Can 21st Century Meet Your Auto Insurance Needs?

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21^st Century Insurance has a long history in the personal lines insurance business. The company was originally founded in 1958 to provide inter-insurance exchange auto policies to California drivers. At the time, they were (appropriately) named 20^th Century Insurance. They were purchased by AIG in 2005 only to be sold to the large insurance company Farmers Insurance Group four years later. Their current headquarters is in Wilmington, DE.

The 21^st Century business model hinges on providing direct-to-customer vehicle insurance in order to keep costs down and pass the savings along to their customers. The company is currently operating and managing auto policies in the 48 continental United States and Washington, D.C. They also offer policies for motorcycles and umbrella policies, and tend to market their products toward a preferred-risk pool of policy holders.

21st Century Insurance Review

One of the easiest ways to tell whether your chosen insurance provider will come through for you in a time of crisis is to look at their ratings. And keep in mind that Automobile insurance companies are rated on different things, such as customer service, claims satisfaction, and financial strength. Being average or below in one category might not be a bad sign; earning low ratings in multiple categories, however, could be problematic.

Ratings Agency	Rating
AM Best Financial Strength Rating (2015)	A (Excellent)
NAIC Complaint Index (2012)	1.04 (Slightly above Average)
JD Power Auto Insurance Experience Rating (2015)	3 / 5 (Average)
Complaint Ratio per Vehicle (NJ, 2012)	5 / 156,583 (Higher than Average)
Complaint Ratio per Vehicle (CA, 2011)	47 / 810,131 (Higher than Average)
Better Business Bureau Rating	A+

21st Century Insurance Discounts

Insurance companies want your business, and one of the ways they try to earn it is by offering unique discounts. 21^st Century is no exception, offering their clients the following:

Discount Type	Maximum Savings*
Anti-Theft Devices	15%
Good Student	15%
Group Program Credit	9-14%
Multi-Car Discount	6%
Mature Drivers Course	2%
Persistency Credit	1%

(*All data provided by the California Department of Insurance 2013 Automobile Premium Survey, as of Aug 2013)

21st Century Auto Insurance Options

21^st Century offers most basic insurance options, such as Liability coverage and any additional state-mandated forms of coverage relevant to your zip code. Additionally, one of their highest-rated forms of coverage is their Rental Car Coverage due to the variety of vehicles immediately available and the convenience of direct billing. Should you wish to bundle your automobile insurance with another insurance policy from 21^st Century, you can choose from:

• Mobile Home Insurance
• Flood Insurance
• Vehicle Insurance (Including motorcycles, ATVs, and Boater’s Insurance)
• Specialty Homeowner’s Insurance
• Antique Auto Insurance
• Life Insurance

Comparing 21st Century Insurance Quotes

Because there are so many of your unique attributes used to calculate your final monthly premium, you really will benefit from getting a personalized quote before deciding on a company. For example, below are the estimated (but not guaranteed) rates for a few different but common types of drivers:

 
In the chart above, 21^st Century’s strong preference to do business with “preferred-risk” drivers is clearly evident. For drivers who fall outside of the preferred-risk pool (drivers with poor credit or accidents on their driving record, for example) may be facing a higher monthly premium if they decide to go with 21^st Century Insurance.

Pros and Cons of 21st Century Insurance

But that’s not to say that forking out a slightly higher premium for an auto insurance policy won’t pay off in the long run. You have to weigh the benefits of the company and what they have to offer you vs. what your premium is forking out for. For example:

Pros	Cons
Network of independent agents helps to provide a personal touch to the experience	Quotes for 21st Century can be a bit higher vs other companies – check for discounts
Well-rated rental car experience by consumers	Auto insurance premiums can increase at each renewal through no fault of the policyholders
Millions in community-building charitable donations	The claims adjustment process can take a few months, with frequent follow-ups required

 
Based on the information so far, good drivers with a high credit score and a preference for in-person, face-to-face business dealings might prefer the personal touch offered by their local 21st Century insurance agent. And they may get an affordable premium with a few nice discounts at the same time. However, anyone outside of the preferred-risk pool should compare 21st Century Automobile insurance quotes with at least 3 other local insurance companies just to make sure you are getting the best rate at an affordable price.

 

Corporate Headquarters
3 Beaver Valley Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
www.21st.com
1-877-310-5687