Shelter Insurance has high ratings with J.D. Power, so drivers looking for excellent customer service should give this regional insurance company a look. It underwriters policies in only 15 U.S. states, but its limited availability is compensated by more available discounts than many competitors.
Overall, Shelter has a balance of advantages and drawbacks. For instance, while it possesses a good financial strength rating, it has no mobile app. Read on to learn more about policy perks and missed opportunities that will help you determine if Shelter Insurance is the right company for you.
Shelter Insurance is a good option when compared to competitors like CSAA, Auto-Owners, Erie, and State Auto. Its AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent) is strong, and although its rates are higher, Shelter Insurance offers more discounts and better customer service. One big drawback is that its availability is limited to 15 states — more than Erie but fewer than Auto-Owners.
Shelter car insurance rates are lower than the national average of $182 for full-coverage car insurance. Drivers hoping to maximize reimbursement for a covered loss for their vehicle pay $226 per month for a full-coverage policy with Shelter.
However, liability-only insurance isn’t as cheap with Shelter as the national average. Shelter has a monthly average rate of $158 for liability coverage — more than the national average of $103 per month.
Shelter Insurance has decent ratings regarding its financial strength and customer satisfaction. However, its reviews on sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) aren’t as favorable.
Shelter has a rating of 2.8/5 on Trustpilot and 1.19/5 on BBB. It’s worth noting that both sites have a combined total of 32 reviews, so the reviews don’t represent a large consumer base.1 2
Reviewing ratings from third-party companies like J.D. Power and AM Best can offer more insight into how a company operates. For example, J.D. Power and the NAIC complaint index use customer reviews to rate service, while AM Best rates the financial strength of auto insurance companies.
AM Best: A3
J.D. Power: No. 1 in customer satisfaction among auto insurers in the Central region4
S&P: N/A
Moody’s: N/A
NAIC Complaint Index: 0.325
All car insurance companies have to offer the state-minimum required coverage, which is referred to as liability-only insurance. Shelter Insurance’s liability coverage includes:
Some companies, like Shelter Insurance, offer additional coverage that isn’t required by law but provides the policyholder with more protection, such as:
Each state sets its own minimum insurance requirements. Colorado, for instance, has a 25/50/15 requirement, while Louisiana has a 15/30/25 requirement. This means that drivers need more bodily injury liability protection in Colorado but more property damage liability coverage in Louisiana.
The table below shows the monthly average quotes for both liability-only coverage and full-coverage policies in some of the states where Shelter Insurance operates.
It’s common knowledge that less-than-perfect driving records can increase how much you pay for car insurance. However, some drivers may be surprised to learn that each infraction — such as getting a speeding ticket or getting into a fender bender — may be penalized differently depending on the insurance company.6
Some of these mistakes can even stay on your driving record and affect your premiums for years, even if you haven’t caused an accident or received a ticket since.
The table below shows the monthly averages for a Shelter Insurance policy when a driver has a clean record, a single speeding ticket, a single at-fault accident, and a single DUI.
Age is a significant rating factor for all insurance agencies. Older drivers tend to have fewer accidents than teenagers, which is why drivers younger than 25 receive higher rates, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).6 Drivers tend to pay the lowest rates as they enter middle age, while the youngest drivers pay the highest rates due to their increased risk of getting into an accident.
For example, you can see in the table below that a teenage driver pays twice as much for car insurance through Shelter Insurance than a driver older than 40. Review the monthly averages below to see just how much age affects a Shelter Insurance auto policy premium.
Shelter Insurance lists 14 discounts on its website, which range from good student discounts specifically catering to teen drivers to evidence of continuous insurance, which can benefit a wider range of policyholders.7
Discounts are a convenient way to lower your rate and should be considered when comparing insurers. Shelter Insurance may change its discount availability, so it’s always a good idea to ask a Shelter agent what discounts you qualify for during your renewal period.
Prior insurer tenure
Prior coverage selection
Evidence of continuous insurance
Loyalty
Length of ownership
Companion other vehicles
Companion life policy
Companion property policy
Safe driver
Pay in full
Passive restraint
Accident prevention course
The car insurance industry is highly saturated, which means that even in markets with the least number of insurance companies, customers still have plenty of choices for coverage options. It’s always a good idea to get free quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can compare factors like customer satisfaction scores, claims reviews, insurance premiums, and industry ranking in terms of financial strength.
Here’s how Shelter Insurance’s reviews, coverage availability, and average quotes compare to Auto-Owners and Erie. Keep in mind that each insurance company may have dissimilar coverage options, discount programs, and third-party reviews.
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Auto-Owners has used independent agents since its inception more than a century ago. It writes policies in 26 states, which is a larger service area than Shelter’s. Like Shelter Insurance, Auto-Owners offers insurance products beyond auto, including renters insurance, home insurance, and personal property coverage.
When considering customer complaints, the two are almost identical. Auto-Owners scoreds 0.53 on the NAIC’s consumer complaint index, while Shelter Mutual Insurance Company is just below the industry average, at 0.32.
Auto-Owners is an excellent choice for drivers who are concerned about whether their insurance company will pay out their claim. Auto-Owners has the highest AM Best financial strength rating available: A++ (Superior).8
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Erie was founded in Pennsylvania nearly a century ago and provides auto, homeowners, life, umbrella, business, and life insurance policies. It has more than 13,000 independent agents in the 12 states that it operates in.
Erie has a few advantages over Shelter Insurance: It’s a larger insurer by premiums written, and it has an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best.9 Erie’s policies also include unique coverages like pet coverage, personal item coverage, and locksmith services.
However, Erie offers half as many discounts as Shelter, and with a smaller service area, it isn’t as available to as many drivers as Shelter Insurance is.
Drivers who don’t want their premiums to increase should look into Erie’s Rate Lock, a feature that sets a consistent premium amount that won’t increase — even with a claim — unless you make changes to your policy or address.
Shelter Insurance policyholders can file an auto claim in one of three ways: over the phone, with an insurance agent, or online.
To file a claim online:
Visit the Shelter Insurance website and click “File a Claim.”
Either log in to your My Shelter account and follow the prompts, or click “file a claim without logging in.”
Select the type of claim you wish to file, provide your Shelter auto insurance policy details, and list the required information before submitting the claim.
People who wish to file their claim by phone, as well as people who aren’t Shelter Insurance policyholders, can call the claims center phone number at 1 (800) SHELTER (1 (800) 743-5837).
Learn more about Shelter Insurance with answers to these commonly asked questions.
Yes. Originally the MFA Mutual Insurance Company, Shelter Insurance has a history dating back to 1914 and has strong ratings with AM Best and J.D. Power. Insurify research found no accusations of fraudulent practices against Shelter Insurance.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance from Shelter is $226 per month. Although Shelter Insurance has a lower monthly average for full-coverage policies, its liability-only policies are slightly higher than the national average.
Yes. Shelter Insurance has an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best. AM Best rates the financial status of insurance companies based on their position to pay claims. A++ (Superior) is the highest rating, so Shelter Insurance’s rating of A (Excellent) signifies its strength in paying claims.
The Shelter website doesn’t spell out its auto insurance grace period, but it does say most auto insurance companies have a grace period of up to 30 days.
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