The Rating Game: Unraveling 21St Century Auto Insurance's Pricing Strategy

21st Century Auto Insurance is a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance that offers affordable rates for drivers in California. The company has a high financial stability rating from AM Best but has received more customer complaints than average, with most complaints concerning delays in paying claims and unsatisfactory settlements and offers. 21st Century offers standard coverage options, including liability, collision, comprehensive, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, as well as additional coverage options such as roadside assistance and rental reimbursement. The company provides several discounts, including good driver, superior driver, good student, mature driver, multi-car, and anti-theft discounts. Overall, 21st Century Auto Insurance is a good choice for California motorists who prefer a smaller company with affordable rates, but it has limited availability and fewer coverage options than some of its competitors.

21st Century auto insurance rates compared to other companies

21st Century Insurance, now known as Toggle, offers slightly better-than-average rates for full-coverage car insurance. For full coverage in California, 21st Century's rates were $76 cheaper than the average per year. However, for minimum coverage, 21st Century was a few dollars more expensive than Geico and State Farm. The company also beat the average for drivers with a DUI by $93 per annual policy.

However, 21st Century is only available in California, and its rates are more expensive than the national average. Its rates are also higher than the statewide average for California. 21st Century charges an average premium of $120 for liability-only coverage and $261 for full coverage in California. The national average for liability-only coverage is $105, and the average for full coverage is $215 per month.

The company also has a high rate of complaints relative to its premiums written. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index rating for 21st Century was 2.5 times the national median. The industry average is 1.0, so a number lower than that means a company has fewer complaints than average. At 2.22, 21st Century is nearly double the industry average. Most complaints concerned delays in paying claims and unsatisfactory claims settlements and offers.

Overall, 21st Century offers good prices for most drivers, but its limited availability and high rate of complaints suggest drivers may find better service elsewhere.

Pros and cons of 21st Century auto insurance

Pros of 21st Century Auto Insurance:

• The company has more than 60 years of experience in the insurance business.
• It is a well-established company with strong financial stability.
• It provides 24/7 claims service and fraud reporting to customers.
• It offers multiple discounts to new and long-term customers.
• It offers complimentary roadside assistance to policyholders.
• It offers flexible billing options.
• It has a variety of coverage options.
• It has a user-friendly website.

Cons of 21st Century Auto Insurance:

• It is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which indicates that the carrier has not been determined to meet certain standards, such as resolving customer complaints.
• It only offers one type of insurance (auto insurance).
• It only caters to customers in California.
• It has an average of 1-star ratings by customers on BBB.
• Customers have noted high premium costs and unexpected premium increases over the years.
• There is a concerning volume of customer service complaints.

Types of plans from 21st Century auto insurance

21st Century Insurance offers the basic types of coverage that you could expect from an auto insurance provider. These include:

• Collision coverage, which covers damage to your vehicle if it hits another vehicle or object.
• Comprehensive coverage, which covers loss from theft, vandalism, weather-related damage, and crashes with animals.
• Bodily injury liability coverage, which covers medical bills and lost income for injuries to other people in an accident that's your fault.
• Property damage liability coverage, which covers damage to someone else's property, including their car, if you're at fault.
• Uninsured motorist coverage, which covers your costs if you're hit by a driver who is uninsured or underinsured.

In addition to the above, 21st Century offers these additional coverage options:

• Roadside assistance, to help when your car breaks down. This is part of every 21st Century policy at no additional cost.
• Rental reimbursement, which covers the cost of a rental vehicle for up to 30 days if your car is off the road for more than a day due to an accident.
• Classic car auto insurance for vehicles that are 19 years or older.

The company also offers SR-22 insurance filings and has a "refer a good friend" program that could earn you gift cards for referring friends and family.

Discounts offered by 21st Century auto insurance

21st Century Insurance, now part of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, offers a range of discounts to its auto insurance customers. The company markets itself as a low-cost provider, and while it may not offer the depth of coverage that some drivers require, it does include free perks like 24-hour roadside assistance.

Safe Driver Discount

If you have a clean driving record with no violations or tickets in the last three years, you can qualify for a discount of 20% or more on your premium. This discount is available to drivers who are licensed for three consecutive years and have not received more than one point for moving violations within that time.

Superior Driver Discount

If you qualify for the Safe Driver Discount, you may also be eligible for the Superior Driver Discount. This offers additional savings of 10-20% for maintaining a clean driving record for four or five years.

Good Student Discount

Students under the age of 25 who maintain a "B" grade average or better may be eligible for an average discount of 15% on their car insurance.

Mature Driver Discount

Drivers aged 55 or older can save on their insurance by completing a state-recognized defensive driving course. This discount averages 2%.

Multi-Vehicle Discount

Insuring multiple cars or drivers under the same policy can result in significant savings, with an average discount of up to 30%.

Anti-Theft Device Discount

If your vehicle is equipped with an active anti-theft device, you can receive a discount of 5% off your comprehensive coverage or 15% off your total policy amount.

Other Discounts

Other discounts offered by 21st Century Insurance include the Driver Training Discount, Teen Driver Discount, Away at School Discount, Multi-Car Discount, Early Shopping Discount, New Car Credit, Alternative Fuel Discount, Auto-Homeowner Policy Discount, Auto-Renter Policy Discount, and more.

It's important to note that the availability of these discounts may vary by state, and customers are encouraged to check with a 21st Century representative to understand the specific discounts applicable to their situation.

Customer service ratings and reviews for 21st Century auto insurance

21st Century Insurance has a high rate of customer complaints relative to its premiums written. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) gave 21st Century a Complaint Index rating of 2.5, 2.14, or 2, depending on the source—in any case, higher than the national median. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gives 21st Century Insurance 1.1 stars out of 5.0 from 36 customer reviews.

Many customer reviews of 21st Century Insurance mention frustrations with its claims process and constant rate increases. Other common complaints include poor customer service, long hold times, and unexpected fees.

However, some customers praise 21st Century Insurance for its affordable rates, kind and helpful customer service representatives, and easy-to-use website.

Frequently asked questions