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
Best Car Insurance Overall
State Farm
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorState 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.
Best Cheap Car Insurance
Geico
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorGeico averages the lowest rates across the country. Along with plenty of discount opportunities and nationwide coverage, Geico is your best bet for cheap coverage.
Best High Risk Car Insurance
Progressive
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorDon’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.
Best Car Insurance for Teens/New Drivers
Geico
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorHave a new driver in the house? Geico has the cheapest coverage nationwide for new drivers. It also has plenty of discount incentives for teens.
Best Car Insurance for Veterans
USAA
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorUSAA 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.
Best Car Insurance for Rideshare Drivers
Allstate
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorAllstate 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.
Best Car Insurance for Bad Credit
Geico
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorGeico continues to offer the lowest premiums nationwide for drivers with imperfect credit. Check Geico out and find a policy that works for you.
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 | 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 | 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? | 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 | Writer
Christy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer with 15 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 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 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 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? | 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 | 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? | 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 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.
About the Author
Jake is an Editorial Strategist for The Ascent. He focuses on our content production, distribution channels, and product ratings. He specializes in all thing credit cards and wants to make sure each person has the best card for them! While spending the last decade editing financial content, he has the ability to spend an entire day tailgating, the inability to take himself too seriously, and lives with a putter he’s not currently speaking to.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.