Tag Archives: high risk auto insurance

21st Century Insurance Review: JD Power Ratings, AM Best Financial Strength Ratings, & Customer Complaints

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This 21st Century review will analyze the change in the JD Power auto insurance study scores & ratings for 21st Century Insurance over the last several years. The annual JD Power insurance surveys are, in my opinion, the most objective and relevant indicators of insurance company customer & claims satisfaction, by gathering the opinions of thousands of auto insurance customers. However, the power circle ratings used by JD Power can be misleading, with some top four and five power circle rated companies not scoring much above the score of the average company.

This review will look at the JD Power ratings & numerical scores for 21st Century, in all the JD Power insurance studies where it was included in the last three years, to see what its current JD Power ratings really say about the quality of the claims & customer service for the company.

Another measure of quality for an automobile insurance company is the number of upheld complaints filed against it with a state’s insurance regulatory authority, adjusted for the company’s market share. This review will show you if 21st Century has a better than average, average, or below average complaint record for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014. Additionally, I’ll review the AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) for 21st Century insurance.

The smart insurance buyer shops for the best combination of coverage, price, and service, so be sure to use the ad below this paragraph (or the ad at the end of this review) to get price quotes from multiple insurance companies and find the best insurance company for you. Continue reading →

Progressive Review: Auto Insurance Price Competitiveness, AM Best Financial Strength Ratings & Complaints 2009-2014

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This Progressive Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent five year period where reliable statistics are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014), the auto insurance complaint record for the major subsidiary companies of Progressive, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Progressive Northern Insurance Company, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

I’ll also look at the JD Power ratings for Progressive auto insurance pricing, and increases & decreases in market share (as measured by annual written premiums) for each Progressive subsidiary, as a possible indication of high or low car insurance rates. In addition, I’ll review the AM Best Financial Strength Ratings for the Progressive insurance companies, too. Continue reading →

Liberty Mutual Review: Auto / Homeowners Insurance Price Competitiveness, AM Best Financial Strength Ratings & Complaint Records 2009-2014

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This Liberty Mutual Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent six year period where reliable statistics are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014), the auto & home insurance complaints for the subsidiary companies of the Liberty Mutual Insurance, to determine whether each of their subsidiaries, such as Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company or First Liberty Insurance Corporation, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

This review also looks at the JD Power ratings for Liberty Mutual’s auto & homeowner insurance pricing, and increases & decreases in market share (as measured by annual written premiums) for each Liberty Mutual subsidiary, as a possible indication of competitive pricing. In addition to reviewing & rating its most recent six year complaint record and its auto & homeowners insurance rates, I’ll analyze the AM Best Financial Strength Ratings for the Liberty Mutual insurance companies, too. Continue reading →

Hanover Insurance Review: Auto & Home Insurance Customer Complaints, AM Best & JD Power Ratings

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This Hanover Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent six year period where reliable statistics are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014), the home & auto insurance complaint ratings for the subsidiary companies of Hanover insurance group, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Citizens Insurance Company of America or Massachusetts Bay Insurance Company, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

In addition to reviewing & rating its most recent six year complaint record, I’ll analyze the change in the JD Power home & auto insurance scores & ratings for Hanover insurance from 2012 to 2016, and compare them to the scores of leading competitors, like State Farm, Allstate, The Hartford, Travelers, Safeco, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Progressive, & GEICO. I’ll review the AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) for the Hanover insurance subsidiaries, too. Continue reading →

Direct General Insurance Review: Auto Insurance Customer Complaints, JD Power Customer Satisfaction & AM Best Financial Strength Ratings

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Direct General is an insurance company selling nonstandard auto insurance (for people not qualifying for lower-priced, standard or preferred auto insurance rates), motorcycle, and term life insurance in the 13 US states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, & Virginia. Direct General is an important insurance company to know, if you live in any of the states where it operates, and have trouble qualifying for low auto or motorcycle insurance rates due to your or a driver in your household’s driving record, lack of driving experience, no prior insurance, lapse in coverage, or other reasons. When you pay a lot for auto insurance, and fewer car insurance companies will insure you, it’s even more important to know all your company options, and choose the company with acceptable service for the coverage you need at the best price. Now you know if Direct General is an option for you, it’s easy enough to contact them for a price quote. This review will show you not only how to contact Direct General for a quote, but give you the latest company ratings and complaint information about the Direct General insurance companies, to help you decide if Direct General is a good choice for you. I’ll also give you the names of the major insurance companies offering nonstandard auto insurance, competing with Direct General, so you have more options to shop for a better price or better service. Continue reading →

Dairyland / Viking / Peak Insurance Review: Auto Insurance Complaint Record & Ratings

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Dairyland, Viking, and Peak, all owned by Sentry Insurance, are nonstandard auto insurance companies for drivers without insurance, tickets or accidents, license suspensions, recently licensed, and other factors making them ineligible for standard auto insurance with most companies. It’s easy to find a lot of bad reviews for Dairyland, Viking, or Peak insurance on the Internet, like you can find for all insurance companies. Unfortunately, complaints written by customers are hard to tell if the complaints are legitimate. This review has complaint ratings for the Dairyland, Viking, and Peak insurance companies compiled by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, from statistics gathered by each state’s insurance department. I think these statistics are more reliable and relevant for evaluating an insurance company’s customer service than personal accounts. Plus, you can see how these companies’ complaint records compare to the average complaint record for the auto insurance industry.

Because Dairyland, Viking, & Peak insure high risk drivers, their customers are more likely to cause automobile accidents. I also provide in this article contact phone numbers for customer service, claims reporting, & fraud reporting, which can be used by both Dairyland policy holders, and other people involved in accidents with Dairyland customers. Continue reading →

Choosing an insurance agent: Experience is not expertise

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In my last blog post, I wrote how you should choose an agent with enough experience to be competent. More than 2 years is enough, but 5 to 10 years experience is preferable. Anything more than 10 years is not relevant. But experience does not guarantee expertise.

True expertise is hard to find. I have always been surprised how little your average, experienced & successful agent knows about the products they sell, or how much bad information they can provide to their customers & prospective customers. Continue reading →

Armed Forces Insurance Exchange Review: Complaint Statistics & Financial Strength Rating

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Armed Forces Insurance Exchange (AFIE), founded in 1887, is an insurance company selling auto, home, renters, & condo insurance to active and retired military members, including National Guard & Reserve members, active & retired Department of Defense civilian employees, their spouses and children, and honorably discharged veterans. If you have had an Armed Forces Insurance Exchange insurance policy in the past, you, your spouse or ex-spouse, and your children can always be considered for a new policy.

AFIE also acts as an independent insurance agency, under Armed Forces Insurance Agency, to sell the products of other insurance companies, so if you don’t qualify for AFIE due to your driving record or other reasons, the company may be able to offer you coverage through another insurance company. For auto insurance, Armed Forces Insurance Exchange can quote you multiple companies. If you meet the AFIE eligibility requirements of having a relationship with the US military, you should contact them to see if they have the coverage you need at the best price. You really can save $100s on your insurance, but the only way to find the lower priced companies, is to shop with as many companies as you can. Often, you can find a good deal for insurance offered through special relationships, like an association with the military.

This blog post will tell you how you can get insurance price quotes from Armed Forces Insurance Exchange, the type of insurance it sells, its recent AM Best financial strength ratings, and most importantly, its auto & home insurance complaint statistics & ratings for the last three years, so you have some objective measure of their customer service. I’ll also recommend a few other companies, with special rates for military members & their families, to help you shop for the best price, coverage, and service. Continue reading →

Foremost Insurance Review: Auto & Home Insurance Customer Complaints, AM Best & JD Power Ratings

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This Foremost Insurance review will evaluate the AM Best financial strength ratings, any JD Power claims & customer satisfaction ratings, and the 2009-2014 home & auto insurance complaint record for the subsidiary companies of Foremost Insurance Group, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Foremost Insurance Company of Grand Rapids, MI, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

Foremost insures mainly high risk drivers, mobile homes, trailers, vacant homes, homes with a recent claims history, and other properties many other insurance companies won’t insure. I’ll compare the auto & home insurance complaint records for the Foremost subsidiary companies, with major competitors offering nonstandard auto insurance and specialty home insurance, like Progressive, Homesite, Dairyland, & American Modern. Continue reading →

National General Insurance Review (Formerly GMAC): Auto Insurance Customer Complaint Record & JD Power, AM Best Ratings

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This review will analyze any recent JD Power and AM Best ratings for National General, and evaluate, for the most recent five year period where reliable statistics are available (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014), the auto insurance complaint data for the subsidiary companies of National General Insurance Group, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Integon General Insurance Company or National General Insurance Company Online, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

I’ll analyze the change in the JD Power home & auto insurance scores & ratings for the National General (formerly GMAC) insurance companies from 2012 to 2015, and compare them to the scores of leading competitors, like State Farm, Allstate, The Hartford, Travelers, Safeco, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Progressive, & GEICO. I’ll review the AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) for the National General insurance subsidiaries, too.

Lastly, I’ll compare the auto insurance complaint records for the National General subsidiary companies, with major competitors, like Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, & Farmers. Continue reading →

Infinity Insurance Review: Auto Insurance Customer Complaints, AM Best & JD Power Ratings

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This Infinity Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent six year period where reliable statistics are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014), the auto insurance complaints for the subsidiary companies of Infinity Property & Casualty Corporation, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Infinity Auto Insurance Company or Infinity Indemnity Insurance Company, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record.

I’ll look at increases & decreases in market share (as measured by annual written premiums) for each Infinity subsidiary, as a possible indication of high or low auto insurance rates. I’ll also review Infinity’s JD Power customer satisfaction ratings & AM Best financial strength ratings. Lastly, this review will compare the auto insurance complaint records for the Infinity Group companies, with major competitors, like Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, The General, & Farmers. Continue reading →

Kemper Specialty Insurance Review: Auto Insurance Customer Complaint Statistics & AM Best Ratings

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This Kemper Specialty Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent six year period where reliable statistics are available (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014), the auto insurance complaint ratings for the subsidiary companies of Kemper Specialty, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Alpha Property & Casualty Insurance Company or Financial Indemnity Company, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record. I’ll look at increases & decreases in market share (as measured by annual written premiums) for each Kemper Specialty operating company, as a possible indication of competitive pricing. The Kemper Specialty companies sell nonstandard auto insurance for drivers considered higher risk. This review will compare the auto insurance complaint records for the Kemper Specialty subsidiary companies, with the companies or subsidiaries of major competitors selling nonstandard auto insurance, like Allstate Indemnity, Progressive, GEICO Casualty, The General, Infinity, National General (Formerly GMAC) & Mid-Century Insurance Company (Farmers). Continue reading →

Alfa Insurance Review: JD Power Ratings, AM Best Financial Strength Ratings, & Customer Complaints

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This review will analyze the change in the JD Power home & auto insurance scores & ratings for Alfa Insurance over the last few years. The annual JD Power insurance company studies are, in my opinion, the most objective & relevant indicators of customer & claims satisfaction, by surveying the opinions of thousands of consumers about their auto & home insurance. However, the power circle ratings used by JD Power can be deceptive, with some companies receiving the top rated four and five power circle ratings, not scoring much above the score of the average company. This review will look at the JD Power ratings & numerical scores for Alfa, in all the JD Power insurance studies where it was included in the last three years, to see if its JD Power ratings truly reflect the quality of the claims & customer service for the company.

This review will also show you if Alfa has a better than average, average, or below average complaint record for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014. Additionally, I’ll review the AM Best Financial Strength Rating (FSR) for the Alfa insurance companies. Continue reading →

Titan / Victoria Insurance Review: Auto Insurance Customer Complaint Record & AM Best Ratings

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This Titan / Victoria Insurance review will evaluate, for the most recent three year period where reliable statistics are available (2010, 2011, 2012, & 2013), the auto insurance complaint ratings for the subsidiary companies of Titan Insurance, to determine whether each subsidiary, such as Titan Indemnity Company or Victoria Fire & Casualty Company, has a better-than-average, average, or worse-than-average customer complaint record. I’ll look at increases & decreases in market share (as measured by annual written premiums) for each Titan subsidiary, as a possible indication of the competitiveness of their auto insurance rates. Lastly, this review will compare the auto insurance complaint records for the Titan / Victoria companies, with major competitors, like Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, The General, Infinity, National General (Formerly GMAC) & Farmers. Continue reading →

Walmart is selling auto insurance online?

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There have been many articles this week reporting about Walmart selling auto insurance online. The article headlines about this story have often been misleading. Walmart, known for its ultra low prices, is not forming its own auto insurance company to sell car insurance at low, market-beating prices. Walmart is teaming with an online insurance agency, autoinsurance.com, to promote an auto insurance price comparison tool to compare the rates of several companies. Is this auto insurance price comparison service useful? Will it really save people money as advertised? I’ll tell you about how this new service works, and as a former auto insurance industry insider, I’ll tell you why I think you shouldn’t rely on it to find the best rates or auto insurance company for you. Continue reading →

Best & Worst Companies for Auto Insurance Claims Satisfaction in 2013

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JD Power has released its 2013 US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Although these annual JD Power customer surveys are great resources for consumers to use, as an objective measure of customer satisfaction, for each of the major auto insurance companies in the USA, the power circle ratings, used by JD Power to rate each insurance company, can mislead people about how well or how poorly each company performed in the survey. This review & analysis of the numerical scores for the auto insurance companies surveyed in the JD Power 2013 US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study will let you know the best & worst companies, and which highly rated companies are really performing close to average, and about the same as lower rated companies. Continue reading →

Changing auto insurance companies? Here’s how to avoid mistakes.

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Suppose you’ve taken my advice, shopped your auto insurance with all the major insurance companies in your state, and you found a much lower rate. What is the best way to start your new auto insurance and cancel your old policy? This blog post will give you advice on how to avoid mistakes when changing auto insurance companies, like an accidental lapse in coverage, by canceling your old policy, before your new policy has started. Continue reading →

Low Annual Mileage Auto Insurance Discount

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Some auto insurance companies offer a low annual mileage auto insurance discount, if you do not put a lot of miles on your car. What happens if you put more mileage on my car than you reported to your auto insurance company? Can they charge you more money for not driving low miles you reported, or not pay a claim? Here is what you need to know about the low annual mileage discount, how to get it, and the consequences of misreporting annual mileage. Continue reading →

Auto Insurance Companies with Good Customer Service

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Do you get what you pay for when you buy cheap auto insurance? Can you save $100s on your auto insurance, and regret it when you have a claim? The short answer is, “No.” The price you pay for insurance has nothing to do with how happy you will be with the insurance company’s customer service. So, how do you find auto insurance companies with good customer service? This blog post will give you some tips to finding the best combination of price and service for auto insurance. Continue reading →

Nonstandard Auto Insurance: How to Get the Best Rates

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Have you called around for auto insurance price quotes, only to be told you don’t qualify for standard rates? Do some auto insurance companies say they won’t insure you? Are the auto insurance companies willing to insure you very expensive? Welcome to the world of nonstandard auto insurance.

From my experience, the people most interested in shopping for better auto insurance, are people paying or being quoted high rates, because they’ve had a lapse in coverage, have not been licensed to drive in the US for enough time, or have tickets, claims, or accidents. Unfortunately, these are the people some insurance companies want to avoid as customers, because they are considered at being a greater risk than the average driver for claims in the near-future. Rather than qualifying for lower standard or preferred rates, these people are offered nonstandard auto insurance rates, or turned away, if the insurance company does not offer nonstandard auto insurance rates.

If most auto insurance companies consider you a high risk driver, what do you do about it? You do what every auto insurance policyholder should do at least once a year — shop for better auto rates. Nonstandard auto insurance is expensive, but if you shop around, you’ll find some companies are much more expensive than others. This blog post will give you tips about how and where to shop for nonstandard auto insurance, and what you can do to get lower auto insurance rates. Continue reading →

How Much Do Speeding Tickets Increase Auto Insurance Rates?

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Speeding tickets increase auto insurance rates. But by how much? I decided to write about moving violations and your auto insurance, after reading this NY Times Money blog post here. The NY Times blog mentions an Insure.com study stating one moving violation can lead to 18% higher rates on auto insurance. This strikes me as high, based on my many years experience working with auto insurance companies, and I think the problem might be the study treats all moving violations as equal. For example, a reckless driving or DUI violation is lumped in the same class as a minor speeding ticket. I assure you, insurance companies have MUCH higher rates for major violations, like reckless driving, than they do for a speeding ticket. This blog article will explain how minor moving violations impact auto insurance rates. Continue reading →

Auto Insurance Policy Exclusion: Pizza, Newspaper, & Other Types of Delivery May Not Be Covered by Auto Insurance

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Cars used in pizza or newspaper delivery, or transportation of any person(s) or property for a fee, are usually excluded (not covered) by personal auto insurance policies, while engaged in these activities. In fact, if you use any vehicles insured by a personal auto policy (instead of a commercial auto insurance policy) for any business pursuit (picking up supplies at office depot, dropping off paperwork with a co-worker, etc.), whether you are self-employed, or work for a company or someone else, you should check with your agent or car insurance company, to see if you are covered, should you be involved in an accident or need to file a claim. This blog post will explain more about this common auto insurance policy exclusion. Continue reading →

Why would anyone pay more than the lowest price for auto insurance?

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In my last blog post, I explained auto insurance is not priced like a commodity, with low profit margins for auto insurance companies, as each company competes to offer the lowest price and under-cut the competition. In reality, the thorough auto insurance shopper can save a lot of money by shopping with all the major companies, and find a reputable company charging a lot less than other companies for the same coverage. Continue reading →

Is Auto Insurance Soon to be Priced Like a Commodity?

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When it comes to getting people to switch their auto insurance, the biggest factor influencing most consumers is the price. But is auto insurance a commodity product, like buying gas for your car, where the auto insurance offered by one company, is the same as the auto insurance offered by any other company, with the only difference being the price each company charges for its coverage? Continue reading →

Insurance Zebra, Ratekick Reviews : Which Websites Provide Accurate Auto Insurance Quotes from Multiple Companies in the USA?

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Its hardly news to point out the Internet has revolutionized business in the 21st century. Thanks to the Web, consumers have more information than ever to make smarter buying decisions. Websites like Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline and Kayak have changed the travel business, and put many travel agents out of business. But where is the Kayak of auto insurance, helping consumers find the best deals and lowest rates to insure their cars & trucks?

At least two websites are attempting to provide consumers with auto insurance quotes online from multiple companies, without the consumer having to disclose specific personal information, like names, social security numbers or vehicle identification numbers. I’ve looked at both Insurance Zebra and Ratekick, and although I’m impressed with each site’s design and ease of use, it’s not possible for them to give even approximately accurate auto insurance quotes to consumers anonymously through their websites.

The best way to get auto insurance quotes online is to go to each auto insurance company’s website (and include an online independent insurance agency operating in your state, if available) and provide your personal information as requested. This blog post will review Insurance Zebra and Ratekick, and explain why they are a far cry from being the Expedia of auto insurance. Continue reading →