Auto >> AutoSPT >  >> Car Care

American Family Car Insurance Review for 2022

Customers mostly give the company, also known as AmFam, high marks for service and satisfaction. That, coupled with the lower-cost car insurance rates, should make this car insurer a contender in your search if you’re in one of the states where it does business.

This review explores the types of car insurance that American Family offers, the company’s rates, and more.  

What Type of Auto Coverage Can You Get?

Besides covering typical cars, American Family also offers other types of vehicle insurance, including motorcycles, RVs, ATVs, and more. Like most insurance companies, American Family also provides other products, like homeowners insurance, life insurance, travel insurance, identity theft insurance, and more. 

AmFam offers a range of car insurance coverage, including some required and optional others like:

  • Liability
  • Collision
  • Comprehensive
  • Personal injury protection (PIP), also called no-fault insurance
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist

Other Coverage Options

AmFam also provides add-on insurance options such as:

  • GAP: When you add on GAP coverage, it pays the difference between your car’s actual cash value and the loan amount for financed vehicles if they get totaled or stolen
  • Rental car reimbursement: Covers the cost for a rental car until your car gets fixed after an accident
  • 24/7 emergency road service: Assistance with jump starts, towing, roadside repairs, tire changes, getting locked out, and fuel delivery
  • Accidental death and dismemberment coverage: Untypical coverage that pays if a car accident has a fatal end, regardless of who is at fault
  • Accident forgiveness: The company will not raise rates following the first-ever accident you caused.
  • Rideshare: Tailored toward Uber and Lyft drivers, this coverage helps cover you while waiting for a customer on the app.
  • Medical payments coverage: This coverage can help pay for medical expenses related to injuries you and your passengers sustain in an accident. However, it’s only available in states that don’t have “no-fault” insurance laws.

RELATED STORIES: Is It Legal to Drive Without Car Insurance?

What are the Benefits of American Family Car Insurance?

American Family is popular with its wide range of car insurance discounts that help auto insurance shoppers lower their rates. 

What Discounts Can I Get with American Family?

  • Multi-product: There’s a discount when you bundle two or more policies with AmFam, like auto and home or auto and life.
  • Multi-vehicle discount: If you insure more than one vehicle with the company. 
  • Steer Into Savings: You can receive a discount if you switch from a competitor insurer and join AmFam.  
  • Loyalty discount: This one goes to longtime American Family customers.  
  • Defensive driver: There’s a break for drivers 55-years-old and up who complete a defensive driving course.  
  • Good driving: Drivers with clean driving records, no violations, accidents, or claims can get this discount. 
  • KnowYourDrive app discount: Install the app to track your driving behavior and save up to 20%. 
  • Low mileage: For those who drive less than 7,500 miles per year. See our story on average miles driven per year to learn why mileage matters.
  • Good student discount: If your child gets good grades in school, they may be eligible for a discount. 
  • Teen Safe Driver: Teens who are willing to have their driving behavior tracked with an app can get up to a 10% discount after 3,000 miles.  
  • Young Volunteer: Drivers under 25 with more than 40 hours a year of volunteer work qualify for a discount.
  • AutoPay: If you sign up for the automatic payment of your premium, you’ll get a break. 
  • Paperless discount: You can receive a discount if you opt for online billing and e-delivery for your policy documents.

Always remember to contact the company directly with any discount-related questions and shop competitors like GEICO, State Farm, and others for car insurance quotes to determine the best policy and discounts for you. 

RELATED STORIES: How to Lower Your Car Insurance Premiums

How Much Does American Family Car Insurance Cost?

According to The Zebra, American Family car insurance costs an average of $117 per month. However, you might get a different quote based on your age, gender, and average annual miles. Other factors, including your geographic location, and driving and credit history, also affect rates. Let’s take a closer look.

Other Factors that Impact Car Insurance 

Location

Living in a city with high crime and car accident rates will affect how an insurance policy gets quoted. If you live in an area prone to flooding, that will impact your policy quote.

According to Savvy, which collects rate information data from consumers’ current policies, Maine is the cheapest state for car insurance. Car insurance in New York is the most expensive.

Least Expensive  Most Expensive
1. Maine 1. New York
2. Hawaii 2. Rhode Island
3. Idaho 3. Washington, D.C.
4. Wyoming 4. Maryland
5. Iowa 5. Louisiana

Source: Savvy

Savvy’s statistics offer a representative sample used as a general guide. This example does not break out information by the insurer. See more about Savvy’s methodology.

DUI

A DUI, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs violation, can significantly impact your premium. Insurance companies usually quote higher premiums to drivers with DUIs, and rates typically increase between 30% and 100%. 

However, the good news is that according to The Zebra, American Family rates fall below the national average of $205 per month compared to its competitors after a DUI penalty.

Car Insurer Average Monthly Premium after DUI
American Family $137
Progressive $153
State Farm $157
GEICO $229
Allstate $356

Source: The Zebra

Car Accident

Driving history plays a major role in insurance rates, too. Overall, individuals with poor driving histories can expect their rates to be much higher on average than those with good driving histories.  

At-fault collisions and other accidents can have a massive impact on your car insurance premiums. According to The Zebra, drivers with an at-fault accident can expect rates to increase by $757 each year for up to five years. 

American Family drivers in an at-fault accident can expect to pay $147 per month, well below the national average of $179 a month.

How Will My Credit History Factor into My Rate?

Another major factor insurers take into consideration: a person’s credit history. A very poor FICO credit score can cost a driver as much as 165% more for the same car insurance policy than someone with exceptional credit. FICO scores help lenders, and car insurers make accurate, reliable, and fast credit risk decisions for car buying and auto policy rates, among its many uses.

American Family Customer Satisfaction

According to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Auto Insurance Study of nearly 40,000 people evaluating customer satisfaction, American Family ranked as the number one auto insurance brand in the Southwest region for the second year in a row. The study looked at criteria like auto insurance claims, policy offerings, billing process and policy information, customer interactions, and price.

In J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, American Family ranked 889 of 1,000, above the industry average of 880. The study looked at 7,345 auto insurance customers settling claims.

American Family Background 

American Family was founded in 1927 as Farmers Mutual Insurance Company in Madison, Wisconsin. Initially, it only offered car insurance to farmers. 

The company has since grown to cover drivers in 19 states: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

In assessing the company’s financial strength, A.M. Best gives the company an A rating, which is considered very strong. Financial strength determines a company’s stability and ability to pay out claims. Consumers shopping for car insurance rates need to know a company can pay those claims when they need it most, such as during a flood, a tornado, or a major car accident.

Before determining which auto insurance provider to go with, it’s essential to shop for quotes from several providers so you can choose which insurer works best for you.

Related Auto Insurance Stories:

  • Is It Legal to Drive Without Car Insurance?
  • How to Choose Your Car Insurance Deductible
  • Best Car Insurance for Teens, Students, and New Drivers