Kemper Car Insurance Review
Kemper is now a pure-play specialty / non-standard auto company, not a general carrier — the August 2023 preferred-business exit was total across 8 underwriting companies. The current book is shaped by the 2018 Infinity acquisition: California + Florida + Texas account for approximately 90% of Specialty P&C premium, with a Spanish-language distribution channel inherited from Infinity. Three facts shape a 2026 decision: (1) AM Best and Moody's both revised Kemper to Negative outlook around September 2026 citing earnings deterioration and California regulatory pressure; (2) Infinity Insurance Company's 2024 NAIC complaint index was 2.83 with 243 of 245 complaints originating in California; (3) Co-Pilot telematics is a discount-only option available in AZ, GA, FL, TX at launch. Readers in CA/FL/TX who need SR-22 or minimum-liability coverage are the natural audience.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
Kemper is a NYSE-traded pure-play specialty / non-standard auto carrier after the total August 2023 preferred exit. Infinity-brand Hispanic/Spanish-language channel is the inherited distribution feature from the 2018 Infinity acquisition. September 2026 AM Best and Moody's both moved to Negative outlook on California regulatory pressure.
Strong at
Pure specialty focus plus Infinity Spanish-language channel
Kemper exited preferred personal auto on August 7, 2023 ($500M premium across 8 preferred companies non-renewed). The current book is specialty / non-standard with CA + FL + TX = ~90% of premium. Infinity-brand bilingual distribution serves the Hispanic market segment. Co-Pilot telematics launched March 2024 in AZ, GA, FL, TX.
Watch for
AM Best Negative outlook and California complaint-index concentration
AM Best revised Kemper Corporation outlook to Negative around September 2026 citing earnings deterioration, concentrated business profile, and California regulatory pressure (minimum-liability BI doubled and PD tripled in early 2025). Infinity Insurance Company's 2024 NAIC complaint index was 2.83 — 243 of 245 complaints originated in California. Moody's also moved Kemper to Negative outlook.
Worth comparing if
California, Florida, Texas non-standard shoppers
Worth quoting if you live in California, Florida, or Texas, need SR-22 or minimum-liability coverage, and want an Infinity-brand quote (particularly for Spanish-language service). Less compelling outside the three-state concentration or for standard-market profiles.
Quote-dependent
Which Kemper entity writes you, your state, and the April/June 2026 California rate schedule
Which Kemper entity writes your state (Trinity Universal, Infinity Insurance Company, Alliance United, Alpha, American Access, Response Worldwide, etc.); whether the April 2026 +6.9% and June 2026 +3.0% California rate increases apply to your profile; and whether Co-Pilot telematics is active in your state.
At a glance
Parent
Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR; publicly traded; Delaware-incorporated)
Availability
Specialty P&C concentration: California + Florida + Texas = ~90% of premium; additional states via affiliates
Distribution
Independent agents (specialty book); Kemper Direct consumer channel; Infinity-brand Spanish-language marketing
AM Best FSR
A- (Excellent); a- ICR; outlook revised to NEGATIVE around September 20262
Non-standard positioning
PURE non-standard specialist since the August 2023 preferred-business exit
SR-22
Filed in states where required; specialty book is purpose-built for financial-responsibility filings2
FR-44
Florida and Virginia only; Kemper Specialty writes in Florida; primary-source FR-44 availability pending verification
Telematics program
Kemper Co-Pilot (discount-only; AZ/GA/FL/TX at March 2024 launch; up to 10%)6
Material 2023 event
Exited preferred home and auto business August 7, 2023 — ~$500M premium non-renewed across 8 preferred companies4
Material 2026 event
AM Best and Moody's both moved Kemper outlook to Negative; sequential California rate increases approved2
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Pure specialty / non-standard focus since 2023. Kemper's August 2023 preferred-business exit was total: $500M premium across 8 preferred underwriting companies non-renewed or canceled. What remains is specialty auto and commercial auto. The focus simplifies the shopping decision — Kemper is the carrier a non-standard shopper is in-market for, not a standard-carrier side door.4
- Infinity-brand Hispanic / Spanish-language channel. The 2018 Infinity acquisition brought a dominant position with Hispanic drivers and a Spanish-language distribution channel (infinityauto.com Spanish-bilingual). For bilingual non-standard shoppers in California, Florida, Texas, and the Southwest, Infinity-brand distribution is a structural feature inherited from Infinity.4
- Co-Pilot telematics in launch states. Kemper Co-Pilot (launched March 2024 in AZ, GA, FL, TX) is one of few telematics discount programs available in the non-standard tier. Up to 10% participation discount. Pay-per-mile is not offered.6
- Publicly traded parent (NYSE: KMPR). Kemper Corporation files quarterly 10-Q and annual 10-K reports with the SEC. Investors and analysts get a quarterly loss-ratio read-through — more disclosure transparency than at most non-standard specialists.3
Considerations
- AM Best Negative outlook (September 2026). AM Best revised Kemper Corporation and subsidiaries outlooks to Negative citing earnings deterioration, concentrated business profile, and California auto exposure. California minimum-liability doubled BI and tripled PD effective early 2025. Florida Q4 2025 refunds of $35M added 3.8 points to the Specialty combined ratio. Moody's separately moved Kemper to Negative outlook.2
- California complaint-index concentration. Infinity Insurance Company 2024 NAIC complaint index was 2.83 on 245 complaints — with 243 of 245 complaints originating in California, the same state where regulatory pressure is highest. If you are a California Kemper shopper, verify the current per-entity complaint index before signing.8
- CA + FL + TX = ~90% of Specialty P&C premium. Kemper Specialty P&C is highly concentrated in three states per the FY2025 10-K. Readers outside CA, FL, and TX should expect narrower underwriting appetite and verify state availability with their Kemper agent before relying on Kemper as a quote option.3
- Material 2023 preferred exit is permanent. If you held a Kemper preferred policy pre-2023, your coverage was non-renewed and shifted elsewhere. Kemper does not write preferred personal auto today — do not assume continuity with pre-2023 Kemper reviews.4
Coverage options
Kemper writes standard personal auto coverages plus carrier-specific products listed below. State availability and endorsement limits vary; confirm at quote time.
- Bodily injury and property damage liability5
- Collision5
- Comprehensive5
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist5
- Personal injury protection: Where state requires.5
- Medical payments5
Discounts
- Advance Quote: Quote obtained before current policy expires.5
- Proof of Prior Insurance: Credit for continuous prior coverage.5
- Paid-in-Full: Full policy premium up front.5
- Multi-Car: More than one vehicle on policy.5
- Defensive Driving Course: Approved state course completion.5
- Good Student: B average or better.5
- Military: Qualifying military service.5
- Homeowner: Even without a Kemper home policy.5
- Multi-Policy (bundling home + auto): Up to 13% bundle discount. (up to 13%)5
- Kemper Co-Pilot telematics: Up to 10% for sharing driving data via mobile app; available in AZ, GA, FL, TX at launch. (up to 10%)6
Kemper Co-Pilot (telematics)
Kemper Co-Pilot is Kemper's smartphone-based telematics program. The app tracks hard braking, speed, phone use while driving, time of day driven, total mileage Kemper Co-Pilot launched March 2024 as a discount-only program. State availability at launch: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Texas, with "more states coming soon." Pay-per-mile is not offered; Kemper leadership stated PPM would require a new rating basis.6
- Enrollment discount: up to 10% for sharing driving data via mobile app6
- Max renewal discount: score-based; discount availability varies by state6
- Can it raise your rate? Kemper Co-Pilot is reported as a discount-only program; the headline savings are the only published outcome. Confirm your state's rules at enrollment.6
Pricing
Every Kemper quote is personal. What follows are modeled premiums for defined driver profiles from reputable publisher analyses — not personalized quotes. Use them to calibrate what to expect, not to replace a real quote in your state.
Editorial note (publisher-modeled rates pending) (October 2026): Publisher-modeled Kemper rates for 2025-2026 were not retrievable from a primary source in the research pass. Material pricing context from the carrier: California DOI approved +6.9% effective April 2026 and additional +3.0% effective June 2026 for Kemper Specialty P&C. Treat Kemper as a willingness-to-write play, not a rate-optimization play.2
- California rate action +6.9% (April 2026) + 3.0% (June 2026): $0 per year
How to read these numbers. Different publishers model different profiles and may use different underlying data (Quadrant Information Services is the most common dataset). Your quote depends on your driving record, credit-based insurance score where allowed, vehicle, garaging ZIP, mileage, prior insurance history, age, household composition, telematics participation, and the coverages and deductibles you select.
Complaints and regulatory record
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners publishes a complaint index that normalizes complaint counts against a company's share of premium written. A value of 1.0 represents the baseline expected complaint volume for a company of that size; lower is generally better.
Infinity Insurance Company 2024 NAIC complaint index was reported at 2.83 on 245 complaints (down from 5.47 / 449 in 2023), with 243 of 245 complaints originating in California — directly tied to the California regulatory environment flagged by AM Best. Pull current per-entity, per-state values on NAIC CIS before signing.8
To look up the current complaint index for the specific Kemper underwriting entity that writes policies in your state, use the NAIC Consumer Information Source or your state Department of Insurance. The entities most commonly rated for Kemper are:
- Trinity Universal Insurance Company
- Infinity Insurance Company
- Alliance United Insurance Company
- Alpha Property & Casualty Insurance Company
- American Access Casualty Company
- Response Worldwide Insurance Company
Complaint index measures regulator-filed complaints, not overall service quality; treat it as one input among several. Index values vary by underwriting entity and by state and can shift year over year, so pull the current number for your state before signing.
Financial strength
AM Best affirmed Kemper at Financial Strength Rating A- (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating a- (Excellent) on September 1, 2026 with a negative outlook2. AM Best REVISED outlooks to Negative for Kemper Corporation, its affiliates, and subsidiaries in 2026 (around September) citing earnings deterioration late-2025 to early-2026, concentrated business profile, California auto exposure, and California minimum-liability doubling of bodily injury and tripling of property damage effective early 2025. Florida statutory refunds of $35M in Q4 2025 added 3.8 points to the Specialty auto combined ratio. Moody's also moved Kemper outlook to Negative on weak personal-auto profitability (reported September 1, 2026).
What these ratings mean and do not mean. A high financial-strength rating indicates the insurer has the resources to pay claims under a wide range of adverse scenarios. It is not a guarantee of any specific claim outcome, service quality, or price competitiveness in your quote. Ratings can change; check the affirmation date.
Material news (last 24 months)
- AM Best revised outlooks to Negative for Kemper Corporation and subsidiaries (September 2026): Rationale: earnings deterioration late-2025 to early-2026, concentrated business profile, California auto exposure, California minimum-liability doubling of BI and tripling of PD effective early 2025. Florida Q4 2025 statutory refunds of $35M added 3.8 points to Specialty auto combined ratio. Moody's also moved Kemper to Negative outlook.2
- Kemper exited preferred home and auto business (August 2023): Material restructuring. $500M written premium across 8 preferred underwriting companies non-renewed or canceled. Expected capital release >$300M. Kemper now a pure-play specialty / non-standard auto company (plus Kemper Life retained).4
- Kemper Co-Pilot telematics launched (March 2024) (March 2024): First Kemper telematics discount program. Launch states: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Texas. Up to 10% participation discount. Pay-per-mile not offered.6
- California DOI approved sequential Kemper Specialty rate increases (April 2026): +6.9% effective April 2026 and +3.0% effective June 2026 for Kemper Specialty P&C. Response to California minimum-liability law changes effective early 2025.2
YesWeSure Fit Check
Is Kemper a fit worth quoting?
Kemper tends to fit if you
- You live in California, Florida, or Texas and need a non-standard quote — Kemper Specialty P&C concentration is ~90% in these three states.
- You want Spanish-language service through the Infinity-brand distribution channel (inherited from the 2018 Infinity acquisition).
- You are an SR-22 or minimum-liability shopper and your Kemper independent agent carries a specialty appointment.
- You want the Co-Pilot telematics discount and live in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, or Texas (March 2024 launch states).
Look carefully if you
- You expect Kemper to compete on preferred-market pricing — that book was exited in August 2023 and is gone.
- AM Best outlook recency matters to you; both AM Best and Moody's revised Kemper to Negative outlook around September 2026.
- You live in California specifically; Infinity Insurance Company 2024 NAIC complaint index was 2.83 with 243 of 245 complaints originating in California.
- You live outside CA, FL, TX, AZ, GA, NV, IL, IN, OH, NY, WI, WA — Kemper Specialty availability is narrower outside the three-state concentration.
This is decision-support reasoning, not personalized advice. Your real decision depends on your quote in your state, current regulator data, and how much of your total budget an incident could disrupt.
Ready to compare Kemper against alternatives?
Compare car insurance quotesCommon questions
Does Kemper still write preferred personal auto?
No. Kemper exited the preferred home and auto business on August 7, 2023. Approximately $500M in written premium across 8 preferred underwriting companies was non-renewed or canceled. Kemper is now a pure-play specialty / non-standard auto company (plus Kemper Life retained).
What happened to Infinity Insurance?
Kemper acquired Infinity Property & Casualty on July 2, 2018 for approximately $1.4B. Infinity-brand distribution remains active, particularly for Spanish-language and Hispanic-market shoppers. The 2018 acquisition shaped Kemper's current Specialty P&C concentration in California, Florida, and Texas (~90% of premium per the FY2025 10-K).
What does the September 2026 AM Best Negative outlook mean?
AM Best revised Kemper Corporation and subsidiaries outlooks to Negative citing earnings deterioration late-2025 to early-2026, concentrated business profile, and California auto exposure (California minimum-liability law doubled BI and tripled PD effective early 2025). The Negative outlook does not change the current A- (Excellent) FSR but signals a possible downgrade if underwriting does not improve. Moody's also moved Kemper to Negative.
Does Kemper file SR-22?
Yes. Kemper Specialty files SR-22 certificates in states where state law requires financial-responsibility filings. The Specialty book is purpose-built for drivers who need financial-responsibility filings. Specific per-state availability varies and should be confirmed with your Kemper agent at bind time.
Will Kemper quote me after a DUI?
Yes. Kemper Specialty is one of the carriers that will write drivers with DUI history, where state financial-responsibility filing requirements can be met. Multiple DUIs are typically handled case-by-case. Specific eligibility rules vary by state and by Kemper underwriting entity.
What is Kemper Co-Pilot?
Kemper Co-Pilot is Kemper's telematics discount program launched March 2024. Up to 10% participation discount for sharing driving data via mobile app. Launch states: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Texas, with "more states coming soon." Pay-per-mile is not offered; Kemper leadership stated PPM would require a whole new rating basis.
What are the California complaint-index figures?
Infinity Insurance Company 2024 NAIC complaint index was 2.83 on 245 complaints — down from 5.47 / 449 in 2023. 243 of 245 2024 complaints originated in California. Pull current per-entity values on NAIC CIS before signing. Other Kemper entities (Trinity Universal, Alliance United, Alpha) have their own complaint-index values that are not aggregated with Infinity's.
Sources & methodology
- [TIER 1] AM Best revises outlooks to Negative for Kemper Corporation and subsidiaries (AM Best)
- [TIER 1] Kemper Corporation FY2025 10-K (SEC EDGAR CIK 860748) (SEC / Kemper)
- [TIER 1] Kemper 8-K and press release: exit from preferred home and auto business (August 7, 2023) (Kemper IR)
- [TIER 1] Kemper Direct consumer help center (discounts; coverages) (Kemper)
- [TIER 1] Kemper Co-Pilot telematics (terms of service) (Kemper)
- [TIER 2] J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (J.D. Power)
- [TIER 1] NAIC Consumer Information Source (Infinity 2024 complaint index 2.83) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (regulators, insurer documentation, rating agencies), Tier 2 (independent authoritative research including J.D. Power and industry datasets), Tier 3 (reputable publishers with transparent methodology). Every material claim traces to a source in this list, with the tier shown next to each source. Modeled rate figures are premiums produced from Quadrant Information Services or publisher proprietary data for defined driver profiles; they are not personalized quotes. Last reviewed .