- Exceptional customer service, coverage options, and financial strength.
- Great discounts available.
- Deductible minimization options available.
- Have to be an AARP member to obtain coverage.
- Premium cost is significantly higher than average.
- Many states where coverage is not available.
The Hartford Insurance company is one of the top home insurance companies out there. The Hartford has a partnership with the AARP, which makes the company an especially good option for AARP members who are looking for home insurance.
The Hartford is restricted to AARP members only, which makes this option unavailable to many people across the country. The premium cost can be on the higher end of the spectrum, but there are many discounts available to offset that. The Hartford may be a good home insurance option for you.
Where is The Hartford home insurance offered?
The Hartford offers home insurance to residents in 34 of the 50 U.S. states. Click below to see the full list states covered and some highlights of Hartford’s history.
The Hartford homeowners insurance is available in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
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 a small business service center.
- Paid out more than $850 million in claims after the 9/11 terror attacks.
The Hartford homeowners insurance coverages
The Hartford offers standard home insurance policies as well as a plethora of ways to customize policies. Standard home insurance policies include a few different sections of coverage with varying limits of coverage.
The standard policy sections include:
- Dwelling: coverage for damage that occurs to the structure of the home or any attached structures.
- Other structures: protection from damage to any structures on the property not attached to the home.
- Personal property: coverage to repair or replace personal belongings such as furniture or electronics.
- Loss of use: protection for additional living expenses incurred while the home is being repaired or rebuilt to make it habitable again.
- Personal liability: coverage for any lawsuits that might arise from injuries or damages to others where the homeowner is found to be at fault.
- Medical payments to others: protection for any injuries that may occur to a guest on the property no matter who is found to be at fault.
Additional coverages offered
The Hartford offers many coverages that can be added to a standard home insurance policy through them. These additional coverages include:
- Full replacement cost: This protection increases the dwelling coverage replacement cost limit to as much as 150% of the original amount
- Replacement cost for personal belongings: this protection changes the personal property section of coverage from actual cash value to replacement cost value, meaning depreciation is no longer taken into account
- Flood protection: this coverage is offered through the National Flood Insurance Program to offer to protect homeowners in the event of flood damage
- Equipment protection: This protection reimburses a homeowner for damage to appliances or other mechanical breakdowns in the home
- Water backup / sump pump overflow: This coverage protects the homeowner from water damage caused by a back up to the water system
- Coverage for jewelry and valuables: This protection significantly increases the coverage limit to more fully protect high value items of the homeowner
- Scheduled personal belongings: This protection provides a higher coverage limit to the specific belongings that the homeowner “schedules”
- Green repairs: This protection provides the homeowner with money to repair or rebuild a home after damage occurs, with eco-friendly materials
- Personal injury liability: This coverage provides protection to the homeowner for claims of libel or slander against them
- Identity theft: This protections provides the homeowner with money to recover their identity in the event that it is stolen
- Replacement plus patented protection: This coverage provides additional reimbursement to a homeowner to have Universal Design features installed when repairing or rebuilding a home
- Lock replacement reimbursement: This protection provides money to the homeowner to change their locks
In terms of coverage options, The Hartford is one of the best. As you can see above they have quite a few coverages that can be added to a standard policy, making their policies very customizable.
The Hartford also has a couple of perks when it comes to deductibles. These include:
- Zero deductible benefit: This benefit waives the deductible (up to $5,000) if damage occurs that results in over $27,500 of repair or replacement costs.
- Disappearing property deductible: This benefit can reduce and possibly disappear the deductible altogether if the homeowner has not had any claims in at least three years.
Other policies offered by the Hartford
The Hartford offers other home related insurance coverages. These Coverages include:
- Landlord insurance: This policy works in much the same way as a standard home insurance policy with the difference of landlord insurance providing loss of rental income protection rather than loss of use protection as in a standard policy. This policy covers the landlord of a rental property, not a tenant.
- Renters insurance: This policy protects the tenant of a rental property from damage to their belongings along with personal liability protection.
- Umbrella insurance: Umbrella policies provide overarching, high coverage limits that can kick in in the event that a homeowner surpasses the coverage limits stated in their policy.
- Condo insurance: This HO-6 policy is similar to a standard home insurance policy, but the coverages are specifically adapted to suit condos.
Coverage limits
Unfortunately, we were unable to find the coverage limits for The Hartford’s home insurance policies. It is safe to assume that the limits work similarly to other major companies in that a dwelling coverage limit is determined and then the other sections of coverage are a percentage of that coverage limit. Typically, other structures coverage is 10% of the dwelling limit, personal property 50%, and loss of use 20%, but that has not been confirmed. Talk with a Hartford agent to learn the specific limits for your policy.
The Hartford’s homeowners insurance premiums
The Hartford’s home insurance policies are some of the more expensive policies available today. Compared to the national average premium cost, The Hartford’s premiums are well above average. At every level of coverage, The Hartford is roughly 20 to 30% higher than the national average.
This is one of the major drawbacks to The Hartford, but they do offer some discounts to bring the premium cost down. Of course, each individual situation will be different. There are a number of factors that determine an individual homeowner’s premium for their individual policy including location, size of home, age of home, etc.
Discounts available
The Hartford offers five discounts to homeowners to help reduce the premium cost of a home insurance policy. These discounts include:
- Bundling home and auto: if you purchase home and auto insurance you can save as much as 20% on your home insurance policy
- Fire protection: installing smoke detectors and other preventative measures will award a discount
- Retiree discount: If you are retired and working less than 24 hours per week you can receive a discount
- Home security: installing alarms and/or a security system can result in a discount
- Claims-free: not having a claim for at least three years will result in a discount
It is important to note that not all of these discounts may be available in every state.
Claims
The Hartford has a relatively easy claims process. You can easily contact them via phone or start the claims process on their website. They have agents available 24/7 to help which is a nice touch. Most reviews for the claims process were quite positive.
Customer experience
Customer Experience with The Hartford is mainly positive. They have far fewer claims than expected with over 50% fewer claims than expected. Most reviews of The Hartford were positive, but of course there are always some negative reviews with any company.
Financial strength
The Hartford’s financial strength is quite good albeit not the best. The company has an A+ rating from AM Best, A+ from Standard & Poor’s, and A1 from Moody’s. These ratings are all the second best ratings that any insurance company has received. This means that they are in strong financial shape, but are not the strongest insurance company out there.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be an AARP member to buy The Hartford homeowners insurance?
Yes, you have to be an AARP member to buy The Hartford homeowners insurance. The Hartford has a partnership with AARP and offers exclusive discounts and benefits to AARP members. You can join AARP if you are 50 years or older and pay an annual fee of $16.
What are the benefits of The Hartford homeowners insurance for AARP members?
Some of the benefits of The Hartford homeowners insurance for AARP members are:
• Lifetime renewability: As long as you pay your premiums on time and meet a few requirements, your policy will not be canceled due to age or claims history.
• Disappearing deductible: For every year you don’t file a claim, your deductible will decrease by $50, up to a maximum of $500.
• RecoverCare: If you are injured at home and need help with daily activities, such as cooking, cleaning, or transportation, this benefit will pay up to $2,500 for these services.
• Homeowners 50+: This is a package of coverages designed for older homeowners, such as identity fraud expense coverage, lock replacement coverage, personal injury liability coverage, and more.
How do I file a claim with The Hartford homeowners insurance?
You can file a claim with The Hartford homeowners insurance online, by phone, or through the mobile app. You will need to provide your policy number, contact information, and details about the loss. You can also track the status of your claim online or through the app. The Hartford claims that it has a fast and easy claims process and that it will assign a dedicated claims specialist to handle your claim.
Conclusion
If you are an AARP member and looking for home insurance coverage, The Hartford is a great option for you. They provide great customer service comparatively speaking and have many options available that allow the homeowner to obtain a policy that will protect them as fully as possible in their individual situation. While it is a major drawback that non-AARP members are not able to obtain coverage through The Hartford, there is actually no age restriction to become an AARP member.
Another drawback is that there are a number of states where The Hartford does not offer coverage. These two exclusions limit the number of homeowners that the company can cater to.
The financial strength of the company is quite strong, which leads to an easier claims process. The Hartford’s unique disappearing deductible program coupled with the discounts available help reduce the high premium cost of the policies. Overall, The Hartford is a solid option for homeowners that have access to the company.
