Utica National Insurance Group is a New York-based public insurance company that provides a range of personal and commercial insurance policies. Utica National is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States – currently employing over 1,200 full-time insurance personnel and a network of over 2,000 agents licensed to sell their policies throughout the USA. Utica National provides insurance for all states in the union. Aside from homeowners insurance, they also offer coverage for renters and also provide umbrella policies for additional protection.
Utica National is one of the oldest insurance companies in the United States – Utica National was founded in the town of Utica in 1914; the company effectively writes policies for over 100 years. Utica National was initially started as the “Utica Mutual Insurance Company and Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Company” but the company dropped the long name in exchange for “Utica National”. Their main subsidiary company was their “Graphic Arts Mutual Company” which insured the first graphic communication companies in the U.S.
You get to learn a lot about an insurance company when you read comprehensive reviews. This allows you to select the best carrier to protect your home and all of your belongings. Because there are several companies that are willing to insure your home, figuring out how to get the best coverage will protect you effectively.
Types of Utica National home insurance coverage
It appears that Utica National provides standard homeowners policies for owned homes. A typical policy should protect your dwelling, other structures, and personal belongings, and offer you personal liability protection. There is little information on their website about the exact coverage limits they offer, but the company suggests the best way to determine the coverage you need is to call a local agent to get a quote.
Utica National stresses the importance of creating a home inventory for the purpose of getting reimbursed for losses that can damage personal belongings. They offer a video to help customers proceed with this and suggest using apps to keep track of the contents of the home. They appear strong in their desire to keep customers informed to prevent losses before they happen.
Utica National’s additional coverages
Utica National has a variety of other products that you can choose from if you are looking for any other type of coverage. From personal to commercial lines, they have multiple policies that can offer you further protection.
In terms of your home, it is uncertain which particular coverages are offered as endorsements on a homeowners insurance policy. Because there is no way to get a quote online, the easiest way to figure out what else they offer is to contact an agent.
One product that will directly relate to your homeowners policy is the umbrella policy. Utica National offers umbrella coverage that extends to all policies you hold. This will give you a significant increase in personal liability coverage and typically covers a minimum of $1,000,000 to start.
Utica National home insurance discounts
If you are looking to save money on your homeowners policy, knowing which discounts are available will help you make your decision. Utica National offers a bundle discount. When you insure your home and hold another policy with the company, they provide a discount on your premium. This can help if you want to only work with one carrier for multiple policies.
They also offer discounts to customers who choose EFT payments. This means you will schedule your premium payment to come out of your account automatically. It is an easy discount to obtain and appears relatively simple for most to comply with.
Utica National home insurance premiums
Since there is no way to get a quote online from Utica, there is no concrete information on how much a policy with Utica National costs. Taking a look at customer reviews can offer some insight. There are some customers that report paying reasonable affordable rates. Most of them seem to have standard homeowners insurance that offers adequate protection.
There is not much additional information regarding the premiums Utica National has to offer, but it seems most customers find the rates reasonable. Since your policy is going to be customized, you can get a more precise quote that includes all of the additional coverage you need.
Utica National’s claims process
There are mixed reviews when it comes to the claims process. Many customers are satisfied with the way Utica National handles claims and state they make claim payouts in a timely manner. Some of these customers have been with the company for decades and have filed claims without any issues.
Some other reviews report claims being denied during big losses, leaving customers to pay out-of-pocket. These customers suggest the company is terrible at handling claims and advises others to look elsewhere for homeowners insurance coverage.
Since the reviews appear to be equally mixed, it is uncertain what kind of experience you will have if you need to file a claim through Utica National.
Utica National’s customer service
The reviews regarding Utica National’s customer service are also mixed. There are plenty of customers that are happy with the service they are offered and seem to be taken care of when they need help. However, the negative reviews have a lot to say about the helpfulness of the staff.
Customers with less favorable experiences suggest that Utica National has unfriendly and unsupportive staff members that do not help quickly. They claim the company is difficult to work with and do not recommend Utica National for homeowners insurance.
Since the reviews vary so much, it is also difficult to determine the level of customer service you will receive if you decide to become a customer.
On the bright side, Utica National has a much lower complaint index of 0.32 from NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) in 2022. Since NAIC national complaint average is always set at 1.00, this data indicates that Utica National has fewer complaints than other insurers.
Utica National’s financial strength
BBB
Utica National has earned an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau when it comes to financial stability as a company. This is a superior rating and shows the company has a positive outlook for the future. They have 10 closed claims on record in the past three years.
AM Best
In October 2020, Utica National received an upgrade in its rating through AM Best. They went from an A- to an A, which showcases an improvement in the financial stability of the company. This puts them in a great place by AM Best’s standards.
The verdict
Utica National is an insurer that provides many different policies in all 50 states. Their website is full of helpful information geared toward informing the customer and appears to be a dedicated company. Because there is no online quoting option, little can be said about the actual premiums they have to offer.
It appears that Utica National does offer discounts to its customers, so this is a sign that money can be saved on a homeowners insurance policy if you qualify for them. There are also additional coverages that can be expanded on when receiving a personalized quote from a local agent.
Customer reviews left for the company appear to be equally mixed on the topics of claims and customer service. There are positive and negative experiences showcased online that makes it difficult to determine how good the company actually is when it comes to providing homeowners insurance.
From a financial standpoint, they are a very stable company with noticeable improvements occurring in the last few years. Since there is a lack of important details, it is difficult to say whether or not they are a good choice for a homeowners policy, but they do aim to protect customers in many ways through their expansive list of products.
Do you have discounts for veterans?