Is Hallmark legitimate?
Yes. Hallmark Financial Services is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A business that earns accreditation meets the BBB’s standard for lawful and ethical business practices.
If you’re looking for an insurance company that serves drivers with limited coverage needs, fulfills your SR-22 requirement, and welcomes foreign licenses — namely a Matrícula ID — Hallmark auto insurance may be your best option.
But before you leap to buy a policy, it’s worth noting some of its drawbacks. Hallmark’s insurance premiums are higher than the national average. Its ratings are also missing from major insurance-scoring agencies.
Here’s what you need to know about Hallmark Auto Insurance.
Hallmark insurance outshines the competition in discount opportunities and availability. However, its rates are higher than average.
Hallmark Insurance Group is a subsidiary of Hallmark Financial Services, a Dallas-based company. Aside from car insurance, the company also sells renters insurance, home insurance, and several business insurance products. Hallmark also offers a multi-policy discount.
One thing to note is Hallmark relies on independent insurance agencies to sell policies. Since its distributors don’t work with Hallmark exclusively, your experience with this insurer may vary by the independent insurance agency or agent you work with.
In addition, if you have a less-than-perfect driving record, you may have luck with Hallmark. This insurer specializes in non-standard coverage or insurance for high-risk drivers and will file a financial responsibility (SR-22 or FR-44) form if your state requires it. Many insurance companies don’t offer this coverage.
On average, a full-coverage insurance policy at Hallmark costs $277 per month, and a liability-only policy costs $153 per month. This is more than the national average cost of car insurance.
Online reviews and ratings can help you decide if an insurance company is one you’ll enjoy working with. Unfortunately, Hallmark has received a host of negative customer reviews. Its rating information is also limited to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Hallmark only has a few reviews through the Better Business Bureau and none through Trustpilot. The reviews skew largely negative and cite lack of communication and long claim periods.
However, some customers cited kind and efficient service from Hallmark.
Credit-rating agencies give consumers insights on a company’s financial strength, claims handling, and quality of customer service. Here’s what regulators have to say about Hallmark insurance.
Hallmark offers the required state-minimum car insurance for drivers seeking coverage at low rates. People looking for more protection can pay more for its full-coverage policies, which include comprehensive and collision coverages.
At Hallmark, you can choose from common optional insurance coverages, including uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical payments, towing and labor, and rental reimbursement coverage.
It doesn’t stop there. Hallmark also offers a suite of unique coverages that many insurers may not. Take a look at additional coverages Hallmark insurance has:
The cost of your car insurance policy will depend on factors such as your state’s coverage requirements, weather conditions, population density, accident rates, and crime rates. The table below illustrates the average cost of a Hallmark full-coverage and liability-only policy in the states where it operates.
In most cases, you’ll see that Hallmark’s rates are higher than average.
Your driving record has a huge influence on your car insurance rates, and drivers with a spotty history generally pay more for car insurance than drivers with a clean record.
The severity and frequency of driving incidents also affect your insurance costs. For example, someone with a single speeding ticket will pay less than someone with multiple speeding tickets and a DUI.
Here, you can see the average monthly cost of Hallmark car insurance for various driving profiles.
Age is a general indicator of driving experience and potential driving behavior. As such, teens and young adults see the highest insurance premiums, with costs significantly dropping off at age 25. Insurance rates tend to be the lowest at age 60.
Drivers in their 70s will start to see an increase in their premiums because of the propensity for increased risk factors, like slower reaction times and decreased vision and hearing.
Here, you can see the average monthly cost of Hallmark car insurance for different ages.
Car insurance premiums can be expensive, but discounts can lower your costs. Hallmark offers the following discounts to save money on your policy, and the rates of these discounts vary by state:
Multi-car
Homeowner
Recurring payment
Multi-policy
Prior coverage
Foreign driver’s license
The car insurance market has many options, but the best company for you will depend on your budget and needs. Comparing insurers can help you find the best rate for the coverage you need. Here’s how Hallmark stacks up against some of its main competitors.
Safeway Insurance’s website doesn’t go into detail about its car insurance offerings. But the company sells minimum liability coverage at a more affordable rate than Hallmark. Safeway Insurance may be best for you if you don’t mind having less coverage at a cheaper price.
Hallmark insurance provides a more comprehensive overview of its coverages, discounts, and other perks than Safeway does. Hallmark insurance may be a better fit for you if you need a specific type of coverage or if you’re a foreign citizen with an international driver’s license and you’re looking for coverage.
Commonwealth, another regional insurance company, offers auto, renters, and homeowners insurance, which you can bundle for a discount. It also offers a host of deductible-decreasing opportunities, such as vanishing deductibles and safety equipment coverage, which reduces glass damage deductibles. Commonwealth is also significantly cheaper than Hallmark.
Hallmark insurance rates are higher because it caters to high-risk drivers. Commonwealth doesn’t offer non-standard insurance and SR-22 filings, so this company might be a no-go for customers requiring high-risk coverage.
Hallmark lets you start a claim several ways. However, it may be faster to contact your personal auto insurance agent directly than to deal with Hallmark’s online claim system or customer service representatives.
If you prefer to file online, follow these steps:
Visit hallmarkgrp.com.
Navigate to the drop-down menu by clicking the three-bar icon, then select the “Report a Claim” tab located at the top left of the menu.
Hallmark will request your basic information, policy number, details, and documents related to the incident.
Wait for a representative to contact you about your claim.
You can also file a claim by phone at 1 (800) 486-4255, fax at 1 (469) 298-5750, or email at [email protected].
If you’re interested in learning more about Hallmark auto insurance, this additional information may help as you research your coverage options.
Yes. Hallmark Financial Services is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A business that earns accreditation meets the BBB’s standard for lawful and ethical business practices.
On average, Hallmark car insurance costs $153 per month for liability coverage and $277 per month for full coverage. You can lower your costs by asking your insurance agent which discounts you qualify for.
Hallmark Insurance isn’t rated by AM Best because it has opted out of its credit-rating process.3 However, the insurer’s former rating was C++, meaning it has a “marginal ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.”
Hallmark sells state-minimum car insurance coverage. It also specializes in non-standard auto insurance and SR-22 insurance for high-risk drivers.