The insurance desk

The coverage you actually need — and the lines you can skip.

Insurance is the rare category where the boring choice is almost always the right one. Our rankings score insurers on the things that matter when something goes wrong: claims response time, in-network repair quality, and how often a published premium quietly inflates at renewal.

Top auto picks
  1. 1GEICO★ 4.7
  2. 2Progressive★ 4.6
  3. 3State Farm★ 4.5
  4. 4Lemonade★ 4.3
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Top rankings

Three lists, structured around what you're insuring.

Auto

Best Auto Insurance

Five carriers compared on premium stability, claims speed, and the kind of customer service that actually returns calls.

Home

Best Home Insurance

Policies built for the modern homeowner — including the riders most agents forget to mention.

Renters

Best Renters Insurance

The under-rated insurance everyone should have but almost no one does — $15/month coverage for $30,000 of stuff.

Insurer reviews

Five carriers, lived with.

Head-to-heads

Insurer versus insurer.

GEICO vs Progressive

The two biggest direct insurers. We compare quotes on identical profiles, plus claims responsiveness.

State Farm vs GEICO

Agent-based versus direct. Pricing differs less than service philosophy.

Lemonade vs Allstate

App-first insurtech versus the legacy giant — for renters and home coverage.

Insurance 101

Cover the basics first.

Reader questions

Insurance, plainly answered.

How much auto liability coverage do I actually need?
A common starting point is 100/300/100 — $100,000 per-person bodily injury, $300,000 per-accident bodily injury, $100,000 property damage. For higher-net-worth readers, 250/500/250 or an umbrella policy is more appropriate. State minimums are almost always woefully low.
Will my home insurance go up if I file a claim?
Usually yes, by 10–20% for three to five years. Don't file small claims (under your deductible plus $1,000 or so) — pay out of pocket and preserve your claim-free history.
How often should I re-shop my insurance?
Every two years for auto; every three to five years for home. Insurers reward new customers and quietly inflate renewals for loyal ones — it's a category where loyalty actually costs you money.
What's the catch with cheap online insurers?
Usually nothing for routine policies. The difference shows up in claims service. Read independent claim-satisfaction scores (J.D. Power, AM Best) before switching to save $200.

Make sure you're not overpaying.

Re-shop your auto policy in under an hour — our shopping guide walks you through it.