Allstate Auto Insurance Review [New + Rates & Coverage]

Allstate is one of the biggest car insurance companies in the U.S. Because there are so many car insurance companies available, people may be tempted to pick Allstate simply because it is a well-known brand name.

It is important to first make sure that Allstate actually fits your needs, though. After all, you want to make sure you are in good hands with Allstate.

To help you decide if Allstate is right for you, we are going to dive into everything from Allstate’s ratings to its premiums.

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Rating Agency

Companies’ ratings are important to look at. While a company may claim to have amazing customer service, ratings may prove otherwise. Below are Allstate’s ratings from major reviewers.

So what do all these ratings mean? Let’s breakdown each of Allstate’s ratings.

An AM Best rating measures the financial stability of a company, with A++ being the highest rating possible. Since Allstate has an A+ rating, it means Allstate has a stable financial future.

Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s (S&P) ratings also measure the financial aspect of companies. Moody’s rating looks at how well a company can pay off its debts (its creditworthiness). Moody’s A3 rating falls into the P-2 category, meaning the company has “a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.”

S&P’s rating of Allstate is also decent, though the best rating is AAA. An AA- rating means that Allstate has a strong ability to pay back debts, though not as strong as an AA or AA+ company.

As for the Better Business Bureau, this rating looks at multiple aspects of a business, though the most important aspect it looks at is a company’s complaint history.

A complaint history shows how satisfied customers are with the service they receive. Since A+ is the highest rating BBB gives, BBB clearly views Allstate as better than most.

JD Power is another important rating to look at when searching for an insurance company. JD Power rates companies solely on customer satisfaction levels. Allstate’s JD Power ratings are okay, though they could be much better.

A three out of five in every category means that most customers wish Allstate had better customer service.

Consumer Reports is another important company that measures customer satisfaction. The company based the overall score of 88 on the following category scores.

All the scores above are great, as excellent is the highest rating possible (very good is the second highest). As for the Consumer Affairs’ rating of Allstate, the overall rating of 4/5 is great.

Allstate currently has over 400 negative reviews (three or fewer stars) on Consumer Affairs, though over a thousand reviews are four or more stars.

Finally, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) measures the number of complaints a company receives. Allstate’s complaint ratio is fairly normal, as it is just a little over one percent.

This means that about one percent of Allstate’s customers are dissatisfied with Allstate’s service.

Up next, we will take a look at Allstate’s history.

Company History

Founded in 1931 by Sears Roebuck, Allstate has been around for almost a century. Since its creation, Allstate has moved on to become one of the largest insurance providers, ranking as number 79 on the Fortune 500 in 2017

Why should you care about Allstate’s history? Well, looking at a company’s history gives you important data about how successful the company is and what’s its future is like.

That’s why we are going to dig into everything from Allstate’s market share to its awards and accolades.

Let’s jump right in.

– Market Share

Below, you will see NAIC’s data on Allstate’s market shares over a three-year period.

Over the years, Allstate’s market share has taken a slow but steady decrease. This means other insurance companies are beginning to take over the market, which could be because other insurance companies are offering lower rates than Allstate’s rates.

 – Accessibility

Allstate has multiple options if you want to access information or get in touch with someone about your car insurance.

• Online — You can find quotes and more online at Allstate’s website.
• Agents — You can talk to agents by texting, calling, or emailing.
• Apps — Allstate offers a mobile app, through which you can access your policy information and contact agents.

In today’s technology-driven world, Allstate offers multiple ways to access information and talk to agents. Of course, as with any customer service, you may be stuck on hold for a while or have to wait a day for a reply to a text or email.

– Commercials

Commercials may seem like an odd topic to cover in this article, but advertisements are the driving force behind a company. If a company doesn’t do a good job promoting itself, its sales will suffer.

If you think of the slogan “You’re in good hands” when you think of Allstate, then Allstate’s advertisements have already influenced you.

Below is one of Allstate’s recent commercial promotions, featuring a character personifying mayhem.

https://youtu.be/5fZ2sS-IqXo

While these commercials are humorous, they work to send viewers the message that Allstate is the best equipped to take care of life’s bumps.

From crashing your car to car theft, Allstate’s commercials claim that Allstate will take care of your claims the best. Later, we will look at Allstate’s premiums to see if Allstate’s promises of excellent service are worth the price.

– Community Service

Why should you care if a company performs community service or not? Well, if a company doesn’t perform community service, it gives the impression that the company doesn’t care about the community, and therefore, it doesn’t care about you.

Allstate works hard to give back to the community through the Allstate Foundation. The Allstate Foundation focuses on the following:

• Good Starts Young — focuses on empowering youth through in-school and after-school programs
• Purple Purse — focuses on helping end domestic violence by helping victims reach financial independence
• Nonprofit Leadership Center — provides a leadership development program
• Helping Hands — supports Allstate’s employees in volunteering

In 2018, Allstate employees spent 258,000 hours on community service and donated 7.5 million to community initiatives. These donations and service time are in addition to Allstate’s Good Starts Young and Purple Purse programs.

https://youtu.be/zK23R3Tyfz4

Clearly, even though Allstate is a large company, it is still concerned with the community around it.

– How is Allstate Positioned for the Future?

So how bright is Allstate’s future? The last thing you want is to sign up with a company that goes bankrupt a year later.

Luckily, Allstate’s financial future looks stable. Even though Allstate’s market share has decreased slightly over the last few years, it still retains a large share of the market.

As well, Allstate’s financial ratings are all excellent, showing that the company isn’t at risk of going bankrupt and is able to pay off debts to investors easily.

Based on these ratings, Allstate does have a good future ahead of it. However, to stay in the game Allstate should continue focusing on customer satisfaction to raise its ratings.

Currently, Allstate’s customer satisfaction ratings are decent, but they could be better. Being known for fantastic customer service would help solidify Allstate’s position as a top company in the future.

– Working at Allstate

We want to also take a look at the atmosphere of Allstate’s company. At Glassdoor, Allstate employees rank working at Allstate 3.5 out of five stars.

While some employees say they had a great experience working at Allstate, other employees gave negative reviews. Of course, this difference in opinions is true at every company.

 Some of Allstate’s bad reviews list legitamate issues, such as a lack of work/life balance.

Out of all the reviews, 60 percent of the employees would recommend Allstate to a friend, and 72 percent approved of the CEO. Why do we care what employees think of Allstate?

Well, we care because an employee who enjoys working at Allstate and believes in the company’s purpose will do a better job of serving customers.

A large number of disgruntled employees shows that the company is doing something wrong, and this attitude trickles down to the customers.

– Awards and Accolades

Allstate has received numerous awards and accolades, and we have included a few of the most recent below.

• 2018 The Civic 50 (corporate responsibility award)
• 2018 “Best-of-the-Best” Corporation for Inclusion from the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
• 2019 One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies from the Ethisphere Institute

Allstate has also received dozens of awards for the company’s inclusion of diversity, from awards for a military-friendly employer to awards for being a top company for women.

Many of these awards were won in multiple consecutive years, showing Allstate has steadily maintained a great work environment celebrating diversity.

Cheap Car Insurance Rates

We’ve gone over Allstate’s ratings and company history, and now we want to dive into Allstate’s rates. Researching a company’s rates is incredibly important, as your rates could be different than the basic ones listed.

If you bump into a car pulling out a parking spot or have a teen driver, your rates will increase at Allstate.

That’s why we want to take a look at the different factors that impact rates at Allstate and compare them to other companies’ rates.

After all, price is an important factor in determining what insurance provider is right for you. So let’s jump right into Allstate’s prices.

– Allstate Availability and Car Insurance Rates In Texas

Allstate is available in all 50 states, which means that if you move from Texas, you can keep Allstate as your provider no matter where you go.

The first thing we want to look at is what Allstate’s rates are in Texas. While Allstate may be affordable in one state, its rates could increase drastically in another state.

These rate increases can be caused by a state’s crime rate or an inclination towards natural disasters. If you live in a state where a hurricane could sweep up your car and toss it down miles away, your rates will be higher.

The bad news is Texas has one of the highest rates of natural disasters in the U.S., making Allstate’s rates higher. Texas is prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, floods, and more.

This means that if you don’t have the proper coverage on your home and vehicle, a natural disaster could bankrupt you.

Let’s take a look at Allstate’s rates in Texas below.

Allstate is cheaper than the state average in 12 states, but unfortunately, Texas is not one of them. In Texas, Allstate is generally more expensive than other state providers as Allstate costs over 26 percent more than the national average.

– Allstate Compared to Top 10 Companies

We know that Allstate is more expensive than Texas’s state average, but let’s dig a little deeper and look at Allstate compared to other major companies in Texas.

Unfortunately, Allstate is the most expensive provider in Texas. If you are thinking of purchasing Allstate insurance, it is best to check Allstate’s discounts and compare rate changes to other companies.

– Commute Rates

Imagine coming home from a long day at work and checking your insurance bill to see that your bill is HIGHER because of your commute distance.

Unfortunately, this is a common reality at most insurance companies. Let’s take a look at Allstate’s commute rates in Texas.

While Allstate doesn’t increase its prices based on commute distance in most states, Texas is not one of them. Allstate’s rate increase will put you out an extra $260 a year if you have a longer commute.

– Coverage Level Rates

If you are in an accident and have low coverage, there is a good chance that your insurance won’t cover the majority of the costs. Because of the added cost of high coverage, though, some people take the risk of having inadequate coverage.

To see how much Allstate’s different coverage levels cost in Texas, take a look at the table below.

The jump from low to high coverage is affordable in Texas, as it only costs an extra $294 a year (or $24 a month). If this still seems like too much, medium coverage is even less.

– Credit History Rates

Missed bills and late payments can quickly contribute to a poor credit score. The bad news is that most insurers DO look at your credit score when determining their rates.

The average credit score in the U.S. is 675. If your credit score is lower than this, you may be facing increased rates on car insurance.

In Texas, the law allows insurers to look at credit scores. In fact, only three states (Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California) don’t have increased rates because the law forbids insurers from checking customers’ credit scores to create rates.

Allstate’s credit history rates in Texas are below.

Poor credit will cost you over $2,000 dollars a year in Texas. This may seem excessive, but these numbers are actually fairly common at most providers in the U.S. for poor credit scores.

– Driving Record Rates

Unlike credit history, in ALL states insurers can base their rates on a person’s driving history. Backing into another car in a parking lot, driving while under the influence, and driving a bit too fast can all contribute to raised rates.

Even though Allstate is a chain company, your driving record will impact your rates differently depending on which state you live in. In Texas, a DUI costs you an extra $2,500, while in California a DUI will cost you about $4,000.

This means Texas’s rate increases aren’t the worst, though Allstate’s increases are less in other states.

Coverages Offered

If you are considering paying for Allstate’s car insurance, you want to make sure the coverages it offers fit your needs. Some insurers may have cheaper prices, but they may only offer basic protection.

In an accident, you’ll want as much coverage as possible. To see what Allstate offers, we are going to look through everything from what types of car insurance it offers to what it’s missing.

Let’s get started.

– Types Besides Car Insurance

While Allstate offers car insurance, it also offers insurance for vehicles besides cars: boats, motorcycles, and ATV/recreational vehicles. Allstate also goes beyond vehicle insurance by offering the following insurance policies.

• Home Insurance
• Renters’ Insurance
• Condo Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Business Insurance

If you bundle your car insurance with a home or renters policy, you’ll receive a discount at Allstate. For those that find it easier to have their multiple insurance policies at one provider, this option will help you save money.

– Types of Car Insurance

Allstate offers a wide range of car insurance coverages. In addition to Texas’s required liability coverages, Allstate offers a variety of extra coverages beyond the basics.

Below is a complete list of Allstate’s main coverages.

• Bodily Injury Liability Insurance (Required) — If you rear-end the car in front of you, this insurance helps pay costs of another driver/pedestrian’s injuries or death in an accident that you caused.
• Property Damage Liability Insurance (Required) — Helps pays damage costs of another person’s property in an accident that is your fault.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) — If you are in an accident and are injured, PIP helps pay medical expenses for you and your passengers.
• Medical Payments (Med Pay) — Med Pay is similar to PIP, as helps pay your medical expenses in an accident.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage — Helps pay your expenses if you’re in an accident and the other driver at fault doesn’t have insurance or has poor insurance.

Want even more protection? Allstate offers even more coverages that can be added onto your policy.

• Collision Coverage — Helps pay for damages to your vehicle in a collision.
• Comprehensive Coverage — Helps pay for damages to your vehicle in something other than a collision with another vehicle, such as natural disasters or theft.
• Personal Umbrella — Gives you extra liability coverage in case of an accident.
• Commercial Coverage — Allstate has commercial coverage for cars used for businesses.

Allstate’s extensive list of auto insurance coverages means you can tailor a car insurance plan to meet your needs. Allstate does offer more options than other companies, such as State Farm. Of course, Allstate also has a higher price tag too.

– Additional Car Insurance Options

In addition to the numerous car insurance options we’ve already covered, Allstate offers the following add-on insurance options.

• Classic Car Insurance — Custom-tailored insurance for your classic car.
• Ride Sharing Coverage — If you want to be a rideshare driver, then you’ll need ridesharing insurance.
• Mexico Tourist Auto Insurance — Planning a trip to Mexico? Allstate offers a car insurance policy that helps cover drivers in Mexico (policy matches length of stay for up to a year).
• Rental Reimbursement — Pays for the cost of a rental car while yours is in the repair shop.
• Roadside Assistance — Pays for the cost of most common roadside services (such as tire changes).
• Property Protection — Covers the cost of damages that you accidentally caused to someone else’s property.
• Sound System Coverage — Can’t live without music in your car? This coverage covers the cost of replacing stolen/damaged sound systems in your car.
• Drivewise — Allstate has a usage-based program that runs on an app (Drivewise) and creates a policy discount.
• Milewise — Usage-based program that charges premiums based on the actual miles driven each month.

These additional coverages and options are great if you want a little extra coverage on your policy. For example, classic car insurance is important because even if your classic car never leaves your garage, you’ll need coverage on it.

The good news is that classic car insurance is generally cheaper than regular car insurance because classic cars aren’t driven as much.

The other add-on policies on the list are similar to classic car insurance — they give you needed protection at a reasonable cost.

– Discounts Offered

We’ve already learned that Allstate’s basic rate is more expensive than other Texas providers, which is why we want to look at Allstate’s discounts.

Discounts can help bring costs down, making car insurance more affordable. Below is a list of Allstate’s discounts.

While Allstate is more expensive, it also offers a lot of discounts. If you pride yourself on your safe driving, getting Allstate’s driving app that monitors driving habits could save you quite a bit each month.

https://youtu.be/oYWf8XEdpa0

As well, things as simple as paying on time and getting paperless bills can earn you a discount. Through careful planning, you can qualify for quite a few discounts and save significantly.

– What Stands Out at Allstate

So what makes Allstate stand out? Well, not only does Allstate offer a wide variety of coverages, but its discounts could cut back Allstate’s high prices to a manageable level.

A lot of Allstate’s discounts are easy to qualify for, such as paying bills on time or being a student with good grades.

Allstate also has programs that can save you money, such as Allstate’s driving apps. Allstate also has an accident forgiveness policy.

At Allstate, your first accident won’t cause your rates to go up, even if the accident was your fault.

You saw earlier that accidents can raise your rates by the thousands, which makes accident forgiveness a necessity. Of course, any accidents after the first will raise your rates.

– What’s Missing at Allstate

We know that Allstate has a lot of discounts, but the company is notably missing an important discount that most other providers give.

Allstate doesn’t have a discount for military personnel, an option that is available at most providers.

If you are military personnel, USAA generally offers the cheapest rates and most discounts. This doesn’t mean you still can’t get a good deal at Allstate. As long as you utilize multiple discounts and programs, you can reduce Allstate’s premium significantly.

How to Make a Claim

No matter how good a driver you are, you can’t control conditions outside your car — vandalism, wildlife, and other drivers. At some point in your driving career, it is likely that you will have to make a claim.

https://youtu.be/4Ofv8WlnIH8

That’s why we want to look at Allstate’s claim process, from how many premiums they sell to the ease of making a claim.

Hang with us, because we are going to jump right into it.

– Premiums Written and Loss Ratio

Why do we care how many premiums Allstate writes out each year? Well, premiums show how financially steady a company is, especially in comparison to a company’s loss ratio.

The last thing you want is to make a claim at a company and it is unable to pay.

Let’s take a look at the NAIC’s data on Allstate’s premiums and loss ratios below before we examine what these numbers mean.

Allstate has increased the number of premiums it’s written from 2015 to 2017, which means it’s attracting more customers. The loss ratio, though, has declined slightly.

What exactly is a loss ratio?

A loss ratio shows how much a company is paying out in claims. If a loss ratio is over 100 percent, a company is paying out too many claims and risks going bankrupt. Vice versa, a company with a low loss ratio isn’t paying out enough claims and risks losing customers.

The decrease in Allstate’s loss ratio could mean that the company is paying out fewer claims, or it could mean that in those years Allstate’s customers were in fewer accidents.

Regardless, Allstate is still financially stable, meaning that if you make a valid claim, Allstate will be able to pay it.

– Ease of Making a Claim

We now know that Allstate is financially capable of paying off claims (though the percentage it’s been paying out has decreased slightly), but how easy is it for customers to make a claim?

If you’ve been in an accident, the last thing you want is to spend hours trying to make a claim. Luckily, Allstate offers plenty of ways to file a claim.

• Online — You can make a claim online on Allstate’s website through your existing Allstate account (you can also file online even if you don’t have an existing account).
• Phone Call — You can call a 24/7 claims hotline at 1-800-ALLSTATE or directly contact your insurance agent.
• Mobile App — If you have the Allstate mobile app, you can file a claim in the app (as well as upload pictures of the damages).

While you may be on hold for a little while, the 24/7 claims line is available at any time or day of the week (as is the mobile app). Allstate also offers a Claim Satisfaction Guarantee., which makes sure the claim process is to your satisfaction.

If you feel a claim wasn’t handled properly, you can send a letter with your complaint within 180 days of the accident. If your complaint meets the Claim Satisfaction Guarantee, Allstate will refund you six months of your policy premium.

Make sure to do this promptly, as waiting over 180 days will result in disqualifying you from the Claim Satisfaction Guarantee.

How to Get a Quote Online

Thinking of purchasing Allstate insurance but not sure if the price is right for you? Allstate offers free quotes online so that you can check your costs at Allstate.

To help guide you through the process, we are going to go through the steps of getting auto insurance quotes at Allstate, as well as the information you will need.

The first thing you’ll need to do is go to Allstate’s website and click on the auto insurance quote option.

Next, you will see a page that requests your zip code and offers an option to add bundled policies to your quote. Remember, bundling policies will earn you a discount.

After entering in your zip code and clicking next, you will see your chosen zip code and policies and will have to click the “get started” button.

From there, you will be taken to pages that request basic personal information, such as your name, birth date, address, and email address.

As you enter your information and click next, you will have to answer basic questions about the following subjects.

• Vehicle Information (how it’s used, how old it is, safety devices, etc.)
• Job Information (occupation, length of time at that career)
• Driving History (accidents and violations)
• Coverage Level (chose what level of coverage you want)

These questions allow Allstate to formulate a better quote for you, as they take into consideration factors like driving record, commute distance, and discounts.

The final step is entering your phone number and giving permission for an agent to call you. If you don’t, you can’t continue with the claims process.

This process allows you to speak directly to an agent, who can answer any questions or concerns you have about your quote. Your quote is also saved in Allstate’s database so that you can access it at any time.

This is handy if you are receiving multiple different quotes and want to pull up Allstate’s for comparison.

As a reminder, below is the personal information Allstate requires for a quote.

In order to get as accurate a quote as possible, make sure to fill out vehicle information and driving record as completely as possible.

Design of Website/App

While some insurers’ information can be difficult to navigate, Allstate has a fairly simple website and app. On the website, it is easy to find information.

You will see four different dropdown options on the top of the page.

1. Get a Quote — Allows you to select the type of insurance you want a quote for, from condo insurance to auto insurance.
2. Insurance and More — Shows what types of insurance Allstate offers.
3. Claims — Provides everything from an overview of claims to claims tracking.
4. Tools and Resources — Articles explaining insurance coverages and basic insurance questions.

The format of the website is similar on tablets and phones, though it will be different on Allstate’s app. If you can’t find an answer to your question on the website, Allstate also has a Youtube channel that offers answers to common questions.

– Allstate Mobile App

Allstate’s mobile app has 4.8 out of five stars in the app store from over 200,000 reviews. For people that are always on their phones, the Allstate app makes it easier to access their information no matter where they are.

Some of the common complaints in the review section were about bugs with the Drivewise section of the app, such as the app deactivating Drivewise when closed.

Of course, apps are constantly getting bugs and need to be updated, so these customers’ experiences aren’t necessarily true of everyone with the app.

If you want Drivewise, though, it is only available through the app. This can become frustrating if the app is not working properly. The app does have great features though, such as being able to submit pictures of damages for a claim or easy access to roadside assistance.

You can also access your insurance ID card electronically, which is handy if you get pulled over and need proof of insurance.

The Bottom Line

We covered a lot of information about Allstate, and now we want to put it all together in a pros and cons list so we can get to the bottom of if Allstate is worth your time.

Here’s the bottom line based on our list of pros and cons.

Allstate has expensive rates and average customer ratings, though careful use of discounts could make Allstate more affordable.

It’s up to you if Allstate meets your needs. For instance, if you have a bad driving history you may want to look into other providers, as discounts probably won’t bring down your rates enough.

With a clean record, though, Allstate may be within your price budget.

FAQ

If you still have questions, don’t fear. We are going to go through some of the most common questions people ask about Allstate.

Will using Drivewise increase my auto insurance rates? Since Drivewise monitors your driving habits, some people think that bad driving habits will add to their policy’s costs.

The good news is that Drivewise only lowers your costs — Allstate doesn’t add more costs for bad driving habits.

While you may not receive a discount for that month you slammed on the brakes one too many times, costs won’t be added on.

What is Milewise and does it work? Milewise is a usage-based program. It is perfect for people who don’t drive that much (such as people who work from home). You’ll have to download the Milewise app or get a Milewise device.

You’ll then pay a daily rate and then a per-mile rate, which are lower than the usual premiums.

Since Allstate charges more for longer commutes in Texas, Milewise will save you money if you rarely drive.

Does Allstate cover damages from fires or floods? Allstate doesn’t cover car damages from natural disasters UNLESS you have comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage will cover damages from natural disasters, animal collisions, and theft/vandalism.

Can I switch Allstate agents? Absolutely. If you like Allstate but not your agent, you can easily switch to a different agent without it affecting your rates.

You can research agents through Allstate’s homepage to find a new agent near you. This is useful if you like meeting in person with an agent to discuss your policy (rather than over a phone).

Allstate will help guide you through the process, which is basically signing a form so that your information can be switched over to your new agent.

Does Allstate car insurance cover rental cars? It is best to call an agent and ask directly, as not all Allstate policies cover rental insurance.

If your policy does cover rental cars, you should be aware that Allstate generally doesn’t cover rental cars outside of the U.S.

Now that you’ve made it through our extensive review of Allstate, you are prepared to make the decision of if Allstate is the right company for you.

Enter your zip code below to start comparison shopping today.