Auto-Owners Insurance Group Insurance Review 2021: Great Bundling and Strong Customer Service, but Limited to Certain Areas
Auto-Owners Insurance Group is a Michigan-based insurance carrier founded in 1916. The company offers more than just car insurance. It offers more than a dozen types of insurance through independent agents. With Auto-Owners Insurance, customers can benefit from bundling. However, the company doesn’t have strong online tools, so you can’t get a quote, sign up for coverage, or file a claim online. The company is also only available in 26 states, so if you fall outside of its coverage area, you may need to seek coverage elsewhere.
Learn more about Auto-Owners Insurance Group and decide whether it’s the right company for you.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Auto Insurance
While Auto-Owners might not be one of the nation’s largest providers, they offer affordable premiums in exchange for many coverage options and highly-rated customer service.
Types of Coverage
Auto-Owners has a solid list of auto insurance coverages to choose from. Standard coverages include:
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
- Medical payments
- Personal injury protection
- Road trouble service
- Additional expense
- Loan and lease gap
- Diminished value
- Personal automobile plus
The company also offers several additional coverage perks that include:
- Waived deductible for an accident with another Auto-Owners customer
- Common loss deductible
- Rental cars
Cost of Auto-Owners Insurance Group Auto Insurance
The average annual cost of car insurance in the United States is $1,674, which comes to an average monthly premium of $139.50. Auto-Owners Insurance customers can expect to pay an average annual cost of $1,351, or $113 per month, which is about $300 per year below the national average.
Keep in mind that your costs will depend on many factors, including your vehicle, driving history, age, creditworthiness and amount of coverage.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Auto Insurance Discounts
Auto-Owners offers many ways to save on your auto insurance policy. Current discounts are:
- Multiple policies
- Multiple policies with life insurance
- On-time payment history
- Paid-in-full
- Paperless billing
- Advance quote
- Multiple cars
- Vehicle safety features
- High deductibles
- Favorable loss history
- Good student discount
- Student away at school
- Teen driver monitoring
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Home Insurance
Auto-Owners Insurance Group may not be one of the largest providers of homeowners insurance, but it certainly has a lot to offer. There is a variety of coverage options and affordable annual premiums.
Types of Coverage
Auto-Owners offers all of the coverages you would expect of a homeowners insurance company. Standard coverage options are:
- Dwelling
- Other structures
- Personal property
- Personal liability
- Medical payments to others
- Additional living expenses
Auto-Owners also offers many optional coverages, which you can add to your policy if your situation warrants it:
- Guaranteed home replacement cost
- Water backup of sewers or drains
- Special personal property
- Ordinance or law coverage
- Homeowners plus
- Equipment breakdown
- Identity theft expense coverage
Cost of Auto-Owners Insurance Group Home Insurance
The average Auto-Owners homeowners insurance policy has an annual premium of $1,165, with an average monthly premium of $97. These prices are lower than the average annual homeowners insurance premium of $1,312. Your costs will depend on many factors, especially the amount of coverage you have.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Home Insurance Discounts
Auto-Owners offers its homeowners insurance customers many ways to save. Discounts currently available are:
- Multiple policies
- Multiple policies with life insurance
- On-time payments for 36 months
- Paid-in-full
- Paperless billing
- Advance quote
- Protective devices in your home
- Water shut-off system
- Automatic backup generator
- Mortgage-free
- High deductible
- Favorable loss history
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Life Insurance
In addition to its auto and homeowners policies, Auto-Owners Insurance Group also offers several life insurance policies.
Types of Coverage
Auto-Owners offers three types of life insurance for customers to choose from:
- Term life: Term life insurance is the most basic kind. You pay a monthly premium, and in exchange, you have life insurance coverage for a term of 10, 20, or 30 years. If you die during the policy term, your beneficiary gets a lump-sum payout for your coverage amount. Many financial experts recommend only term life insurance.
- Universal life: Universal life insurance combines the benefits of term life insurance with an investment vehicle. Each month when you pay your monthly premium, some of it goes toward your death benefit coverage, while the rest goes to build cash value that you can withdraw or borrow against later.
- Whole life: Similar to universal life insurance, whole life insurance combines a term life policy with a cash value component. With whole life insurance, you’re guaranteed an annual return on your cash value until you surrender the policy by withdrawing the money.
Cost of Auto-Owners Insurance Group Life Insurance
According to a quote from an Auto-Owners Insurance Group independent agent, a healthy 30-year old female with a 30-year term and $500,000 of coverage could expect to pay about a starting rate of about $475 per year, or $39.58 per month for term life insurance. Keep in mind that your rate depends on many factors, including your age, gender, health history, hobbies, occupation, and amount and length of coverage.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Life Insurance Discounts
The only discount available to Auto-Owners life insurance customers is its multi-policy discount, which reduces your insurance premiums when you have multiple policies through the company.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Insurance Ratings
There are several well-respected organizations that rate insurance companies to help customers choose the best carrier. Those organizations include J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and A.M. Best.
“It’s always a good idea to check A.M. Best financial strength ratings because these indicate an insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay claims,” said Alice Stevens, an insurance expert with Best Company. “Most competitive insurers have high ratings. It’s also worth checking the NAIC’s Complaint Index Score for your insurer. This score will help you understand if the insurer has a higher-than-normal or lower-than-normal rate of complaints, which is helpful to know before purchasing a policy.”
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Auto Insurance
J.D. Power: 890/1000 Industry Average: 872/1000
NAIC: 0.64 (Fewer complaints than average)
A.M. Best: A++
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Home Insurance
J.D. Power: 889/1000 Industry Average: 881/1000
NAIC: 0.41 (Fewer complaints than average)
A.M. Best: A++
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Life Insurance
J.D. Power: Not rated
NAIC: 0.49 (Fewer complaints than average)
A.M. Best: A+
Auto-Owners Insurance Group Pros and Cons
Pros
- Highly-rated customer service: Auto-Owners Insurance shines when it comes to customer service. The company has an above-average rating in both home and auto insurance from J.D. Power, and it has fewer complaints than its competitors with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
- Full-service insurance: Auto-Owners offers just about every type of insurance you could want. You can easily purchase all of your policies in one place rather than having to get them from different insurance companies.
- Personal relationship with agent: More of the insurance industry is moving online, and while that might be a positive for many customers, some still prefer that personal touch. As an Auto-Owners customer, you’ll work with an independent agent for all of your insurance needs.
“Auto-Owners Insurance is an old-fashioned company in many ways,” said Damien Knight, CEO of the small business software Workever. “Its sole way to buy insurance is through an independent agent who lives and works in your region, and that person will handle the majority of your interactions with the firm, not the firm’s website.”
“This is a big positive for people who seek close contact with an insurance agent,” Knight said. “If you ever have a question about your policy or need to file a claim, the person on the other end of the telephone will be familiar with your name and policy details. And this framework translates to excellent customer service. The firm consistently ranks first in claims service and consumer interaction.”
Cons
- Limited website capabilities: Unlike most insurance companies, Auto-Owners doesn’t allow you to do much online. You can’t get a quote, sign up for coverage, or file a claim online. Instead, you’ll have to work directly with an insurance agent.
- Not available in all states: Auto-Owners only operates in 26 states, meaning their policies aren’t available to about half the country.
“Calling up an agent can also take time out of your busy schedule when you know precisely what you’re doing since you can’t file claims online,” said Ben Reynolds, the founder and CEO of the investing site Sure Dividend. “There’s also less availability since Auto-Owners Insurance isn’t offered in every state. Therefore, you’ll have to get another insurance company when you move to another state that doesn’t provide Auto-Owners Insurance coverage.”
Other Policies Offered by Auto-Owners Insurance Group
In addition to its home, auto, and life insurance policies, Auto-Owners also offers other types of coverage to help protect you and your family from financial loss. Other insurance coverages available are:
- Condo
- Renters
- Rental dwelling
- Mobile home
- Umbrella
- Property & valuables
- Farm
- Pet
- Flood
- Motorcycle
- ATV & off-road vehicle
- Motorhome & RV
- Boat
- Trailer
- Annuities
- Disability
- Business
- Commercial auto
- Bonds
- Loss control
- Commercial umbrella
Bottom Line
Insurance is a critical piece of your financial picture. Having the right insurance policies in place helps protect you from financial loss and ensures that unexpected emergencies don’t have long-term negative implications for your finances.
“Insurance can help protect your financial stability when unexpected costs arise because the insurance company will help pay for covered losses rather than you covering them all yourself,” Stevens said.
Auto-Owners Insurance Group offers a wide range of insurance options, meaning you can purchase all of your policies from a single carrier, if you choose. It really shines when it comes to customer satisfaction, thanks to its hands-on approach.
If you want personalized service, then Auto-Owners could be a great option. But it’s likely not the right insurance company for those who prefer a company with robust digital tools, since you can’t shop for a policy or file a claim online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Auto-Owners a good insurance company?
Auto-Owners has excellent reviews from its customers — it ranks high in customer satisfaction and has fewer complaints than most companies. But because of its limited digital capabilities, it’s not right for everyone.
How long has Auto-Owners been in business?
Auto-Owners was founded in 1916 and has been serving customers around the country for more than 100 years.
What coverages does Auto-Owners Insurance offer?
Auto-Owners Insurance offers just about any kind of insurance coverage you could need, including coverage for home, auto, life, renters, pet, disability, business, and more.
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