American Family vs NJM: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, American Family comes out ahead in 1, NJM in 3, with 2 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: NJM does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. American Family is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.
American Family vs NJM, side by side
Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.
Category by category
Price
Too close to callNJM does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against American Family's $2,785/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat NJM's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.
$2,785 a year for full coverage, 18% above the national average. American Family is priced above the market.
NJM's published average is a New Jersey figure, not a national one. New Jersey is a high-cost state, so setting it against a national benchmark would flatter NJM for reasons that have nothing to do with NJM. We have left it out rather than compare unlike things.
Claims satisfaction
NJM aheadNJM takes claims satisfaction on 731/1,000 against American Family's 702/1,000.
702 out of 1,000, two points above the segment average. Essentially average.
731 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study — second only to Erie among ranked insurers, and 31 points above the segment average.
Complaint record
NJM aheadNJM takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against American Family's Fewer than expected.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size — its strongest measure.
Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest band we assign.
Financial strength
NJM aheadNJM takes financial strength on A+ against American Family's A.
AM Best A (Excellent).
AM Best A+ (Superior). Note that AM Best revised the outlook on its separate issuer credit rating to negative in 2025, citing consecutive underwriting losses.
Discounts
American Family aheadAmerican Family takes discounts on 14 published against NJM's 8 published.
Fourteen published discounts, including several unusual ones — a loyalty discount that rewards a parent's tenure, and a young-volunteer discount.
Around eight published discounts, plus the NJM SafeDrive telematics program.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: American Family posts 4.72 iOS / 3.0 Android and NJM Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
4.72 on the App Store but 3.0 on Google Play. That Android score is among the lowest in this review and hard to overlook.
NJM publishes no general policyholder app on either store — only the SafeDrive telematics app. Policy servicing is web-only, so there is no app experience to rate.
So which one?
Pick American Family if…
- You are among midwest drivers who bundle and use telematics.
- You expect to stack discounts — American Family's lineup is the broader of the two.
- Availability fits: 19 states, mostly the Midwest and West.
Pick NJM if…
- You are among mid-atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: NJM scores 731/1,000.
- You want the lower complaint record — NJM sits at Far fewer than expected.
- Financial strength is a priority; NJM holds A+ from AM Best.
American Family vs NJM, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.