Is Allied a Good Place to Buy Car Insurance?
Last Updated on April 20, 2023
Founded in 1929, Allied is now a subsidiary of Nationwide. The company is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.
Allied offers several types of insurance, including automobile, home, life, and more.
Today, Allied continues to sell its own insurance under its own brand, although the company’s official logo describes it as “a Nationwide Insurance company.”
Is Allied a good place to buy car insurance? Or are there better insurance providers with cheaper prices? Let’s take a closer look today at everything you need to know about Allied.
Key Takeaways:
- Allied Insurance was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers several types of insurance, including automobile, home, life, and more.
- Allied is known for being a more customer-friendly insurance company than some of its larger competitors. It has policies like accident forgiveness and minor violation forgiveness, and its roadside assistance program is very affordable.
- Allied is ranked by AM Best, which assesses the financial strength of insurance companies. AM Best has given Allied a rating of A (Excellent). That rating means Allied should have no issue covering its liabilities or paying customer claims.
- Allied has several auto insurance policies that distinguish itself from the competition, including bonus airbag replacement, accidental death coverage, and coverage for multiple vehicles. Allied also offers several unique discounts, including vanishing deductible, total loss deductible waiver, and bundling discounts.
What Is Allied?
Allied Insurance was founded in 1929 in Des Moines, Iowa. The company offers the standard auto insurance policies you would expect, including liability insurance, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, gap insurance, and personal injury protection, among other types of car insurance.
Allied also offers home insurance, life insurance, and other policies.
Today, Allied is known for being a more customer-friendly insurance company than some of its larger competitors. It has policies like accident forgiveness, for example, and minor violation forgiveness. Allied also has a very affordable roadside assistance program ($20 to $40 per year). Although Allied charges higher prices than many competitors, they tend to provide better customer service.
Before we get into the details, here’s an overview of what Allied brings to the table:
Allied Overview | |
---|---|
States served | All 50 States |
Customer Service | Very Good |
Financial Strength | Excellent |
Price | Moderate |
Roadside assistance | $20 to $40 per year |
Pay schedule | 12 months or 6 months |
Claims methods | Online or over-the-phone |
New car protection | Yes (if totaled within the first three years of ownership) |
Accident forgiveness | Yes (bonus option) |
Rideshare coverage | Not Available |
SR-22 coverage | Yes |
Is Allied a Good Insurance Company?
Allied is not one of the largest insurance companies in the United States. It does not appear on any JD Power rankings – either national or regional rankings. That means Allied is not one of the top 20 largest insurance companies in the United States, nor is it one of the largest insurers in specific JD Power subregions like California, Mid-Atlantic, North Central, or Southwest.
However, Allied is ranked by AM Best, which assesses the financial strength of insurance companies. AM Best has given Allied a rating of A (Excellent). Although some insurance companies receive A+ ratings or higher from AM Best, a rating of A (Excellent) is still considered good. That rating means Allied should have no issue covering its liabilities or paying customer claims.
Allied’s parent company, Nationwide, is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, which means Nationwide does appear on most JD Power rankings at the national and subregion level. Allied and Nationwide have become increasingly integrated, which means you can expect comparable customer service, prices, and claims satisfaction between the two companies.
On the latest JD Power rankings, Allied parent company Nationwide scored 3/5 across the board and was ranked 11th out of the top 25 car insurance companies in the United States. Nationwide received similar scores to GEICO, State Farm, The Hartford, Farmers, Travelers, American Family, and other major insurance companies in the United States.
Allied Auto Insurance: What Makes Allied Different?
Allied has several auto insurance policies that distinguish itself from the competition, including:
Bonus Airbag Replacement: If your airbag is accidentally deployed, Allied will pay to replace it.
Accidental Death Coverage: If you perish in a covered accident, Allied will pay a benefit of $10,000.
12-Month Rate Lock: Most insurers only lock rates for six months, although Allied offers 12-month rate locks to most customers.
Coverage for Multiple Vehicles: Allied offers insurance for boats, RVs, travel trailers, motorcycles, and other unique vehicles.
Accident Forgiveness: Allied offers accident forgiveness as a bonus coverage option. If you have accident forgiveness, you are allowed one accident every three years if your record is otherwise clear.
Minor Violation Forgiveness: Allied’s minor violation forgiveness prevents rates from rising after a minor infraction or ticket. You are allowed one violation per driver in each three-year period.
Good as New Coverage: Allied offers good as new coverage, which lets you replace your vehicle with a new or better model if it’s totaled within the first three years of ownership. After the three-year mark, this turns into gap insurance coverage, which covers the “gap” between the amount of money owing on your vehicle and the value of your vehicle in a total loss.
Roadside Assistance: Allied offers two tiers of roadside assistance, each called Cross Country Perks. “Basic” roadside assistance covers towing up to 15 miles, fuel delivery, jumpstarts, flat tires, and more, costing approximately $10 each six-month policy period. “Plus” roadside assistance covers up to 100 miles in towing, trip interruption, pre-map routing, fuel delivery, and more, costing approximately $20 each six-month policy period.
Allied Insurance Discounts
Some of the unique discounts available through Allied include:
Vanishing Deductible: Allied’s vanishing deductible lets you earn a smaller deductible through safe driving. Each year you go accident-free, your deductible will drop by $100, up to a maximum of $500 in savings.
Total Loss Deductible Waiver: Allied also offers a total loss deductible waiver, which lets you avoid paying your deductible if your vehicle is totaled (i.e. declared a total loss).
Bundling Discounts: Allied offers home, auto, and life insurance. Customers can save by bundling multiple policies together.
Single Deductible: If you have home and auto insurance with Allied, you pay only one deductible for a single incident.
Emergency Lockout Coverage: Customers with a home and auto insurance bundle through Allied will receive bonus emergency lockout coverage, which means Allied will pay for a locksmith to unlock your car or home.
Multi-Vehicle and Multi-Policy Discounts: You don’t have to bundle home and auto insurance with Allied to receive a discount. If you have multiple vehicles and policies, then you can receive a discount.
Good Student Discount: If you have a B average or better in high school or college, you may qualify for lower rates through a good student discount.
Final Word on Allied Insurance
Allied has sold car insurance policies for nearly 100 years. Today, Allied is a subsidiary of Nationwide, although the company continues to sell car insurance under its own brand. Allied and Nationwide are becoming increasingly integrated, although Allied has several features that make it unique from other insurance companies.
Overall, Allied rarely offers the cheapest rates in any region, nor is it one of the largest or best-known insurers in any region. However, it distinguishes itself from larger competitors with friendly customer service, strong claims satisfaction, and customer-friendly policies like accident forgiveness.
Website URL | https://www.alliedinsurance.com |
Phone Number | (800) 532-1436 |
Company Address | 1100 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA, 50391 |
Year Founded | 1929 |