CURE Auto Insurance auto insurance

Overview

CURE, short for Citizens United Reciprocal Exchange, is a not-for-profit auto insurer based in Princeton, New Jersey. It sells only personal auto insurance, only in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and only directly to consumers online and by phone; it is a direct writer with no agents. Its pitch is pricing: CURE says it has never used education, occupation or required credit checks to set rates and relies primarily on a driver's record. It does not use credit-based insurance scores.

CURE ranked #77 among U.S. private passenger auto insurers by 2025 direct premiums written according to NAIC market share data, with $235.9 million in personal auto premium (about 0.06% of the U.S. market). That is rapid growth: New Jersey's financial examination reported $84.9 million of premiums written in 2022, up from $47.0 million in 2021, a jump that coincided with its first full year in Michigan. CURE says it has insured more than a million drivers over its history.

CURE is a reciprocal exchange, so policyholders are "subscribers" who exchange insurance with one another. A separate company, Reciprocal Management Corporation (RMC), acts as attorney-in-fact and runs day-to-day operations for a fee of up to 12.5% of gross written premium.

History

CURE grew out of New Jersey's auto insurance crisis of the 1980s, when many insurers were reluctant to write coverage in the state. It was incorporated on June 20, 1989, organized by RMC, received its New Jersey certificate of authority on March 29, 1990, and began writing policies on June 1, 1990. It later expanded into Pennsylvania.

CURE entered Michigan in July 2021, timed to the medical cost controls that took effect under the state's 2019 no-fault overhaul. At the time, CEO Eric Poe said the company refused to use credit or insurance scores for "moral and ethical reasons." See Michigan's no-fault reform for background.

Control of the management company has changed hands since 2022. In December 2022, New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance approved the acquisition of RMC by funds managed by MGG Investment Group, a New York private lending firm (Order A22-13); the deal closed on January 27, 2023. In 2025, investment manager Conning applied to acquire indirect control through the purchase of 77% of the Class C partnership interests in MGG's investment manager, and a department hearing officer recommended approval on September 24, 2025, in the department's A25-06 proceeding. The exchange itself has no shareholders; these transactions concern who controls its manager.

Auto insurance coverage

CURE writes standard personal auto coverage, including liability, physical damage (collision and comprehensive) and the medical coverage each state requires: personal injury protection in New Jersey and Michigan, and first-party medical benefits in Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Pennsylvania are choice no-fault states, so CURE customers there choose between limited and full tort options.

Every CURE policy includes 24/7 roadside assistance for flat tires, dead batteries and similar breakdowns. Coverage details vary by state and are listed in each state's policy documents.

One feature is specific to reciprocals. Subscribers pay a surplus contribution on top of premium that builds the exchange's capital: 10% of annual premium in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (20% in the first year for certain high-risk new subscribers). Michigan subscribers who joined on or after July 1, 2023 pay 25% for the first three years and 15% after that. Ask about this amount when comparing quotes.

Discounts and programs

CURE advertises good driver, good student and multi-car discounts, among others. It also runs a friends-and-family referral program that rewards customers who refer new drivers. Because CURE prices largely on driving record, a clean record matters more to your premium than with insurers that also weigh credit history; see how credit-based insurance scores work. CURE does not advertise a telematics program.

Claims

Report a claim 24/7 online or by calling 800-229-9151. A CURE claims representative is assigned and available throughout the process. The online claims center answers common questions about repairs, glass damage, rental eligibility, total losses, vehicle valuation and loan payoffs, and a repair shop locator lists shops in CURE's network. Separate procedures cover medical providers submitting personal injury protection bills in each state.

Roadside help is available around the clock at 866-522-1991. The CURE app provides ID cards, payments and policy management.

Ratings and reputation

CURE does not display a financial strength rating from AM Best on its website. Its financial condition is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, its home-state regulator. The department's most recent published examination, as of December 31, 2022 (filed October 31, 2024), reported policyholder surplus of about $19.6 million and showed that CURE ceded large shares of its business to reinsurers through quota share agreements. Examiners recommended that CURE improve compliance with holding company filing rules, document that attorney-in-fact fees comply with accounting standards (a point CURE was contesting) and hold audit committee meetings as often as its charter requires.

CURE was not among the regional leaders named in J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Complaint records are available on the NAIC's Consumer Information Source under NAIC company code 37028.

Who it suits

CURE suits drivers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan with clean driving records who are penalized elsewhere for a thin or damaged credit file, lack of a college degree or their occupation, and who are comfortable buying insurance online or by phone. Shoppers who want an agent, a highly rated carrier or a single company for home and auto should compare carefully.

• Strengths: Prices primarily on driving record and does not use credit-based insurance scores; roadside assistance included on every policy; 24/7 claim reporting; simple direct buying process.
• Weaknesses: Sold only in three states; no AM Best rating displayed; surplus contributions add to the cost; no agents, homeowners policies or bundling; control of its manager changed in 2023 and was the subject of another change-of-control application in 2025.

How to contact CURE Auto Insurance