Hastings Mutual Insurance Company’s headquarters is located in downtown Hastings, Michigan. It launched in 1885 as the Michigan Mutual Tornado, Cyclone, and Windstorm company, and was once the second-largest mutual windstorm insurance company in the world. Hastings sells a variety of personal insurance products via independent insurance agencies across six states.1
For more than 50 years, the company has had an AM Best rating of A or higher, setting it apart from competitors. But its limited listed discounts and availability means it’s not a perfect fit for all drivers. Comparing quotes from multiple insurance companies is the best way to find the coverage you need at a price you can afford.
Hastings Mutual is an award-winning insurance company that sells car insurance in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. It holds an A rating from AM Best for financial strength. One area where it can improve is its limited discounts compared to others in the industry.
The average cost of a Hastings Mutual full-coverage auto insurance policy is $91 per month; a liability-only policy from this regional insurance company is $50 per month on average.
These insurance rates are lower than the national averages for 2023. The U.S. monthly average for a full-coverage policy is $182, while the liability-only policy monthly average is $103, according to Insurify data.
Asking your local community for their thoughts on insurers is helpful, but it’s also a good idea to seek out a larger list of reviews and ratings. Looking to reputable sources like AM Best and J.D. Power can give you a sense of how most customers across a company’s coverage area feel about aspects of customer service, premium prices, and claims processing.
Hastings Mutual has impressive ratings according to major third-party review sites and ratings groups; for instance, an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a lower-than-average number of complaints on the NAIC index.
Hastings Mutual has a lot of mixed reviews that mostly skew negative. Common complaints include inability to get ahold of an agent, long claim payout times, and lack of communication.
Conversely, the positive reviews cite that Hastings Mutual is reliable and their agents are kind and easy to work with.
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Independent industry ratings are important because they allow you to see an unbiased comparison of insurance products and companies. J.D. Power, for example, ranks companies based on customer service scores, while AM Best highlights how well an insurance company is positioned to pay out claims to policyholders.
Hastings Mutual has ratings available from AM Best and the NAIC Complaint Index; scores from Moody’s, J.D. Power, and Standard & Poor’s aren’t available.
AM Best: A
J.D. Power: N/A
Standard & Poor’s: N/A
Moody’s: N/A
NAIC Complaint Index: 0.54 (lower than the industry average)
Hastings Mutual, like all car insurance companies, must offer the minimum insurance coverage as required by the states where it operates. This is referred to as liability-only insurance and typically includes bodily injury insurance and property damage insurance.
Its website doesn’t mention optional coverages, such as collision, comprehensive, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, though they might be available, which is why you should speak to its network of independent agents in your state.
Hastings does offer other optional coverages, like adding an extra driver in your household onto your policy, as well as:
Hastings Mutual car insurance offers liability-only coverage in every state it serves, but the exact coverage level may vary. States set their own minimum insurance coverage laws. For instance, Michigan requires 20/40/10 insurance, while Ohio mandates 25/50/25, which means its minimum amounts for bodily injury and property damage are higher than Michigan’s.
You’ll see in this table that average monthly rates for full-coverage and liability-only coverage vary based on state, partially due to the amount of coverage the policy includes.
How you drive can affect how much you pay for car insurance, and your driving history can influence your premium rates for years. An at-fault car accident or speeding ticket can lead to higher rates long after the mistake was made, while a DUI arrest could result in your policy being canceled and limit your coverage options to only high-priced policies from insurance companies specializing in high-risk drivers.
This table shows how Hastings Mutual Insurance customers pay significantly less for car insurance each month when they have clean records, no matter the amount of coverage.
If you’ve noticed that you pay far less for your car insurance than your teenager or if your parents have a better rate than you, your age may be the reason. All car insurance companies use age as a rating factor for premium pricing. Teens and young adults younger than 25 tend to see the highest rates due to their increased likelihood of getting into an accident.
Most drivers pay the lowest rates in their mid-30s; these rates may also drop as the driver nears 70, though it’s common for drivers in their 70s or older to see rate increases depending on their driving habits and age-related industry data.
You can see in the following table that the average monthly quotes are highest for younger drivers and tend to decrease as a driver enters retirement age.
Most auto insurance companies offer discounts that nearly all policyholders can benefit from, such as multi-policy or multi-car discounts. The savings potential will range based on the company’s eligibility requirements and offers.
For instance, Hastings lists five discounts on its website, including a multi-policy discount for people who also purchase home or umbrella insurance policies, but it doesn’t explain how much policyholders can save.
Away at school
Claim-free
Multi-policy for home and umbrella
There’s no shortage of auto insurance companies in the Midwest. National brands like State Farm and GEICO, as well as regional companies like Hastings Mutual Insurance, offer a range of car insurance coverages, discounts, and incentives for policyholders.
This highly saturated industry is a benefit for drivers: Multiple options mean you can easily compare rates and coverage limits to find the best policy for your needs.
Here’s a look at how Hastings Mutual compares to other insurers serving the same area, AssuranceAmerica and Columbia Insurance Group, including why a driver might choose one company over the other.
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AssuranceAmerica is a relatively new company in the insurance industry, especially compared to Hastings Mutual. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, AssuranceAmerica serves 10 states, though only Indiana is served by both Hastings and AssuranceAmerica.4 AssuranceAmerica donates 5% of its earnings to charitable organizations.
One big difference between Hastings Mutual and AssuranceAmerica is that Hastings offers other insurance products besides auto coverage, which opens up the potential for bundling discounts. AssuranceAmerica doesn’t list discounts on its website, while Hastings does.
It’s a good idea to seek out quotes over the phone so you can ask both insurance companies which discounts and coverages are available that aren’t listed on their respective websites.
AssuranceAmerica is a non-standard auto insurance company, which means it may be a better option for high-risk drivers. Drivers who have a DUI on their record or a history of at-fault accidents and traffic violations should consider AssuranceAmerica over Hastings Mutual Insurance.
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Columbia Insurance Group is based in Columbia, Missouri, operating out of offices in Georgia, Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas. Like Hastings, it began as a windstorm insurance company in the 1880s before adding other insurance protections, including personal auto coverage.
Columbia Insurance Group lists more discounts than Hastings Mutual Insurance, offering more ways for its policyholders to save. It also offers OEM coverage and rental car cost coverage, which Hastings Mutual doesn’t.
Columbia Insurance Group lists personal auto coverage on its website, though not as a featured insurance product. Offering insurance for a range of other business needs, including retail, restaurants, food service, and wholesalers, Columbia Insurance Group could be a good fit for business owners who need professional insurance and want to benefit from bundling with their personal auto policy.5
Hastings Mutual Insurance customers have multiple options for filing an auto insurance claim:
Call an independent insurance agent and report the claim.
Call the claims representative phone number 1 (800) 442-8277 to report the claim.
Complete a form on the Hastings Mutual Insurance website:
Identify the nature of the claim, specifically if it’s glass damage, towing, or another issue.
Enter your policy information, including your policy number, agency number, and date of loss.
Complete the remaining claims application details, receive application submission confirmation, and then wait for a customer service rep to reach out.
Here are some answers to questions about the history and legitimacy of Hastings Mutual Insurance you should read before calling for a free quote.
Hastings Mutual is a legitimate insurance company with a history dating back to 1885. It’s also an A+ accredited company with the Better Business Bureau.6 Insurify could find no evidence of Hastings Mutual Insurance Company linked to fraudulent practices.
The average cost of car insurance through Hastings is $71 per month. The average cost of car insurance in the United States is $182 for a full-coverage policy and $103 for a liability-only policy, according to Insurify’s 2023 data.
Hastings Mutual Insurance Company has an A rating from AM Best, which is considered excellent, meaning it’s unlikely to default on its financial obligations. Hastings’ AM Best rating was downgraded from A+ (Superior) in 2013, though it still should have no issues paying claims.
Hastings Mutual is a regional property casualty insurance company serving the Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. coverage options and availability may vary because these states may have different auto insurance laws, including different minimum limits and the use of credit-based insurance scores.
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