Insurance Shopping Bucked Traditional Year-End Slump, Remaining Elevated in Q4 2025

CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insurance shopping is now a routine activity for consumers rather than a rare event prompted by a car or home purchase. TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) analysts drew this conclusion after tracking three years of steadily increasing insurance shopping rates in the quarterly .

Most recently, 2025 fourth quarter data showed that elevated shopping levels continued throughout a season in which shopping rates typically decline. Auto insurance shopping was up 11% in Q4 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, while property insurance shopping increased 5%.

“At this point we can safely say that regular insurance shopping is just the new normal,” said Patrick Foy, senior director of strategic planning for TransUnion’s insurance business. “Part of the reason we think this will continue for the foreseeable future is that it’s driven by how people shop as well as why.”

The report noted that economic pressures are driving consumers to find ways to reduce household expenses. At the same time, insurers are investing heavily in marketing and setting competitive rates. Additionally, online shopping tools and experiences make it very easy for consumers to quickly find out if they can lower their insurance rate.

Why shopping intensity matters

The report included a shopping intensity index to measure how many different insurers a consumer considers when shopping. While consumers shopped more frequently, most exhibited low shopping intensity. Less than one quarter shopped with three or more insurers—either to be sure they were getting the lowest rate possible or to find niche coverage offerings.

The remaining 77% of consumers only shopped with one or two insurers. These consumers may have been content to find a lower rate, not necessarily the lowest rate. The report found that generational, geographic and distribution channel factors help explain low shopping intensity among certain groups of consumers. For example:

• Baby Boomers and Silent Generation consumers scored seven points lower in shopping intensity compared to Gen Z, likely due to brand loyalty and inertia;
• Consumers living in the 20% least populated zip codes exhibited shopping intensity that was four points lower than average, likely explained by limited local options;
• Shoppers who began shopping with an agent had four points lower shopping intensity than those who started in direct channels, highlighting the impact of relationship-driven sales models. 
  
  
  
  

Whether it’s due to brand loyalty, personal relationships or just limited options, each of these consumer groups represents higher lifetime value potential for their respective insurers. Enhancing their customer experience through proactive communication strategies can drive improvements in both acquisition and retention, according to the report.

“Getting in front of existing customers before they start shopping can create a significant opportunity for retention,” said Foy. “This is a chance for insurers to understand what their customers want and present them with options for potential discounts through telematics, and additional coverage options, like cyber protection.”

The report noted that insurers can use solutions like TransUnion’s to show the brand name and logo and reason for the call. Doing so helps consumers trust that the call is legitimate and can entice them to answer.

Read the full Insurance Personal Lines Trends and Perspectives Report .

to learn more about TransUnion’s Trusted Call Solutions that can increase answer rates and improve the customer experience.

About TransUnion’s Insurance Personal Lines Trends and Perspectives Report

This quarterly publication examines trends in the personal lines insurance industry, including shopping, migration, violation, credit-based insurance stability and more. The Trends and Perspectives Report research is based almost entirely on TransUnion’s extensive internal data and analyses. It includes information on insurance shopping transactions from June 2024 to December 2025. However, the report excludes shopping data from insurance customers in California, Hawaii (auto), Massachusetts (auto), and Maryland (property), where credit-based insurance scoring information is not used for insurance rating or underwriting.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good^® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.