Lisa Gerstner
About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Auto Insurance Companies
We asked readers to weigh in on auto insurance, judging their primary provider based on how competitive the rates are, their experience with filing claims and how likely they are to recommend the insurer to others. The following companies stood out from the rest in our survey.
OVERALL WINNER: USAA
Outstanding for:
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- Competitive rates
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
Readers praised USAA’s auto insurance offerings, rating it highly on the criteria we asked survey respondents to assess. “Their response to claims is superb and second to none,” says one reader. Many chimed in to say that they have been with USAA for decades with no problems. “Always available to answer questions. They provide rapid and excellent service,” says another reader.
USAA’s nationwide membership is available to military servicemembers and veterans, as well as their spouses and children. Those who have an auto insurance policy with USAA can take advantage of various discounts, including up to 10% off for bundling auto and homeowners policies, lower rates for teens who maintain high grades, and a discount of up to 3% if you set up automatic payments of your insurance premiums.
USAA’s mobile app provides a range of features—you can pull up your auto insurance identification card, change your coverage, pay bills, request roadside assistance, and file and manage claims, among other options.
Erie Insurance
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
Readers had positive words for Erie all around, complimenting its strong customer service and competitive rates. Survey respondents also liked Erie’s Your Turn app, which allows drivers to earn money (which they can exchange for gift cards) based on their driving performance.
Other notable features include First Accident Forgiveness, meaning you won’t face a surcharge on your premium the first time you’re at fault in an accident if you’ve been an Erie customer for three or more years. (Note that this program isn't available in all states.) Also, the longer you go without filing a claim, the lower your deductible may get. For each consecutive policy year in which you don’t file a claim, your deductible will be reduced by $100 (up to a maximum amount of $500) in most states.
Erie serves 12 states—Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin—as well as Washington, D.C.
Amica
Outstanding for:
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
Amica also has plenty of loyal customers—one in three has been insured with the company for more than 20 years. “Been an Amica customer for about 40 years—will die one. When you need it, nobody is better than Amica,” says one reader.
You can save on your auto premiums with Amica by bundling home and auto insurance plans or by staying with the insurer for more than two years. The longer your relationship with Amica, the more savings you may qualify for. And you can save up to 25% when you insure two or more cars.
Travelers
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
Readers favor Travelers auto insurance for its competitive rates. A typical monthly rate for full coverage auto insurance with Travelers is around $161, according to MarketWatch. This is significantly below the national average of $203 per month. For minimum coverage, the average monthly rate is around $57.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards Categories
- Readers' Choice Full-Service Brokers
- Readers' Choice Wealth Management
- Readers' Choice Cash Back Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Hotel Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice National Banks
- Readers' Choice Internet Banks
- Readers' Choice Homeowners Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Annuity Providers
- Readers' Choice Tax Software
- Readers' Choice Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
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