Secured with SHA-256 EncryptionAARP Auto Insurance Review
AARP Auto Insurance is a partner company of The Hartford, an insurance company that was founded in 1810 in Hartford, Connecticut. (For more information, read our “The Hartford Auto Insurance Review“).
The program is available to AARP members and is specifically designed for older, more experienced drivers.
Before signing up for an insurance policy, a provider should be thoroughly studied to establish that the company can provide reliable, affordable coverage you need.
In this review:
AARP Auto Insurance Coverage
AARP Auto offers a variety of coverage options tailored to fit individual driving habits, needs, and budgets.
Here are a few of the coverage options available:
- Full Glass Coverage: Policies that pay for any covered glass loss without a deductible.
- Car Towing Coverage: This type of insurance helps to pay for towing charges in the event of a breakdown.
- Vehicle Collision Coverage: This type of coverage pays to bring the policyholder’s vehicle back to the pre-loss condition in the event of a collision.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive insurance helps to pay for non-collision damage sustained by a vehicle like vandalism, theft, or natural disasters.
AARP Claims Satisfaction
As a policyholder, your most important interactions with your auto insurance provider usually take place when you’re filing a claim following a loss.
Therefore, how quickly and fairly an insurer settles claims is among the most important factors to consider when going through AARP Auto insurance reviews.
J.D. Power Ratings
J.D. Power is an information services company that provides ratings for insurance providers.
The company evaluates three KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, to determine how well an insurer communicates with policyholders, the ease of service interaction, and the timeliness with which claims are settled.
According to the 2017 JD Power claims satisfaction study, AARP Auto policyholders believed the overall claims process provided by their insurer to be better than the experience provided by other insurers.
The repair process was rated as among the best, and AARP Auto’s initial claims reporting process, claims servicing, estimation process, and the claims settlement were also rated higher than the industry average.
The rental experience was ranked below average, however.
Customer Reviews
While a satisfactory claims experience is paramount to overall customer satisfaction, it’s not the only aspect of customer service to consider when choosing the best auto insurance provider.
Other factors, including whether an insurer provides the types of coverage you need, how cost-effective their coverage is, how easy it is to speak with someone regarding your policy, and how easy their website is to navigate, are all important factors to weigh when reading AARP Auto insurance reviews.
AARP Auto insurance ratings vary widely based on geographic region.
- In the Mid-Atlantic states, the insurer received an average overall satisfaction rating, with exceptionally high marks for pricing, average ratings for policy offerings, bill processing, and claims, and a low score for interaction. For comparison, AARP Auto ranked higher than Allstate and lower than Geico in this region.
- In Florida, AARP Auto ranked among the bottom three insurance providers, with below-average ratings in nearly every category, scoring slightly higher than Travelers and Mercury.
- In California, this insurer ranks near the top, with high marks for nearly every metric. There, AARP Auto ranks above Allstate and 21st Century, but below the Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group and Wawanesa.
Complaints
Every insurance company fields complaints—it’s just part of the nature of the business. As you’re studying AARP Auto insurance reviews, it’s important to research its justified complaints.
In California, the nation’s most populous state, The Hartford, (AARP Auto insurance policy underwriter), is ranked 34 out of 50 and received 14 justified complaints in 2016.
Its total claim exposure is 216,040, putting its justified claim ratio at 6.5. This insurer ranked in the bottom 32 percent of the group.
Pricing Compared
All auto insurance providers consider numerous variables when calculating your premium, including your age, how long you’ve been driving, and how many claims you’ve filed in the past. Consider the following scenarios for California drivers:
- Married Senior Couple (licensed 40+ years), no violations, driving roughly 7,000 miles per year, two vehicles including a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes-Benz C300, living in Colusa County
- Married Senior Couple (licensed 40+ years) each spouse has received one ticket in the past three years, driving roughly 7,000 miles per year, two vehicles including a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes-Benz C300, living in Los Angeles County
In the first scenario, the insureds have no violations and live in Colusa County, California. AARP Auto insurance ratings position the company as the fourth most-cost-effective option for the town, at $614.
The lowest premium for this liability-only coverage is provided by Western General at $437, and the most expensive option is Bankers Standard at $1,242.
In the second scenario, the insureds have each received a ticket and reside in Los Angeles County, which significantly impacts their quoted premium. AARP Auto is the second-cheapest option at $1,053. The cheapest option is Metromile at $754, and the most expensive option is from Encompass at $2,924.
As you can see, the slightest change in variables can impact your premium quite a bit. That’s why it’s important to provide all the pertinent details to your agent or add them to an online interactive tool when requesting a quote.
Financial Strength
When reviewing AARP Auto insurance ratings, consider whether the insurer would have the financial strength to cover millions of dollars in claims that may result from a natural disaster.
While this may seem farfetched, recent super-storms and other natural disasters paint a different picture. The Insurance Information Institute outlines tips to help you evaluate an insurer’s financial strength.
A.M. Best
Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, which underwrites AARP Auto insurance, was rated A by A.M. Best.
This indicates that the insurer has an excellent ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations. This insurer received a rating of A2 from Moody’s Investor Service, an upper-medium-grade score that indicates low credit risk.
Standard & Poor’s
Finally, it was rated an A by Standard & Poor’s. This indicates a strong ability to meet financial commitments, though the insurer may be more susceptible to financial hardship than companies with an AA or AAA rating.
By considering these AARP Auto insurance reviews and comparing them to other reviews, you can determine whether this company will meet your needs and budget.