Is Safeco or The Hartford better?
Safeco is a solid choice for consumers looking for good policy offerings and various discounts, including the opportunity to get a claims-free cashback discount. Safeco’s parent company, Liberty Mutual, does not publish insurance premiums, so Safeco was not ranked in Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies.
The Hartford, which has a long history of providing insurance coverage in the U.S., offers a discount to American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) members. Read more to see how Safeco and The Hartford compare in several areas in Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies survey.
Pros – Safeco and The HartfordSafeco Pros
- Higher customer satisfaction rates
- Wide variety of policy offerings
- Available in most states
The Hartford Pros
- Offers a discount through AARP
- Solid rating for renewals
- Available in every state
How Safeco and The Hartford score on customer satisfaction
Safeco customers reported only moderate levels of customer satisfaction with the auto insurance provider. 78% of respondents said they experienced satisfaction with the service they received from Safeco.
The Hartford received even lower ratings from customers participating in Insure.com’s survey. Just 74% of its customers indicated they had adequate customer satisfaction, suggesting that The Hartford could improve to catch up to Safeco.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers that are satisfied overall |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 78% |
| The Hardford | 74% |
Do Safeco and The Hartford customers plan to renew?
More Safeco customers indicate they plan to renew their policies than customers of The Hartford. That said, both providers have relatively high ratings from customers regarding their plans for renewal at 94% and 89%, respectively.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 94% |
| The Hardford | 89% |
How Safeco and The Hartford score on policy offerings
Safeco has higher scores than The Hartford for its policy offerings. While Safeco has a good showing, The Hartford has substantial room for improvement compared to Safeco – to the tune of 15 percentage points.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers satisfied with the company’s policy offerings |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 89% |
| The Hardford | 74% |
Safeco vs. The Hartford: J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction score
According to the 2022 U.S. J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction study, Safeco scored 865, lower than the industry average of 873. By comparison, The Hartford received an 869, which was higher than Safeco’s ranking, but still lower than the industry average.
FAQ: Safeco vs. The Hartford
Can I buy Safeco car insurance online?
Yes, you can obtain a quote online with Safeco or call 1-800-332-3226 to talk to a representative about rates. You can also download the company’s mobile app to manage your account.
Can I buy The Hartford car insurance online?
Using The Hartford website, you can obtain a free auto insurance quote by entering details about yourself, the vehicles you want to insure and the drivers in your household.
Who should get Safeco car insurance?
Safeco is a good company for consumers looking for solid choices for policy offerings and for discounts that can put money in their pockets. And consumers may like Safeco’s claims-free cash-back discount.
Who should get The Hartford car insurance?
Since many of The Hartford’s customers plan to renew, this company could be better for individuals looking for a car insurance provider to stick with year after year. Seniors also can receive a discount with The Hartford through membership in the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
What other types of insurance does Safeco offer?
Safeco also offers:
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Condo
- Landlord
- Home warranty
- Umbrella
- Pet
- Identity recovery
- Commercial insurance
- Boat and watercraft
What other types of insurance does The Hartford offer?
The Hartford also offers:
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Condo
- Umbrella
- Flood
- Business
Resources & Methodology
Sources
J.D. Power. “Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations in Auto Claims Process as Repair Times Increase, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed January 2024.
Methodology
Insure.com, which is CarInsurance.com’s sister site surveyed more than 1,500 insurance consumers (1,080 people with auto insurance). Online market research company Slice MR conducted the survey.
Respondents were asked to name their auto insurer and grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents ranked their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – including claims satisfaction, digital experience, discounts, military discounts, best for young drivers and teens, best for college students, best for senior drivers, best for drivers with a ticket, best for high-risk drivers and best for auto/home bundling.
For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as survey scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their auto insurer to someone else and whether they would renew with their company. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
Finally, respondents were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and A.M. Best data, which measures financial strength.
They also collected insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector.
For auto insurers, we took the following and gave each a weight.
- Survey: 40% of the total score (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
- Annual premium: 20% of total score
- AM Best: 25% of total score
- NAIC: 15% of total score
- Each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and 5 stars was the most any insurer could receive.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.