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The Hanover vs Kemper: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is The Hanover or Kemper cheaper?

On average, Kemper. Our benchmark profile pays $2,422/yr with Kemper versus $4,038/yr with The Hanover — roughly $1616 a year. But that is one profile: a 35-year-old with a clean record and good credit. Change the driver and the order can flip, which is why the only rate that matters is the one you are quoted.

Q: Which handles claims better, The Hanover or Kemper?

Neither has a clear edge. The Hanover scores Not rated and Kemper Not rated on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is The Hanover better than Kemper overall?

Neither, on our scoring — they finish level. The Hanover is the better fit for drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason; Kemper for drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit. Since the scores tie, price is the sensible tiebreaker, and that means quoting both.

Q: Can I switch from The Hanover to Kemper mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

The Hanover

Kemper

Across our six scoring categories, The Hanover comes out ahead in 2, Kemper in 2, with 2 too close to call. On our weighted overall score the two finish within 0.0 of a point — a genuine draw. The right answer here depends less on which company is "better" and more on which one prices your specific profile lower, and that is not knowable without running both quotes. The Hanover is the stronger pick for drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason; Kemper for drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.

The Hanover vs Kemper, side by side

Category

The HanoverRead the full review

KemperRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

1.5$4,038/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

3.0$2,422/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Better

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

1.5Far more than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

3.5A-

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

4.012 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · No branded telematics program found

Better

3.56 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: Kemper Co-Pilot

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

2.01.99 iOS / 3.0 Android

App Store (154 ratings) and Google Play (173 ratings), August 2026

2.52.44 iOS / 3.6 Android

App Store (99 ratings) and Google Play (115 ratings), August 2026

Better

Availability

19 states, through independent agents only

38 states, specialising in non-standard auto

Best suited to

drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason

drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit

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.

The Hanover vs Kemper across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

The HanoverKemper

Category by category

Price

Kemper ahead

Kemper averages $2,422/yr for full coverage against The Hanover's $4,038/yr — about $1616 a year, or 134.7 dollars a month, in Kemper's favor for this profile.

The Hanover

$4,038 a year for full coverage — 71% above the national average, and the highest figure of any carrier we review.

Kemper

$2,422 a year for full coverage on our standard benchmark, 3% above the national average — but Kemper's actual customers are drivers who would pay far more, or be refused outright, almost anywhere else.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: The Hanover posts Not rated and Kemper Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

Kemper

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

Complaint record

The Hanover ahead

The Hanover takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Kemper's Far more than expected.

The Hanover

Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which is genuinely to its credit.

Kemper

Far more complaints than expected for its size. Non-standard carriers tend to run high on this measure, which is context rather than an excuse.

Financial strength

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on financial strength: The Hanover posts Not published and Kemper A-, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

We could not verify an AM Best rating from any page we could read. AM Best blocks automated access and Hanover's rating is not published by the secondary sources we checked.

Kemper

AM Best A- (Excellent). Parent Kemper Corporation is publicly traded.

Discounts

The Hanover ahead

The Hanover takes discounts on 12 published against Kemper's 6 published.

The Hanover

Twelve published discounts, several aimed specifically at households with teenage drivers — including one for keeping a teen off a particular vehicle.

Kemper

A shorter list than standard-market carriers, plus Kemper Co-Pilot telematics with a 10% signup discount.

Digital experience

Kemper ahead

Kemper takes digital experience on 2.44 iOS / 3.6 Android against The Hanover's 1.99 iOS / 3.0 Android.

The Hanover

1.99 on the App Store and 2.98 on Google Play. That iOS score is the lowest of any carrier in this review by a wide margin.

Kemper

2.44 on the App Store and 3.6 on Google Play. The current app relaunched in mid-2026, so those scores reflect a new listing rather than a settled one.

So which one?

Pick The Hanover if…

You are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.
You want the lower complaint record — The Hanover sits at Fewer than expected.
You expect to stack discounts — The Hanover's lineup is the broader of the two.
Availability fits: 19 states, through independent agents only.

Read the full The Hanover review →

Pick Kemper if…

You are among drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.
Price is your first filter — Kemper averages $2,422/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
Availability fits: 38 states, specialising in non-standard auto.

Read the full Kemper review →

The Hanover vs Kemper, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is The Hanover or Kemper cheaper?

Which handles claims better, The Hanover or Kemper?

Is The Hanover better than Kemper overall?

Can I switch from The Hanover to Kemper mid-policy?

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