Foremost Auto Insurance Review - Pros and Cons Explained

Hi there, I'm Amanda Mushrow and I'm a writer for autoinsurance.com. Today we're going to take a look at Foremost Auto Insurance. It's a company that offers a wide range of coverage options in all 50 states. It's a member of Farmers Insurance Group, so you can also get life insurance and pet insurance through related companies. But Foremost is only available through independent agents and has higher than average rates since many of its policies serve high-risk drivers. So, is it a good fit for you? Let's find out. Here's some quick background on Foremost Insurance. The company actually started in 1952 as America's first mobile home insurer. In 2000, it was acquired by Farmers Insurance Group and seven years later, Farmers acquired Bristol West, which specializes in high-risk drivers. This allowed Foremost to launch an auto insurance product. Today, Foremost sells insurance for a variety of vehicles like cars, boats, motorcycles, and ATVs. We named Foremost one of the best auto insurance companies for motorcycles and it was our top overall pick for RV insurance. So, how much can you expect to pay with Foremost? For full coverage, Foremost is actually about 31% higher than the national average. Minimum coverage isn't better at 44% higher than the national average. Now, keep in mind that these are only averages and Foremost sells high-risk Bristol West policies, which raises its average costs. So, if you have a clean driving record, you could get a more affordable rate. Wondering about discounts? Foremost does offer some discounts, but not as many as its competitors. They do offer multi-policy, multi-car, and bundling discounts, as well as discounts for good driving and having safety devices in your car. But another way you can save is with their diminishing deductible discount. First, here's a quick review of deductibles. Most comprehensive and collision insurance policies have deductibles. This is the amount of money you need to pay before your coverage kicks in. For example, you get into an accident that results in $2,500 of damage to your car. If you have a $1,000 collision deductible, that means that even though the damage is covered, you'll need to pay $1,000 out of pocket first to meet your deductible. And then your insurer will cover the remaining $1,500. Typically, the lower your deductible, the higher your premiums will be. With diminishing deductible, your deductible is lowered each year you go without a claim, up to $500 total. So, if you start with a $1,000 deductible, it drops to $900 after one claim per year, and then $800 the next year, and so on. This lets you save on out-of-pocket costs just for maintaining a good driving record. To get a quote from Foremost, you'll need to speak with an independent agent. Again, this company does not offer online quotes. Now, this could be a pro or a con, depending on how you like to shop for insurance. They'll ask you basic questions about your vehicle, driving history, and other important factors to help them calculate a quote. Foremost offers all of the standard types of insurance coverages, as well as optional coverages like classic car, ride share, and roadside assistance. But when it comes to customer service, the results are mixed. As a farmer's subsidiary, Foremost has an excellent AM Best rating, so you can count on it to pay out claims. But Foremost doesn't score as well on customer complaints with an NAIC score of 1.70 over 1.5 times the average. Still, that's not too bad compared to some insurers with complaint scores as high as 9 or 10 times the norm. Who is Foremost Auto Insurance best for? High-risk drivers, those who prefer working directly with an agent, and anyone needing coverage for alternative vehicles like RVs, motorcycles, or boats. Who is Foremost Auto Insurance not best for? Drivers who prefer to get quotes and shop for car insurance online, and drivers looking for inexpensive insurance policies. Bottom line, Foremost policies are offered only through local agents and higher-than-average rates, but it may be a good option for high-risk drivers due to their partnerships with Farmers and Bristol West. That's a wrap on Foremost Auto Insurance. And is there any insurance company that you want to know more about? Tell us in the comments and be sure to check out our other videos on this channel. And head over to autoinsurance.com for more information. Thanks and we'll see you in the next video.