This company is known as one of the oldest insurance companies in the United States. It was founded more than 200 years ago in 1810. The company has quite a colorful history including achievements that they are proud to share to this day such as:
- Provided home insurance for Abraham Lincoln.
- One of the first companies in the 20th century to provide accident and indemnity coverage as automobiles became the means of transport in the country.
- Provided coverage for Babe Ruth
- The insurer for President Dwight Eisenhower’s farm.
- Provided insurance protection for Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
- The first insurance company to offer small business service center.
- Paid out more than $850 million in claims after the 9/11 terror attacks.
With The Hartford’s numerous achievements over the years, it is considered one of the most trustworthy and successful insurance providers in the United States. If you are looking for this kind of stability, Hartford should be on the top of your choice.
According to data, Hartford’s customer base is made mostly of homeowners who are at retirement age who have multiple assets that need protection. This is most likely because Hartford offers a policy that includes high-liability options and products that are made to provide ample protection to achieve a comfortable standard of living.
The Hartford insurance offers coverages in different packages with some more advantageous than others depending on your specific needs.
- Dwelling Coverage – The company will use its own software to determine the coverage limit of your dwelling. It is made to protect your home and other structures that are attached to it.
- Other Structures – This helps cover other buildings on your premises that are not attached to your dwelling. This is automatically calculated as 10% of the dwelling coverage, so if you have a bigger shed or a workshop perhaps make sure to contact an agent.
- Personal Property – Protects items inside your dwelling such as clothing, furniture, and appliances.
- Loss of Use – Protection to help you with your living expenses if you cannot live in your home that is under the policy.
- Liability – Provides protection for lawsuits and covers losses up to the policy limit for injuries that happened within your premises.
- Medical Payments – Protects you from emergency medical expenses in case someone is injured in your property.
On top of your base policy, you can bundle other coverages together. The package is designed to help customers bulk up on additional coverages that they can’t find in their policies. Some of the features include:
- Fraud expense protection.
- New-for-old protection which provides the actual cost of lost valuables instead of the depreciated value of the items.
- Personal injury liability coverage for damages that arise from slander or libel charges.
This package includes all that is covered by the Home Advantage Package plus additional coverage such as:
- Disappearing Property Deductible – Rewards properties that are safe by reducing the deductible by $50 every 3 years.
- Equipment Breakdown Coverage – Helps cover the cost of replacing or repairing the breakdown of items like appliances and electronics after normal usage.
- Valuable Items Blanket – Coverage for valuables. Standard homeowners insurance policy has a cap for their jewelry of up to $1,500 and silverware up to $2,500, this add-on can increase the limit up to $10,000 per item. Additionally, the coverage is extended for damaged or lost valuables.
- Green Rebuilding – Increases the limit of policies up to 10% when you use green materials for repairs and rebuilds.
- Sump Pump Overflow and Water Backup – Provides protection in case there is water backup or overflow due to the sump pump.
- Assisted Living Care Coverage – Extends the liability, contents, as well as, additional living expenses to relatives who are in assisted living care centers.
- Schedule Personal Property – Protects in case of total covered loss up to 100% of the insured value of certain items if they are damaged or destroyed.
Compared to other insurance companies, there are less available discounts from Hartford. However, if you strategically stack them you can get nice savings in the process.
- Bundle Discount – For Auto and Home insurance that are bundled together, you can save up to 20% on your policy.
- Home Security or Protective Devices Credits – Installation of sprinkler systems, burglar alarms, a deadbolt lock, or a smoke detector can give you credits.
- Renewal Credits – For those who are loyal to Hartford, you will get a discount for your home insurance for at least four years.
- Retiree Credit – Credit for those who are retired or work less than 24 hours per week.
- AARP Membership – If you are a member of AARP, you can get credits for your home insurance.
As the company has been in operation for the very long time, Hartford is able to retain a relatively above average rating from consumers and industry partners. A.M. Best has given Hartford a financial rating of A+ (Superior). Additionally, it received a 3 (About average) out of 5 Power Circles from J.D. Powers for overall consumer satisfaction in their 2018 U.S. Home Insurance Study.
We also pulled together actual reviews from real customers who posted on Clearsurance website.
“The customer service representative I spoke with was extremely helpful.” – earthygirl
“The Hartford. Competitive Rates, Excellent Customer Service” – sammiesand
“AARP-Hartford–Big Problem” – clruud
Due to their history, The Hartford is able to enjoy what other companies do not have, namely, a long list of successful coverages. They have a mix of both excellent ratings and poor reviews from some customers but nevertheless features a solid performance for their home insurance policies.
