Kemper car insurance review

Who Kemper Auto is really for

Kemper's personal auto business is built around non-standard insurance — coverage for drivers who don't fit the clean-record, continuous-coverage profile that mainstream carriers price around. If you need an SR-22 filed with your state, if you've let a policy lapse, or if a past incident has made other quotes hard to come by, Kemper is one of the names an independent agent is likely to bring up.

That focus shapes the whole experience. Coverage is sold through agents who know which of Kemper's many underwriting companies fits your situation, and the discount list is tuned to the same audience — there's credit for simply showing proof of prior insurance, and for buying your policy ahead of its start date rather than at the last minute.

If you have a spotless record and several years of unbroken coverage, you're not Kemper's target customer, and you may well do better elsewhere.

Where it sells and how to buy

Kemper Auto writes in ten states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. There are no eligibility restrictions beyond normal underwriting — anyone in those states can apply.

There are two ways in:

• Independent agents. This is the main channel, and the more useful one for complicated situations. An agent can place you with the right Kemper underwriting company, handle an SR-22 filing, and confirm which discounts actually apply in your state.
• Online. You can start a quote and buy directly through Kemper's website.

One quirk worth knowing: Kemper underwrites through a large family of separate legal companies, and which one issues your policy depends on your state and your profile. The name on your declarations page may not simply read "Kemper." That's normal, but it's worth asking your agent which company is actually on the risk.

Coverages and discounts

The coverage menu covers the essentials and a little more: liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist, personal injury protection, rental reimbursement and roadside assistance. Kemper markets its policies as customizable, which in practice means your agent builds limits and options around what your state requires and what you're willing to pay for.

We didn't find medical payments or gap coverage described in Kemper's materials, so ask directly if either matters to you.

The discount list is reasonably broad:

• Kemper Co-Pilot — the telematics app; share your driving data to earn a discount, available in select states only
• Advance Quote — buy before the policy's effective date
• Proof of Prior Insurance — show an old insurance card or similar evidence
• Paid in Full — pay the term upfront instead of in installments
• Multi-Car — more than one vehicle on the policy
• Defensive Driving Course — a qualifying course, confirmed through your agent
• Good Student — full-time student with a 3.0 GPA or better
• Homeowner — a homeowners policy at the same address

Kemper is explicit that products, discounts and underwriting companies vary by state. Treat this list as a starting point for a conversation, not a guarantee.

Kemper Co-Pilot, the telematics option

Co-Pilot is Kemper's mobile safe-driving app. You enroll, it monitors how you drive, and good habits translate into a discount — but only in states where the program is offered, so confirm availability before you count on it.

As with any telematics program, read the terms: understand what's being measured, whether your rate can move in either direction at renewal, and what happens if you stop using the app. If you drive modest distances and avoid hard braking and late-night trips, it's one of the more controllable ways to bring the cost down.

The service record

This is the part to weigh carefully. Measured against its size, Kemper's auto business generates more complaints than you'd expect — the record shown alongside this review tells the story in numbers. Complaints filed with state regulators typically cluster around claim delays, claim settlement amounts and policy handling.

Some context matters. Non-standard insurers often sit higher on complaint measures than mainstream carriers, partly because the business itself involves more disputes — lapses, filings, total losses on older vehicles. That explains some of the gap, but it doesn't erase it.

On the financial side, the picture is better: Kemper's property and casualty group carries a rating on file with AM Best, and the auto underwriting companies sit within that rated group. The concern here is service, not solvency.

The practical response is to buy through an independent agent who will advocate for you, keep your documentation, and know your state's complaint process if things stall.

Young drivers

Kemper doesn't appear to run a named teen- or student-driver program. The Good Student Discount — full-time enrollment and a 3.0 GPA or better — is the only youth-specific benefit we found. If you're adding a newly licensed driver and want coaching tools, parental alerts or a structured young-driver program, other carriers do more in this area.