Liberty Mutual has been in the insurance business for more than a century. The Boston-based insurer sells insurance products nationwide and boasts a workforce of 50,000 employees in 30 countries. With an estimated $126 billion in assets, Liberty Mutual ranks #75 on the Fortune 500 list, where it has appeared for 25 years.
In recent years, Liberty Mutual has earned an impressive number of awards for its charitable contributions, green energy initiatives and workplace diversity. Liberty Mutual has a history of supporting entertainment and sports programs, sponsoring U.S. Hockey and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team, along with PBS programs such as American Experience and Antiques Roadshow.
Liberty Mutual sells a wide range of insurance products, including renters insurance. But how do Liberty Mutual’s renters policies stack up against the competition?
The specs
| Price | $285 nationwide average annual premium |
| Best for | Renters who want low-cost basic coverage |
| Not for | Renters who want earthquake or flood insurance in a standard policy |
| States served | All states |
| Discounts | Claims free Military Early shopper Smart Home Protective devices Multi-policy Automatic payment Online purchase Paperless policy |
| AM Best Rating | A (Excellent) |
| Standout Features | Loads of discounts available |
The claim
Liberty Mutual’s standard renters insurance policies include the basic coverages most insurance carriers offer, including additional living expenses, liability, medical payments and personal property coverages. Liberty Mutual claims to have the best discounts on the market for renters insurance policyholders.
Is it true?
Liberty Mutual offers renters insurance policyholders nine discount programs. Nonetheless, in J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Renters Insurance Study, Liberty Mutual earned just two out of five stars for its pricing.
Our deep dive
One-stop insurance shopping makes protecting your valuables a little easier, so it’s important to find an insurance company that can handle all your needs. Liberty Mutual’s portfolio of products holds an impressive variety of insurance policies to cover your:
- Automobile
- Boat
- Condo
- Home
- Life
- Mobile home
- Motorcycle
- Pet
- Recreational vehicle
In the personal insurance category, Liberty Mutual also provides policies to help protect you from identity theft losses, pay for critical illnesses and cover flood damage. Business owners can also turn to Liberty Mutual to protect their interests in land- and marine-based businesses.
Cost rundown
When shopping for renters insurance, various factors can affect your rate, including:
- Your age
- Location of your home
- Security and safety features of your home such as alarm systems and smoke detectors
- Dog ownership
- Recreational features such as swimming pools
- Roommates
Based on a study by The Zebra, a company that researches the insurance market, U.S. renters pay an average annual renters insurance premium of $188. We requested an online quote from Liberty Mutual and were pleasantly surprised by the rate we received. According to the quote, we could purchase $25,000 worth of personal property coverage, for an apartment in San Francisco, California, for around $100 per year. The quote also included $5,000 of additional living expenses coverage, $100,000 of liability coverage and $1,000 of medical payments coverage, with a $1,000 deductible.
Cheaper (or free!) alternatives
Some insurance companies offer just a few discounts to lower your renters insurance rate. But Liberty Mutual provides nine discounts to make your policy more affordable, including:
- Claims-free discounts
- Early shopper discounts
- Military discounts
- Multi-policy discounts
- Online purchase discounts
- Paperless policy discounts
- Preferred payment discounts
- Protective devices discounts
- Smart home discounts
- American Family: 5 out of 5
- USAA: 5 out of 5
- State Farm: 5 out of 5
- Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group (AAA): 5 out of 5
- Allstate: 2 out of 5
The competition
While Liberty Mutual earned a top-ten spot in the 2019 J.D. Power U.S. Renters Insurance Study, several companies received significantly higher overall satisfaction scores, including:
J.D. Power rates renters insurance companies in several categories, including billing process, claims handling, customer interaction, policy offerings and price. Liberty Mutual received two-star ratings in most categories, while the top two companies earned five stars in all categories.
Some of the top J.D. Power winners offer renters insurance policies with features that Liberty Mutual doesn’t. For example, USAA’s standard renters policy covers damages caused by earthquakes and floods. Liberty Mutual offers optional earthquake and flood insurance at an additional cost. USAA only offers products to military members and their families, but if you qualify, you can take advantage of their exceptional renters insurance.
AAA offers renters insurance discounts for its auto club members. That’s not unusual and comparable to Liberty Mutual’s multi-policy discount program. However, AAA renters insurance policyholders can also receive discounts with major moving and relocations companies, saving big on expenses such as moving vehicles and storage.
Allstate and Liberty Mutual received the same overall satisfaction score, five out of five stars. However, Allstate earned five stars for its superior claims handling. We’re also impressed by Allstate’s seniors discount program, which offers up to a 25% discount for policyholders 55 years of age or older.
What others are saying
The Better Business Bureau awards Liberty Mutual an A rating. Many of the complaints filed with the BBB against Liberty Mutual involve billing issues and product or service problems.
In a comparison of car and renters insurance discounts, The Zebra ranked Liberty Mutual in the top four, beating Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm and USAA. The study determined that Liberty Mutual renters insurance policyholders earn an average discount of 5.06%.
Bankrate also gave a nod to Liberty Mutual for its excellent discounts, listing the Boston-based company among the best renters insurance companies of 2020.
The bottom line
While Liberty Mutual’s standard renters insurance policies offer basic coverages, the discount programs exceed most other insurance companies. If a standard policy doesn’t fit your needs, Liberty Mutual has a few options such as earthquake, jewelry and replacement cost coverages to provide more comprehensive protection.
The post Liberty Mutual Renters Insurance Review 2020 appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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