Most drivers shopping for car insurance are leaving an easy savings opportunity on the table. Among recently surveyed auto insurance shoppers, 45% also own a home, but only 20% got a homeowners quote while shopping. It’s a missed opportunity to bundle and cut overall costs.
That’s according to the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, based on responses from over 12,400 customers who requested an auto insurance quote from at least one competing insurer in a six-month period.
J.D. Power’s study found that most people shop only their auto policy, and if that quote isn’t competitive, they leave before any talk of bundling home, life or other coverage.
“In practice, if an insurer can’t be competitive on auto, the door usually closes on any chance to bundle additional policies,” Stephen Crewdson, the research firm’s managing director of insurance intelligence, notes in a summary of the findings.
The best and worst insurers for shopping satisfaction
The average score for the ranking was 662 on a 1,000-point scale.
These are the companies that beat the average:
- Erie Insurance: 719 (its third consecutive year for ranking the highest)
- Nationwide: 715
- Allstate: 685
- State Farm: 674
- Auto-Owners Insurance: 672
- American Family: 670
- Liberty Mutual: 670
- Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA): 668
Note that USAA, which serves the U.S. military community, veterans and their eligible families, had a score of 719 but wasn’t included in the ranking due to not meeting the study’s criteria.
These companies came in below the average:
- Auto Club Group (AAA): 660
- Farmers: 659
- GEICO: 656
- CSAA Insurance Group (AAA): 651
- Travelers: 650
- Dairyland: 645
- Progressive: 645
- The Hartford: 639
- The General: 636
- Safeco: 635
- Direct Auto Insurance: 633
- National General: 629
- Mercury: 614
Shopping trends
Even as auto price hikes cool, drivers are getting more auto insurance quotes than ever. The average customer now collects 3.5 quotes before buying, the highest number in the 20-year history of J.D. Power’s shopping study.
Fewer people are shopping for insurance overall. The share of customers comparing auto rates fell from 57% to 53% year over year. But those who do shop are casting a wider net, largely because digital tools make it simple.
Nearly half of new auto policies, 48%, are now bought online, up from 36% five years ago. Many customers download apps from competing carriers just to check rates.
“We’re moving from a crisis-driven market to a digital- and AI-driven market,” says Crewdson.
If you’re in the market for insurance, you don’t have to download multiple apps to find great rates. This online tool from Insurify lets you quickly shop the best auto insurance rates in your area.
And if you’re shopping home coverage, you can find the best local rates fast with this online tool.
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