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For the fourth year, we’re pleased to present the winners of our annual Readers’ Choice Awards. In a survey we conducted on Kiplinger.com in January and February, more than 4,200 readers rated the financial products and services they use in 13 categories, from credit cards and banks to brokers, wealth managers and annuity providers. The results here offer valuable insight into the everyday experiences that Kiplinger readers have with their financial providers.
Respondents made their judgments on such criteria as their interactions with customer service, the likelihood they would recommend the product or service to others, and their overall satisfaction with it. They also had the option to leave comments about their providers, and we have shared some of them here (remarks may be lightly edited for length and clarity).
For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest total score as well as other providers that earned above-average ratings for the various criteria that readers assessed. Our thanks to all of you who participated in the survey.
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Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards: Homeowners Insurance Companies
We asked readers to judge their homeowners insurance provider according to how competitive the rates are, how positive the experience has been when filing a claim and how likely they would be to recommend the company to others. Companies that earned top marks on home insurance tended to be highly rated for auto insurance, too.
OVERALL WINNER: USAA
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
USAA received top scores and rave reviews from many Kiplinger readers, who praised the company for its competitive rates and smooth claims experience. One reader called USAA “the gold standard for service,” while another said they check quotes every year and “USAA is always the best coverage for the money.”
USAA offers home insurance nationwide, but you must be a military servicemember, a veteran, or the spouse or child of a USAA member. For those eligible, USAA is often the best deal around when it comes to affordable premiums and top-notch customer service. Many Kiplinger readers reported sticking with the provider for decades, with no plans to leave anytime soon.
Erie
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
One Kiplinger reader called Erie “great to work with when you need to make a claim.” The company’s home insurance policies were highly rated across all the criteria we asked about, making it a close second to USAA and an excellent choice for those who don’t qualify for USAA membership.
ut you must live in one of the 12 states where Erie offers coverage: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Washington, D.C., residents can also get a policy from Erie.
Amica
Outstanding for:
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
Readers appreciate Amica’s home insurance especially for its top-notch claims experience. The insurer earned the highest score on that criterion, and many readers commended the quality of service, with one saying, “Amica customer service is exceptional. We were newly returned customers after several years bouncing between other insurance companies, and we filed a house claim the first year. Their estimator was quick to respond, fair in their assessment and payment. Our premiums did not increase due to the claim.”
AAA
Outstanding for:
AAA is well-known for its emergency roadside assistance, members-only discounts and other perks of joining the auto club.
But it also offers home insurance, which readers rated highly for competitive rates. And the rates may be even better when you bundle your homeowners policy with AAA’s auto insurance. Readers also praised AAA auto insurance for its affordable premiums this year.
Farm Bureau
Outstanding for:
The American Farm Bureau Federation is an agricultural organization with farm bureaus located in all 50 states, providing a wide range of insurance policies and services.
This makes it a uniquely useful choice for homeowners with niche insurance needs —such as the ability to insure large acreage or a farm — that can be hard to find from other insurers. And, says one reader, “the customer service is excellent.”
Mercury
Outstanding for:
Mercury offers home insurance in select states, and offerings vary. But if you live in a state where Mercury is available, consider bundling your home policy with the company’s equally affordable auto insurance for even better rates. “I live in southern California, and the home insurance rates have skyrocketed in recent years. I bundle my auto and home policy with Mercury, and it appears to be the best deal I can find,” says a Kiplinger reader.
Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards Categories
How Readers Chose the Winners
Kiplinger readers were invited to take the Readers’ Choice Awards survey on Kiplinger.com between January 22 and February 19, 2026. The survey asked respondents to choose the financial product or service that they most frequently use in 13 categories: brokerage firms, wealth managers, IRA providers, cash-back credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, airline credit card rewards programs, national banks, internet banks, annuity providers, homeowners insurers, auto insurers, tax software and peer-to-peer payment services.
We asked readers to rate each provider they selected on a scale of one to 10 based on a few criteria. In many categories, readers rated the strength of customer service, how likely they would be to recommend the product or service to others, and how satisfied they are overall with the provider. In some categories, we included more nuanced criteria. With wealth management firms, we asked respondents to rate the trustworthiness of a firm’s advisers and the quality of its financial advice and retirement-planning services. For IRA providers, respondents assessed the mix of investment choices available to them. For peer-to-peer payment apps and tax software, respondents evaluated ease of use, and for auto and home insurance companies, readers judged the competitiveness of rates and strength of the claims experience.
We calculated an average (mean) score for each criterion with each provider. We also calculated an overall mean score for all providers for each criterion we asked readers to judge. We compared individual provider mean scores with the overall mean, and the three highest-scoring providers that had a score above the overall mean won an “outstanding” accolade; in cases of a tie, more than three providers are named, and if fewer than three qualifying providers achieved an above-average score, only those providers are named “outstanding.” In each category, providers are generally listed in descending order by the number of criteria for which they received the “outstanding” designation — so a product or company that is deemed “outstanding” in three areas, for example, is listed before a provider with one or two “outstanding” awards.
To choose an overall winner in each category, we added together the mean scores for each criterion rated for each product or service. The provider with the highest total score in each category took the prize for overall winner.
