choice for shoppers who want to talk through a policy with a human being rather than a quote tool.

Nationwide is focused on protecting the environment, with goals towards reducing carbon emissions, increasing landfill diversion and reducing pounds of waste and water usage per employee by Allstate offers a unique roadside assistance program called Good Hands Rescue, which is an app that provides pay-per-use, on-demand roadside assistance.

This allows anyone to use the service, not just people who signed up for an annual contract. Liberty Mutual is incredibly innovative. In addition to offering a variety of car insurance coverage options, they set up Solaria Labs to create products like tuition insurance that reimburse costs for tuition, housing, and other fees in the event a student needs to withdraw before the end of the semester.

American Family offers a variety of unique coverages that you might not find elsewhere, such as landlord insurance and farm and ranch insurance. Bundling these with your auto coverage could save you money on your policy. While some companies have gone to online-only sales, Farmers continues to use local agents.

This allows customers to have a one-on-one relationship with a Farmers representative to guide them through future insurance questions and claims. And even companies that offer coverage in all 50 states have products that vary significantly from state to state, depending on required insurance minimums and other limitations.

As a result, insurers that only write policies in a limited amount of states were excluded from our national rankings for best companies, as the best company in one state may not be the best company in another. MoneyGeek ranked the best car insurance in each state based on local pricing and regional J. Power scores. Auto-Owners Insurance , only available in 26 states, came in second. Car insurance companies use certain driver characteristics to calculate their rates.

And companies also may offer coverages that make them a better fit for drivers of a certain background. Credit score, driving history and age are three of the most important of these factors. Your credit rating can dramatically impact your insurance rates. A poor credit rating can cost you hundreds of dollars a year on your car insurance.

Some states don't allow insurance companies to use your credit rating in setting your rates, but most states still allow this practice. Tickets and accidents can dramatically increase the price of your insurance. Because so much of your insurance premium depends on your driving record, even a single ticket or a minor fender bender can cost you hundreds of dollars each year.

Learn more about the best car insurance after an accident or for drivers with a ticket on their record. Drivers with repeated violations on their record may be considered high-risk drivers by car insurance companies. Any insurance company will tell you that the most expensive insurance policies almost always include a teen driver.

Teens are more costly to insure because they have no driving experience and are more prone to reckless behavior behind the wheel, but there are still ways to save money on insuring your teen driver.

Allstate is the best insurance option for teen drivers because they offer a variety of discounts for teens. While many insurance companies only provide a good student discount for young drivers, Allstate has multiple discount options for young drivers.

Learn more about the best car insurance companies for teen drivers. Veterans, active members of the military and their families are typically offered discounts through almost every insurance company, but one company is specifically designed for this group.

USAA consistently offers the lowest insurance costs and best customer service across the board for military members, veterans and their families. Learn more about the best car insurance companies for military members, veterans and their families. Finding the best car insurance for you will depend on your priorities.

If you want to save money, you might opt for the insurer that gives you the cheapest quote. If you want the security of knowing your insurer will pay your claims timely and efficiently, you might choose the company with the best customer service reputation in your region. We believe all drivers can get the best of all worlds: an affordable company with a strong service experience and the coverages you need.

You can find the top company for you by taking a few key steps.