Kemper vs NJM: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Kemper comes out ahead in 0, NJM in 3, with 3 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. Kemper 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.
Kemper 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 Kemper's $2,422/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.
$2,422 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.
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
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Kemper posts Not rated and NJM 731/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
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 Kemper's Far more than expected.
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.
Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest band we assign.
Financial strength
NJM aheadNJM takes financial strength on A+ against Kemper's A-.
AM Best A- (Excellent). Parent Kemper Corporation is publicly traded.
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
NJM aheadNJM takes discounts on 8 published against Kemper's 6 published.
A shorter list than standard-market carriers, plus Kemper Co-Pilot telematics with a 10% signup discount.
Around eight published discounts, plus the NJM SafeDrive telematics program.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Kemper posts 2.44 iOS / 3.6 Android and NJM Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
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.
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 Kemper if…
- You are among drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.
- Availability fits: 38 states, specialising in non-standard auto.
Pick NJM if…
- You are among mid-atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything.
- You want the lower complaint record — NJM sits at Far fewer than expected.
- Financial strength is a priority; NJM holds A+ from AM Best.
- You expect to stack discounts — NJM's lineup is the broader of the two.
Kemper 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.