Pros
- Specialized coverage options, discounts and benefits for AARP members
- Solid claims-handling process
- Online claims-processing option
Cons
- More expensive for young drivers/non-AARP members
- Discounts and benefits not available to everyone
The Hartford Insurance Review Summary
The Hartford is a solid insurance company overall, earning a 3.4/5 rating from WalletHub editors and high scores from organizations such as the BBB and AM Best. The Hartford offers property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds, but it is best known for its AARP insurance coverage. Younger drivers and non-AARP members can buy policies from The Hartford, too, but the benefits and discounts won’t be as great.
In the sections below, learn more about The Hartford Insurance’s featured coverage options, discounts and more.
Summary: The Hartford Scores by Review Category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| The Hartford Quotes / Pricing | 20/30 |
| Customer Service & Reviews | 12.5/30 |
| The Hartford Financial Stability | 10/10 |
| The Hartford Claims Process | 15/15 |
| The Hartford Types of Insurance and Additional Services Offered | 5/5 |
| The Hartford Discounts | 5/5 |
| The Hartford Transparency | 5/5 |
| OVERALL | 68.5/100 |
Now that you’re familiar with The Hartford’s scores in each of our review categories, let’s see how the company compares to top competitors in a handful of key areas. Hopefully, this will help you find the best insurance company for your needs.
The Hartford Car Insurance Pricing
Category Rating: 67% (20 out of 30)
The Hartford Insurance received a score 20/30 in the cost portion of this review, as its premiums rank in the second quartile among cheapest major car insurance providers that WalletHub evaluated. Learn more about WalletHub’s Methodology.
The Hartford Customer Service & Reviews
Category Rating: 42% (12.5 out of 30)
- Reviews on WalletHub: 2.2/5
- J.D. Power: 3.2/5
- NAIC: 0.26
- BBB: A+
When it comes to customer service, the company has received mixed reviews as it doesn’t have a 24/7 customer support line. Plus, its customer rating on WalletHub is not great.
The Hartford’s Financial Stability
Category Rating: 60% (6 out of 10)
- AM Best: A-
- S&P: A+
- Moody’s: A1
The Hartford Insurance is on great financial footing, earning high ratings from leading credit rating agencies AM Best, S&P, and Moody’s Investors Service.
The Hartford Claims
Category Rating: 100% (15 out of 15)
The Hartford Insurance lets customers file claims 24/7 online or over the phone, at 800-243-5860. The company’s ease of accessibility earned it the best score possible in this category, per WalletHub’s grading criteria.
Learn more about The Hartford's claims process.
The Hartford’s Types of Insurance
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
- Auto Insurance
- ATV Insurance
- Boat Insurance
- Business Income Insurance
- Business Owner’s Policy
- Business Property Insurance
- Classic Car Insurance
- Commercial Auto Insurance
- Condo Insurance
- Data Breach Insurance
- Flood Insurance
- General Liability Insurance
- Golf Cart Insurance
- Homeowners Insurance
- Marine Insurance
- Professional Liability Insurance
- Renters Insurance
- RV Insurance
- Snowmobile Insurance
- Umbrella Insurance
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Since The Hartford offers so many types of insurance plans, as well as discounts for bundling multiple policies, the company got the highest score possible in this category. Below, we’ll delve deeper into how The Hartford Insurance measures up as a car insurance provider.
The Hartford Insurance offers all the major auto insurance coverage options that are commonly required by states: bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive. The company also offers extra coverage options, though they might not all be available to non-AARP members.
Supplemental Car Insurance Coverage Options Offered by The Hartford:
- Full Auto Glass Insurance: Covers any repair costs to your windows or windshield.
- Car Towing Coverage: Covers towing and labor charges associated with getting your car running again after a breakdown.
- RESCUE 1-800®: Covers emergency roadside assistance costs for towing, tire repairs, jump starts, etc.
- Rental Car Expense: Covers the cost of a rental if your vehicle is being repaired because of a covered loss.
Remember, while it may be tempting to add supplemental coverage options to get the most protection possible, you don’t want to end up paying for coverage you’ll never realistically need. That being said, there are several scenarios in which enhanced coverage is warranted, and The Hartford offers specialty car insurance options to suit these situations.
Specialty Types of Insurance Car Insurance Policies Offered by The Hartford:
- Commercial Auto Insurance for vehicles used by a business owner or employees while performing commercial duties.
- Classic Car Insurance for classic/antique vehicles. The Hartford Insurance insures those through a third-party insurer, American Modern Insurance Group.
The Hartford Insurance also insures boats and recreational vehicles, including RVs, ATVs, golf carts and snowmobiles. However, The Hartford is perhaps best known for its AARP Auto Insurance Program, which offers extra protections for AARP members while they’re on the road.
The Hartford Discounts
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
- Safety features discount
- Vehicle fuel type discount
- Driver training discount
- Good student discount
- Drive safe and save discount
- Safe driver training discount
- Quote online to save discount
- Defensive driver discount
- Bundle insurance savings discount
- Car and home coverage discount
- Car and renters insurance discount
- Condo and auto insurance discount
- Claim free discount
- Paid-in-full discount
- TrueLane discount
The Hartford Insurance offers more than 15 discount options. As a result, Hartford receives full marks in this category. Also, keep in mind that eligibility criteria for insurance discounts vary by location.
The Hartford Transparency
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
You can find most key information on The Hartford Insurance website quickly and easily, so it gets the top score possible in the transparency department. If you need more information, you can also call a live agent (888-413-8970) Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
Bottom Line
The Hartford offers several standard insurance policies for homes, vehicles and businesses that can be made to suit a variety of needs. It also offers umbrella and flood insurance options. Plus, The Hartford is an especially good choice for AARP members, as there are specialty discounts and other benefits that cater to these customers specifically.
However, despite scoring well when it comes to transparency, coverage options and its claims-handling process, The Hartford could work on its customer service practices.
The Hartford Car Insurance vs. Competitors
| Insurer | The Hartford | Travelers | Liberty Mutual | State Farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Premium* | $1,622 per year | $1,246 per year | $1,583 per year | $1,410 per year |
| Number of Car Insurance Discounts | 8 | 12 | 13 | 16 |
| Offers Home Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complaints Score (lower is best) | 0.26 | 0.16 | 1.93 | 1.35 |
| Editor’s Rating | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2 | 3.8 |
*Complaints Score represents the company's overall NAIC rating. Car insurance-specific rating may differ.
*Average annual premiums are based on a variety of driver profiles. Individuals premiums may differ, but these rates illustrate how costs from these insurers typically compare. Learn more about how these rates were calculated in the methodology section below.
For more car insurance research, check out WalletHub’s Cheap Car Insurance Study. And if you have experience with The Hartford that you think might help other consumers, you can also write a review of The Hartford Insurance.
Video: The Hartford Insurance Review
Methodology
In order to provide fair, helpful reviews of insurance companies such as The Hartford that can lead consumers to the best insurance coverage for their needs, WalletHub rates each insurance company in seven major categories: Cost, Insurance Types, Customer Service & Reviews, Discounts, Claims, Financial Stability and Transparency. Below, you can find an overview of what each section in our scoring rubric entails.
- The “Cost” section includes information about how expensive the insurance policies are. The Hartford’s average premiums and quartile rankings are based on data from California, the largest state The Hartford operates in. Rate information is provided by Quadrant Information Services. Individual rates will be different.
- The “Insurance Types” section examines what types of insurance policies the company offers.
- The “Customer Service & Reviews” section measures the insurance company’s reputation as well user reviews and information from watchdog organizations.
- The “Discounts” section examines how many and what types of discounts the company offers. It also takes into consideration whether or not there are discounts for bundling policies.
- The “Claims” section examines the ways in which customers can make claims with the policy. It considers whether or not customers can make claims by phone or online, as well as whether or not the company has a 24/7 support line.
- The “Financial Stability” section considers the company’s status with credit rating agencies A.M. Best, S&P and Moody’s.
- The “Transparency” section measures how clearly the insurer discloses key information on its website.
The final score takes these seven categories into account and reflects how close an insurance company is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star insurer. For more information, please read WalletHub’s full insurance company methodology.
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