Car Insurance

 J.D. Power divided the United States into 11 regions for its 2026 auto insurance study. Nine different insurers came out on top. Wawanesa led California. Shelter won the Central region. Florida Farm Bureau led Florida. Erie took three regions. Amica led New England, Travelers led New York, State Farm led the Northwest, and two different AAA organizations topped the Southwest and Texas. That result makes most “best car insurance company in America” rankings difficult to take seriously. Car insurance is unusually local. The insurer that prices a 42-year-old homeowner competitively in Pennsylvania may have no useful offer for the same person in Florida. State regulation changes. Claims patterns change. Weather changes. Repair costs change. Insurers themselves decide how aggressively they want certain kinds of customers in each market. Then there is the driver. Age, ZIP code, mileage, accidents, credit-based insurance scores where permitted, vehicles, deductibles, liability limits and...