Methodology · Auditable rubric
Auto Insurance methodology
Every auto insurance carrier in our comparison stack is scored against the rubric below. Weights total 100% and apply equally to every carrier we review.
Last reviewed:
The rubric — weighted
How we score and rank.
Each provider in our comparison stack is scored against the factors below. The factor weights sum to 100% and don't change based on which carrier or lender is being reviewed. Total weight: 100%.
Premium competitiveness
35%Weighted by the carrier's published rate range vs. the national average for the same coverage stack, ZIP cohort, and driver profile. Multi-state averages are used; ZIP-specific overrides are surfaced on state pages.
Data source: Insurance Information Institute Q4 2025, NAIC Auto Insurance Database
Coverage flexibility
20%Support for non-standard limits (e.g. 100/300/100), accident forgiveness, new-car replacement, gap coverage, rideshare endorsement, and the 4-line stack we recommend (liability + UM/UIM + comp + collision).
Claims experience
20%Combined claims-satisfaction scores from J.D. Power, NAIC complaint ratio, and average claim-resolution time. Carriers with above-1.0 complaint ratios are penalized.
Data source: J.D. Power Auto Insurance Claims Study, NAIC Complaint Index
Discount stack breadth
15%Number of explicitly-disclosed discounts the carrier offers (multi-policy, paperless, autopay, defensive-driver, good-student, low-mileage, telematics, employer/affinity). Carriers that auto-apply more discounts score higher.
Financial strength
10%AM Best rating + 5-year reserve trend. Carriers below A- are flagged but not categorically excluded.
Data source: AM Best 2025 Insurance Industry Ratings
How we audit ourselves
Three guardrails on every methodology change.
Source verification
Every weight reflects a published consumer-finance data source (NAIC, III, Bankrate, Experian, NCUA, FTC) cited inline on the calculator or comparison surface.
Audited rubric
Rubric weights are reviewed by editorial leadership at least quarterly. Changes are logged below and version-tagged in the data registry.
Independence guard
Affiliate compensation never influences the rubric. Disclosed on every page where it applies.
Change log
What's changed.
Raised claims-experience weight from 15% to 20% in response to 2025 industry-wide claim-severity drift.
Added telematics + rideshare endorsement as sub-factors under coverage flexibility.
Initial publication of the auto-insurance rubric.