At a Glance
Rating Breakdown
Performance Overview
Scores out of 5, based on our editorial analysis
About Allstate
Allstate was born in 1931 as a subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck and Co., originally selling auto insurance by mail through Sears catalogs before spinning off as a public company in 1993. Today it is the second-largest personal lines property-casualty insurer in the United States behind State Farm, with roughly 10% market share in private passenger auto. However, Allstate's historical reliance on a captive agent distribution model means that agent commissions add an estimated 7-12% to policy costs compared to direct writers like GEICO. This structural overhead is the primary reason Allstate premiums consistently rank above the national average in independent rate studies, even for comparable coverage levels. The 2021 acquisition of National General Holdings for $4 billion was a strategic pivot to capture the non-standard and specialty auto market, segments Allstate had largely ceded to Progressive and smaller regional carriers. From an underwriting perspective, Allstate maintains a combined ratio that has fluctuated between 95% and 103% over the past decade, meaning the company occasionally pays out more in claims and expenses than it collects in premiums, relying on investment income to stay profitable. Its AM Best A+ (Superior) rating reflects strong capitalization and reserves, but the company's loss ratio spiked notably during the 2020-2023 period due to catastrophe losses and social inflation in bodily injury claims. Allstate responded with aggressive rate increases averaging 28% across its personal auto book from 2022 to 2024, which restored underwriting profitability but alienated a significant segment of price-sensitive policyholders. The Drivewise telematics program, while marketed as a savings tool, has drawn scrutiny from privacy advocates because Allstate's data-sharing policy permits sale of driving behavior data to third-party data brokers, including LexisNexis, which can affect consumers' insurance scores with other carriers. Allstate's claims handling philosophy prioritizes centralized processing through its regional claims centers rather than granting individual adjusters broad settlement authority. This creates consistency but has historically resulted in lower J.D. Power claims satisfaction scores compared to agent-centric competitors like State Farm and Erie, where local adjusters have more latitude. The company discontinued its Esurance subsidiary brand in 2020, folding those policyholders into the main Allstate brand, and has increasingly invested in its digital quoting tools and mobile app. For consumers who value bundling convenience and access to a large local agent network, Allstate delivers meaningful multi-policy discounts, but cost-conscious shoppers with clean driving records will almost always find lower premiums from direct-to-consumer competitors.
Key Features
Multi-Policy Bundling Architecture
Allstate's bundling discounts of up to 25% are among the industry's most generous, but the math matters: because base premiums are already 7-12% higher than direct writers due to agent commissions, a bundled Allstate policy may still cost more than unbundled policies from GEICO or Progressive. Bundling becomes most cost-effective when combining three or more lines (auto + home + umbrella), where the discount stacks offset the premium overhead.
Drivewise Telematics (with Privacy Caveats)
Drivewise can deliver discounts up to 40% based on driving behavior tracked via the Allstate mobile app, including hard braking, speed, and time-of-day patterns. However, Allstate's privacy policy allows sharing of telematics data with LexisNexis and other third-party data aggregators. This data can influence your insurability and pricing with other carriers even after you leave Allstate, a trade-off most policyholders are not aware of when they enroll.
Claim Satisfaction Guarantee
Allstate offers to credit your next premium if you are dissatisfied with a claims experience, but this guarantee applies only to select auto and home policies and requires formal dispute filing within 180 days. In practice, the credit amount is modest (typically one month's premium) and does not apply to disputes over claim valuation or liability determinations, which are the most common sources of claims dissatisfaction.
National General Non-Standard Access
Through its 2021 National General acquisition, Allstate now serves the non-standard auto market (drivers with DUIs, SR-22 requirements, or major violations) at scale. This means high-risk drivers who would be declined or surcharged heavily by the main Allstate brand can often find coverage through the National General subsidiary at competitive rates, though these policies carry higher base premiums and fewer discount options than standard Allstate policies.
How It Works
Get a Quote
Enter your vehicle, property, or personal details online or through a local agent to receive a customized premium estimate.
Customize Coverage
Select your deductible, coverage limits, and optional add-ons like roadside assistance or accident forgiveness.
Review & Purchase
Review your policy summary, apply any available discounts, and finalize your purchase online or with an agent.
Manage Your Policy
Use the Allstate mobile app or online portal to file claims, make payments, update coverage, and access digital ID cards.
What They Do
- Auto Insurance
- Homeowners Insurance
- Renters Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Motorcycle Insurance
- Condo Insurance
- Business Insurance
Debt Types They Take On
- Auto
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Life
- Motorcycle
- Condo
- Business
- Umbrella
Fee & Cost Structure
Regulatory & Trust
Review Summary
Notable Case Studies
Multi-Policy Bundle with Umbrella Coverage
Family of four in suburban Naperville, Illinois bundled auto coverage for two vehicles, a homeowners policy ($380,000 dwelling), and a $1 million umbrella policy through a single Allstate agent. Before bundling, they were paying $2,100/year for auto with Progressive and $1,450/year for homeowners with a regional mutual.
Drivewise Discount for Low-Mileage Retiree
67-year-old retiree in Phoenix, Arizona enrolled in Drivewise after being quoted $1,680/year for full coverage on a 2022 Toyota Camry. Drove fewer than 5,000 miles annually with no hard braking events over the 6-month monitoring period.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Bundling three or more lines (auto + home + umbrella) delivers genuine savings of 20-25% that can offset the higher base premium structure inherent to the captive agent model
- 57,000-agent network means in-person claims advocacy and policy management is available in virtually every U.S. zip code, a significant advantage during complex claims or natural disasters
- National General subsidiary provides non-standard auto coverage for high-risk drivers (SR-22, DUI, lapsed coverage) who would be declined by most preferred carriers
- AM Best A+ financial strength rating backed by $57 billion in invested assets ensures reliable claims-paying ability even during catastrophe-heavy years
- Accident forgiveness endorsement (available after 5 claim-free years in most states) prevents the first at-fault accident from triggering a rate increase, worth $200-600 in avoided surcharges
Cons
- Captive agent commission structure adds 7-12% to policy costs versus direct writers, making Allstate consistently more expensive than GEICO and Progressive for identical coverage in most states
- Drivewise telematics data is shared with LexisNexis and third-party brokers per the privacy policy, potentially affecting your insurance scores with other carriers even after canceling the policy
- J.D. Power 2024 Auto Claims Satisfaction ranked Allstate below the industry average, with particular weakness in the speed of settlement and repair process categories
- Aggressive rate increases of 25-30% across the personal auto book in 2022-2024 caused significant policyholder attrition and reduced competitiveness for renewals
User Reviews (10)
got coverage through National General after DUI -- only option
DUI on my record. Every standard carrier declined me. My Allstate agent offered a National General policy (Allstate subsidiary for high-risk drivers). Premium is $3,200/year which is painful but at least I have coverage. National General exists specifically for drivers that standard carriers won't touch. If you need SR-22 or have major violations, ask your Allstate agent about NatGen. It's expensive but it's coverage when nobody else will insure you.
renters insurance at $15/month, set up in 10 minutes online
Needed renters insurance for my apartment lease. Allstate quoted $15/month for $30K personal property coverage with a $500 deductible. Set up entirely online in about 10 minutes. Got the declarations page emailed immediately for my landlord. Renters insurance is a commodity -- everyone offers similar coverage -- but Allstate's digital setup was painless. Added it to my auto policy for an extra $5/month bundling discount. Easy.
bundled auto+home+umbrella and saved a lot
Bundled auto+home+umbrella through my Allstate agent in Naperville. One meeting and he set the whole thing up. Saved a ton compared to having them at separate companies. The umbrella was way cheaper than I expected because of multi-line pricing. If you have 3+ insurance lines just bundle everything, the math works.
accident forgiveness saved me $500+ in surcharges
Had accident forgiveness, got into an at-fault accident, renewal came in at the SAME rate. No surcharge. The endorsement costs like $100/year and totally saved me. Get it.
my local agent fought for me during a claims dispute
Rear-ended at a stoplight. Other driver's insurance (Progressive) tried to lowball me on the repair estimate by $1,800. My Allstate agent personally called Progressive's adjuster and argued for the full repair cost. Got the full amount. Having a local agent who advocates for you during claims is Allstate's real value proposition. GEICO gives you a call center. Allstate gives you a person who knows your name and goes to bat for you.
homeowners policy is competitive ONLY when bundled
Allstate homeowners standalone was $2,100/year for my $380K dwelling. Liberty Mutual was $1,650. But when I bundled auto + home + umbrella, Allstate's total was $300 less than keeping Liberty Mutual homeowners + GEICO auto separately. The bundling discount makes the homeowners policy competitive even though the standalone price is above average. Do the total math across all lines, not line-by-line. That's where Allstate wins.
got 34% discount but my driving data showed up on LexisNexis
Enrolled in Drivewise. Low mileage, no hard braking, earned a 34% discount. Great right? Then I shopped for new insurance and another carrier pulled my LexisNexis report which showed ALL my Drivewise data -- trip times, locations, mileage. Allstate sells this data per their privacy policy. The discount was real but the privacy cost was hidden. Do you want every insurance company seeing your driving behavior forever? I didn't. Canceled Drivewise.
claims process was slow and impersonal
Fender bender, clearly the other driver's fault. Filed with Allstate. Assigned to a claims center rep I never met. Took 3 weeks for an adjuster to look at my car. Another week for the estimate. 4 weeks total for a simple claim. State Farm handled my wife's claim in 10 days with a local adjuster. The centralized claims model is Allstate's weakness -- consistency comes at the cost of speed and personal touch. J.D. Power rankings confirm this.
was an Esurance customer, forced migration to Allstate was rough
Loved Esurance -- cheap, digital, no agent overhead. When Allstate killed the brand in 2020, my policy migrated to Allstate. Premium went up $380/year immediately. The digital experience went from modern to clunky. I stayed for 2 years out of inertia then switched to GEICO. Allstate buying Esurance and killing it was bad for consumers who chose Esurance specifically because it wasn't Allstate. Still bitter about it tbh.
28% rate increase at renewal with ZERO claims
ZERO claims in 5 years. ZERO. Clean driving record. And they jacked my renewal up 28%?!?! Called my agent who said "industry-wide rate adjustments" which is just corporate BS for "we lost money on hurricanes so now youre paying for it." Five years of loyalty and this is what I get?? Switched to GEICO. Bye.
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