Auto insurance shopping declined in the second quarter of 2026, but switching increased, according to the J.D. Power Signals Intelligence for Personal Lines Insurance Quarterly Report, produced with TransUnion.
The pattern points to a narrower, more selective consumer market. Fewer auto insurance customers shopped, yet more of those who moved appear to have acted with purpose.
Among consumers who switched auto insurers, the median premium amount moving between carriers topped $3,200.
Auto insurance recorded a 12.6% shopping rate in Q2. That was down 0.4 percentage points from the prior year and 1 percentage point from Q1. The switching rate reached 4.5%, up 0.3 percentage points year over year and quarter over quarter.
Monthly auto data showed shopping started to cool in April. Activity rose briefly in May, then declined again in June. Switching moved differently. It climbed to a May peak before easing slightly in June.
Home insurance followed a mixed path. Shopping reached 7.1% for the quarter, up 0.6 percentage points year over year, but down 0.3 percentage points from Q1. The home insurance switching rate stood at 2.5%, unchanged from the prior year and up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter.
- Homeowners insurance shopping had risen through late 2025 and early 2026. That run faded during Q2, and the rate finished June at 6.8%. Switching then picked up. It began increasing in May and kept rising through June.
- Renters insurance showed a similar quarterly split, though the annual comparison looked weaker. Shopping stood at 6.3%, up 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier and down 0.1 percentage point from Q1. Switching reached 3.4%, down 0.8 percentage points year over year, but up 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarter.
Renters shopping stayed flat through April and May before slipping in June. Switching increased steadily from February, suggesting more policyholders acted after a period of rate review rather than simple price browsing.
Affordability also shaped shopping and retention. TransUnion said consumers with more financial flexibility continued looking for better value instead of accepting higher premiums. Financially constrained consumers, especially younger drivers, appeared more likely to reduce coverage or let policies lapse.
The report also included an early view from J.D. Power’s first AI Insurance Experience Study. Among consumers who used AI to research insurance products and coverage, 19% followed the guidance exactly.
Another 49% followed part of it, and 26% considered the guidance before making a different decision.
Only 6% said they did not trust or use the AI guidance. Overall, 37% changed their policy after using an AI-assisted tool for insurance research.
