Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
American Family vs Travelers
American Family is built for agent-served drivers in the Midwest and West. Travelers is built for independent-agent buyers who bundle home and auto. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18 and Standard Fire Ins. Co. drew 0.38, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates American Family A and Travelers A++. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Dylan Leggett, licensed insurance agent · NPN 17875887
The short answer
American Family has written auto since 1927 and writes through American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates. American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 13 complaints on $1.5 billion of private-passenger premium. The tradeoff: AM Best rates it A against Travelers's A++.
Travelers has written auto since 1853 and writes through Travelers group companies. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. The tradeoff: it drew 0.38 on the 2025 complaint index against American Family's 0.18.
Both companies state by state, and their filed rates trade the lead by address. A national average will not predict which one wins for you. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
American Family vs Travelers: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
American Family | Travelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Agent-served drivers in the Midwest and West | Independent-agent buyers who bundle home and auto |
| Who underwrites it | American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates | Travelers group companies |
| Complaints per policyAmerican Family, ahead of Travelers | 0.18 13 complaints on $1.5B written | 0.38 64 complaints on $3.6B written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. vs Standard Fire Ins. Co. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; Travelers a step higher | A Excellent | A++ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyTied | 6 lines auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, commercial | 6 lines auto, home, renters, boat, umbrella, commercial |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.72 91,076 ratings | 4.69 124,651 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| Telematics program | KnowYourDrive | IntelliDrive |
| Availability | Available in 19 states | Available in all 50 states |
| Known for | KnowYourDrive discounts, agent service | IntelliDrive discounts, hybrid and electric vehicle discounts |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, American Family Mutual Ins. Co., S.I. drew 0.18 and Standard Fire Ins. Co. drew 0.38, against an industry median of 1.00. The index weighs a company's complaint count against the volume expected for its size, so 1.00 is the industry median and a lower number is fewer complaints than expected.
Financial strength
AM Best rates American Family A and Travelers A++. A++ is the highest grade AM Best issues. The grade measures the company's ability to pay claims, not its service or its price.
Who underwrites each one
American Family policies are written by American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. and affiliates. Travelers policies are written by Travelers group companies. The brand on the advertising and the company on the policy are often different entities, and the complaint figures on this page belong to the named companies.
What each one covers
Both write six lines. American Family writes auto, home, renters, life, umbrella, and commercial. Travelers writes auto, home, renters, boat, umbrella, and commercial. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: American Family or Travelers?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The record sets the range. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. A quote on the real record is what separates them.
Availability decides some matchups. American Family writes in 19 states. Travelers writes in all 50 states. Where only one of them writes in your state, the comparison answers itself.
Telematics moves the number. Both run a program: KnowYourDrive at American Family, IntelliDrive at Travelers. A telematics program measures driving through an app or a plug-in device and adjusts the price on the result. The size of that adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.