The Ascent's 2023 Car Insurance Awards award banner The Ascent's 2023 Car Insurance Awards

How we chose the winners

To determine the Best Auto Insurance awards for 2023, The Ascent’s experts evaluated accounts with our ratings model, focusing on industry factors and user benefits, including:

  • Competitive rates
  • Geographic coverage areas
  • Customer service
  • Insurance options

Top-rated offerings were selected that we think represent the top pick for the average customer in each category. Our final awards winners were determined by vote to ensure objectivity, with a final Golden Rule check: would we recommend them to a family or friend? Special attention was also paid to:

  • Coverage flexibility after an accident
  • Maximum coverage amounts
  • Application process

State Farm

Best Car Insurance Overall

State Farm

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

State Farm consistently has below average rates in almost every region of the country. Its services are available everywhere, and State Farm tends to be one of the best options for drivers with an accident history.

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Geico

Best Cheap Car Insurance

Geico

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

Geico averages the lowest rates across the country. Along with plenty of discount opportunities and nationwide coverage, Geico is your best bet for cheap coverage.

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Progressive

Best High Risk Car Insurance

Progressive

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

Don’t have a perfect driving record? You’ll want to check out Progressive. When it comes to having some red flags on your record, Progressive averaged the cheapest premiums.

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Geico

Best Car Insurance for Teens/New Drivers

Geico

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

Have a new driver in the house? Geico has the cheapest coverage nationwide for new drivers. It also has plenty of discount incentives for teens.

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USAA

Best Car Insurance for Veterans

USAA

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

USAA has been at the top of the Best Car Insurance for Veterans category for quite a while. It consistently has the cheapest rates and best coverage options for those who qualify. Additionally, USAA is always near the top of every customer satisfaction report.

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Allstate

Best Car Insurance for Rideshare Drivers

Allstate

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

Allstate has a very convenient setup for rideshare drivers, and some policies may allow you to simply extend your personal coverage while working. Additionally, Allstate offers excellent roadside assistance.

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Geico

Best Car Insurance for Bad Credit

Geico

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor

Geico continues to offer the lowest premiums nationwide for drivers with imperfect credit. Check Geico out and find a policy that works for you.

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Experts You Can Trust

Our financial experts are constantly testing products to bring you the best. With decades of industry experience, our experts provide honest first-person reviews whenever possible to inform our selections.

Jake FitzGerald

Jake FitzGerald | Editorial Strategist

Jake is an Editorial Strategist for The Ascent. He specializes in product ratings and all things credit cards, and wants to make sure each person has the best card for them!

Expertise

Product ratings, credit cards, and content production.

Dana George

Dana George | Writer

Dana is a full-time personal finance writer, with more than two decades of experience. Her focus is on helping readers feel less alone as they navigate their personal finances and offering actionable insights.

Expertise

Banks, Brokers, Credit cards, Insurance, Mortgages, Personal finance, Personal loans, Small business

Education

B.A. Business Management, Spring Arbor University

Past Experience

Dana began her career as a news reporter in Michigan, writing for the Jackson Citizen Patriot and Traverse City Record-Eagle. In California, she wrote business and finance articles for the San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, and a host of other Northern California publications.

Has Written For

Detroit Free Press, MSN, International Business Times, Nasdaq, USA Today, Des Moine Register, Topeka Capital-Journal, Florida Times-Union, Fox Business, and Dun & Bradstreet.

Career Highlights

Dana's first novel was published in 2005, and while seeing four of her books in print was exciting, her most satisfying professional experiences have come courtesy of the people she's met.

Interviewing survivors of Germany's Stalag III for a six-part series, covering the escape of an American ally from Saigon as the city fell to communists in 1975, and being trusted by everyday people to tell their stories has been an honor. More recently, getting to know and interview the CEO and president of OneUnited Bank -- the largest black-owned bank in the U.S. -- reminded her of how much she loves her job.

Kimberly Rotter, AFC®

Kimberly Rotter, AFC® | Accredited Financial Counselor®

Kimberly B. Rotter is a consumer credit and personal finance educator helping everyday people level up from any starting point, to make their financial situation better.

Expertise

Banks, Credit cards, Insurance, Mortgages, Personal finance, Personal loans, Small business, Taxes

Education

Master of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship

Master's Certificate, Instructional Design

Master's Certificate, Financial Counseling

Bachelor of Arts, Professional Writing

Past Experience

Military training developer, Harvard case study writer

Has Written For

US News & World Report, Investopedia, California Management Review, Nasdaq, MSN Money, Fox Business News, Yahoo! Finance, Credit Sesame, Credit.com, Smart Asset

Career Highlights

  • Took the Financial Peace University course and found my name in the bibliography.
  • A reader reached out to me privately, and over time I coached her to raise her credit score more than 200 points.
Christy Bieber

Christy Bieber | Writer

Christy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer with 15 years of experience. She has a JD from UCLA and is a former college instructor.

Expertise

Everything finance-related: investing, real estate, credit cards, mortgages, taxes, insurance, brokerage firms

Education

  • B.A. English Media and Communications, University of Rochester
  • J.D. University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

Past Experience

  • Adjunct professor
  • LSAT/SAT tutor
  • Textbook writer and course designer

Has Written For

USA Today, Fox Business, Student Loan Hero, Lending Tree, Credit Karma, CNN Money

Career Highlights

  • Seeing my work on major websites including USA Today, CNN Money, etc.
  • Forming my own S-corp when I realized I could make a living by freelancing full-time
  • Receiving feedback from people who read my articles and who said my advice made a difference
Cole Tretheway

Cole Tretheway

Cole Tretheway is a full-time personal finance writer whose articles have been featured on The Ascent and The Motley Fool. He has a degree in English with a Certificate in Professional and Technical Communication from California Polytechnic University, SLO.

Emma Newbery

Emma Newbery

Emma owns the English-language newspaper The Bogota Post. She began her editorial career at a financial website in the U.K. over 20 years ago and has been contributing to The Ascent since 2019.

Expertise

Cryptocurrency, Personal finance, Small business

Past Experience

Emma started her career in journalism at UKiNvest over 20 years ago, before taking a side road into the world of Olympic bidding. She has started two businesses, including The Bogota Post, an English-language newspaper in Colombia.

Career Highlights

  • Worked on London's successful 2012 Olympic bid
  • Founded a popular newspaper in Colombia
  • Edited a book on women traveling in Latin America
Jamie Matthews

Jamie Matthews

Jamie Matthews is an alumnus of Ohio State University and still calls Columbus, Ohio home. She is a finance editor and occasional writer with more than nine years of experience. When she isn't poring over other people's grammar and punctuation, she enjoys baking, reading, and being a proud dog mom.

Matt Frankel, CFP®

Matt Frankel, CFP® | Writer, Analyst

Matt is a Certified Financial Planner® and investment advisor based in Columbia, South Carolina, and has been writing about personal finance since 2011.

Expertise

Personal finance, banking, brokerage, credit cards, student loans

Education

  • B.S. Physics, University of South Carolina
  • M.S. Mathematics, Nova Southeastern University
  • Graduate Certificate, Financial Planning from Florida State University

Past Experience

  • Mathematics professor
  • High school math teacher

Has Written For

Seeking Alpha

Career Highlights

  • Won "Best in Business" award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) for my coverage of the tax changes
  • Host 3 different shows on Fool Live, and have been a regular on Motley Fool podcasts since 2015
  • Have been a guest on BBC, NPR, and various other news outlets

Kailey Hagen

Kailey Hagen | Writer

Kailey Hagen has been covering personal finance topics, including banks, insurance, and retirement since 2013.

Expertise

Retirement, investing, banks, insurance, taxes, personal finance

Education

B.A. English, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Past Experience

  • Proofreader
  • Research Analyst

Has Written For

The Simple Dollar and Motley Fool syndication partners: USA Today, MSN Money, Yahoo Finance

Career Highlights

  • Growing a successful freelancing career
  • Seeing her work published by major media outlets
  • Being thanked by readers who have learned something valuable from her articles
David Chang, ChFC®, CLU®

David Chang, ChFC®, CLU® | Writer, Consultant

David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® is an award-winning entrepreneur and financial planner with over two decades of experience in the personal finance space. He is a graduate of West Point and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard. He has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Expertise

Finance, investing, insurance, wealth management

Education

  • MBA UCLA Anderson School of Management
  • BS United States Academy at West Point
  • MA University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • MATS Covenant Theological Seminary
  • East-West Graduate Degree Fellow
  • Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)
  • Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program
  • Emerging Leaders Initiative Program, Executive-Level Series, SBA

Past Experience

  • CEO of Chang Holding Company (Portfolio of 8 Companies)
  • Chief Editor, The Art of Thinking SMART
  • Chief of Intelligence (40ID) California Army National Guard
  • Military Intelligence Officer for the US Army and Army National Guard

Has Written For

Equities.com, US Today from Motley Fool, Midweek, Hawaii Business Magazine, Star Advertiser

Career Highlights

  • InvestmentNews’ 40 Under 40 list of top advisers in the financial planning industry and FIVE STAR Multi-Year Wealth Manager (9-time winner)
  • Deputy Chief of Intelligence and Task Force Leader for California National Guard’s successful response to COVID and the successful response to the largest wildfire season recorded in California's modern history.
  • Created an educational blog ranked #36 of the Top 50 Financial Advisor Blogs and Bloggers by Kitces.com
  • Largest Veteran-Owned Businesses Awardee and Young Business Leader of the Year 40 Under 40 by Pacific Business News; Top 40 Under 40 Military from CivilianJobs.com; Young Professional of the Year from Pacific Edge Magazine.
Eric McWhinnie

Eric McWhinnie

Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

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