- Insures homes that are typically denied for being high-risk
- Provides various coverage options for homeowners, rental properties and secondary homes
- Financially stable and overall positive outlook for the company
- Many negative reviews regarding filing claims
- No additional coverages or policies offered
- Complaints about the company being difficult to work with
- Only available in Texas
Wellington Insurance Group is a Texas-based finance and insurance provider that combines financial services and insurance policies. Wellington is a large insurance conglomerate that owns a number of subsidiaries that provide home insurance based on assessed risk – the company provides insurance for all homes including high-risk homes. Wellington was founded in 1988 in Ft. Worth, TX where it retains its roots – Wellington is an established company that has been operational for over 30 years. Wellington was initially known as the Frontier General Insurance Agency but changed its name to Wellington Insurance Group in 2011.
Comparing companies is a smart decision to make when shopping for homeowners insurance. There are many willing to insure you, but choosing the right one will mean you are provided with the best coverage and great customer service. Wellington is an insurance group that offers homeowners insurance on three different levels. They provide insurance for owned homes and are known for insuring properties that are often declined by other insurance carriers.
Wellington Insurance Group overview
Wellington provides insurance based on a 3-level quota system for homes. The company allocates triaged risk for homes based on how risky the property is. If it’s an older property in bad cosmetic shape, the company allocates a special high-risk carrier from their insurance group. Wellington has multiple layers of carriers that sell policies, dispersed throughout the state of Texas.
Wellington Insurance Group does not sell their policies directly – clients have to enter their zip code in order to find their nearest agent who will present them with a list of quote options. Wellington presents itself as a financial company in addition to an insurance company, but they specialize in home insurance. They underwrite policies for the following insruance companies:
- Agricultural Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Company
- Aventus Insurance Company
- Incline Casualty Company
- Palomar Specialty Insurance Company
- State National Insurance Company
- Sutton National Insurance Company
- Transverse Insurance Company
- Transverse Specialty Insurance Company
- Trisura Insurance Company
- Trisura Specialty Insurance Company
Wellington homeowners insurance coverages
Wellington operates using a triage system that determines how much coverage is provided. There are three levels that are labeled as Select, Standard, and Value policies.
Company Overview
Wellington provides insurance based on a 3-level quota system for homes. The company allocates triaged risk for homes based on how risky the property is. If it’s an older property in bad cosmetic shape, the company allocates a special high-risk carrier from their insurance group. Wellington has multiple layers of carriers that sell policies, dispersed throughout the state of Texas.
Wellington Insurance Group does not sell their policies directly – clients have to enter their zip code in order to find their nearest agent who will present them with a list of quote options. Wellington presents itself as a financial company in addition to an insurance company, but they specialize in home insurance. Wellington is located in Fort Worth, TX.
Select
This is the highest level of coverage provided. It is a named-perils policy and covers 16 different perils. It includes replacement cost coverage for your dwelling, other structures, and personal property. This policy can include up to $500,000 in personal liability coverage and up to $5,000 in medical payments coverage. Overall this package is equivalent to an HO-2 policy with a replacement cost upgrade.
Standard
This is the middle ground. A Standard policy covers 12 named perils. Like the Select policy, replacement cost coverage is included for your dwelling, other structures, and personal property. They offer a maximum of $300,000 in personal liability coverage and $2,000 in medical coverage.
Value
This is the most basic option. It covers only 8 perils and is known for being an affordable choice. The policy operates on an actual cash value basis, so it takes depreciation into account on your dwelling, other structures, and personal property. You get $100,000 in personal liability coverage and $2,000 in medical coverage.
Wellington’s dwelling fire policies
The dwelling fire insurance coverages are popular among landlords and for vacant homes. Dwelling fire insurance comes in 2 levels: Standard (similar to DP-2 policy) and Value (similar to DP-1 policy). It is very similar to homeowners insurance Standard and Value plans. The only difference we found is that Standard dwelling fire policy’s medical payments coverage F is limited to $2,000, while Standard homeowners insurance can include up to $5,000 in medical payments.
Wellington home insurance discounts
Getting discounts with your homeowners insurance company can help you save money on your premium. Wellington does not offer online quoting, so it is unknown if they provide any discounts to customers. They are an insurance group that writes policies through several different companies, so it is thought that the discounts offered could vary per carrier.
The easiest way to see if Wellington offers discounts in your area is to call for a quote. You will be matched with an agent who can let you know more about these options and if there are any available to you.
Wellington’s additional coverages
It appears that Wellington only covers residential properties that are owner-occupied. There is little information available regarding additional policies they provide or endorsements that can be added to your policy. They only list earthquake insurance and coastal home insurance program.
Earthquake Program
Clients can insure their properties with the earthquake program that protects the home and provides million-dollar coverage on the insured value. This is optional coverage that can be added to your regular homeowners insurance.
Coastal Program
Wellington has a special program for homes located next to the Texas coast, and it provides coverage for all common coastal natural disasters: windstorms, hail storms, hurricanes, increased cost of construction, evacuation expenses, etc.
If you are in need of other additional insurance policies or endorsements to further protect your home, you will probably have to go through an insurance carrier directly. You can ask an agent about any additional coverages that are available to you.
Wellington homeowners insurance premiums
Because there is no online quoting option, it is hard to determine how much a policy with Wellington will cost. It is difficult to come up with an estimate since Wellington is an insurance group that works with many different carriers. The rates are likely going to vary depending on your home and the area in which you live.
Looking through online reviews we were able to find several customers claiming that they offer competitive rates without increasing the premiums significantly upon renewal. Others complained that their premiums increased dramatically after renewal, in some cases as much as 300%.
Wellington Insurance Group is known for insuring homes that are typically declined by other insurers, so many of their clients have older homes or live in higher-risk coastal areas. If your home is located near the coast, you can expect to pay a bit more than average.
Wellington home insurance claims process
There is a claims portal on the Wellington website which allows you to view a list of points to keep in mind in the event of a loss. They also have a phone number to call to report your claim. There is also an email address available in case you do not want to call to file the claim.
When taking a look at their customer reviews, many people complain that handling claims is not Wellington’s strong point. It is difficult to get ahold of the company to receive status updates, and many express difficulties after being assigned a claims adjuster.
There are a few customers who have reported no issues when it comes to getting their claims handled, but a majority of the reviews are negative. Customers are unhappy with Wellington’s communication and overall helpfulness during the event of a loss.
Wellington’s customer service
The reviews left for Wellington are mixed with both positive and negative experiences, but the most recent reviews left in the last year are mainly negative. People have complained about obtaining insurance and then having their policy canceled without warning. They have also expressed delays when trying to get in touch with the company.
Customers who left positive reviews have stated that they are happy with their services and have great agents who are willing to help. It appears customer service can vary depending on which insurance company Wellington assigns to you.
Based on reviews alone, it appears there is an overwhelming opinion that the company is not one to choose based on customer service. There are many issues that appear in nearly every aspect of the company’s operations. As of March 2023, Wellington Insurance Group earned 2.3 stars from 311 reviews on Google.
Wellington’s financial strength
Determining the financial strength of an insurance company will help you feel secure. Those companies that are in good standing are more likely to pay out their claims and pose little risk of becoming insolvent because of debts.
BBB
As a company, Wellington receives an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau. Over the last three years, there have been 21 closed complaints. There are also 9 reviews on BBB, all of which gave Wellington 1 star with customers expressing their frustrations. Perhaps unsatisfied customers have nowhere else to post their complaints so they post them on BBB.
AM Best
In 2007, AM Best gave Wellington a BBB- rating. This rating indicates that the company was somewhat financially vulnerable, but its rating was updated to a B+ in 2016. It is a good rating that suggests Wellington has improved in their financial stability over the last several years.
The verdict
Wellington is an insurance group that offers homeowners insurance to dwellings that are owner-occupied. They work with many different carriers that are assigned depending on where you live and the details of your home.
It appears they only offer homeowners insurance, so you will have to look elsewhere if you want additional coverage or other policies. They use a triage system that comes in three different levels. Each of the levels offers different coverage amounts, which is good for those looking for varied coverage.
There is not much information on Wellington’s website and you cannot get a quote directly without contacting an agent by phone. When it comes to discounts, it is unknown if Wellington offers them. The best way to determine this is by calling an agent.
Comparing premiums is also a bit difficult since Wellington does not offer much information about their pricing. It can be thought that the price range is on the higher side since the company insures dwellings that are considered high-risk.
Handling claims through Wellington does not have a positive outlook. There are many recent complaints regarding the company and how effective they are in handling these losses. Several customers are unhappy with how the process went and the outcome after going through the necessary steps with Wellington.
There are mixed reviews when it comes to customer service, but it is notable that there are also many complaints on this front. Since Wellington is an insurance group, they use many different agents that are licensed with a variety of insurers. The customer service experience can be very situational, with a few people stating they have had no issues.
The financial status of the company is in good standing, with its ratings increasing over the last decade. There appears to be nothing to worry about with Wellington’s future financial outlook and overall structure as a company.
This is a group that offers customers access to different carriers and can insure homes that many other insurance companies may deny. However, there are consistent ratings that suggest this company is one to avoid when you are shopping for homeowners insurance because of the lack of helpfulness.
