Amica auto insurance review for 2021

Amica was founded in 1907 and is the oldest mutual car insurer in the country. It offers insurance policies in all states except for Hawaii. Amica auto insurance ranks highly in customer satisfaction. Amica is one of the top insurance companies for customers looking to customize coverage without breaking the bank. Our Amica car insurance review finds the insurer is best for younger drivers in search of good discounts and an easy sign-up process. 

Amica Quickpoints

• Average full coverage premium: $1,449
• Region offered: Amica provides insurance to all states except Hawaii. 
• Market share: 0.50%
• AM Best rating/financial strength profile: A+ (Superior)
• J.D. Power rating: 5/5

Amica customer satisfaction and complaints

We looked at J.D. Power’s studies to get a picture at how Amica fares in terms of customer satisfaction. Amica provides car insurance in all states except Hawaii and receives a 5/5 Power Circle rating from J.D. Power for claim satisfaction. 

An affordable insurance policy is an understandable priority. But knowing that your claims will be handled quickly and paid out with ease is important when you’re shopping around for car insurance. Larger insurance companies tend to score poorly when it comes to customer satisfaction and claims handling due to the volume of customers and claims. Amica seems to remain responsive to policyholders regardless of the company’s size.

How factors affect Amica’s auto insurance rates

We sampled a variety of rates from Amica Insurance to bring you an average cost for car insurance. Many factors can affect the cost of auto coverage, such as location, age, vehicle type and driving history. Therefore, your actual quote may vary from the ones provided below. Averaging quotes is a good way to see how Amica compares to other insurance companies, and how rates change according to your current driving record.

How driving record affects Amica car insurance rates 

Accidents

All insurance companies penalize policyholders (to varying degrees) responsible for an accident. Car accidents are costly; the Insurance Information Institute reported that a single accident from a driver carrying liability insurance can cost a carrier almost $23,000 in bodily injury and property damage combined. Causing an accident will be expensive for the insurer and they will pass the cost on to you. Amica seems to follow the trend; annual auto insurance premiums are more than 50% higher after a crash.

Speeding ticket

Insurance companies consider speeding to be a high-risk activity, which could lead to an accident. If you’re cited for speeding, expect your Amica car insurance to increase over 20% or about $310 on average. This rate increase will typically stay in effect for up to three years.

Poor credit

A car insurance company will typically review your credit history to gauge the risk you pose. If you have a poor credit score, an insurance company could see you as someone who doesn’t make the best decisions and is riskier to insure. 

Although this is a common practice, it is restricted in some states. California has banned insurers from determining your rates based on your credit; Hawaii and Massachusetts also restrict this practice. In states where credit is a factor, Amica will penalize you more for poor credit than for an accident. Make sure to shop around before you sign up for a specific provider, and take steps to improve your credit to find long-term savings. You can always ask an insurer to review your policy’s rates once you raise your credit score.

Amica auto insurance discounts

Amica offers policyholders the standard discounts you’d expect from an insurer, such as: 

• Multi-policy
• Good student
• Paperless billing
• Autopay
• Paid in full

The insurance company also has a few unique discounts worth checking out.

Unique discounts offered by Amica

Legacy discount

The Legacy discount is a combination of loyalty and family discount. Younger drivers under 30 can reduce the high cost of car insurance if their parents have had auto insurance with Amica for at least five years.

Forward-collision & adaptive headlight discounts

Newer vehicles are engineered to be safer with a variety of technology that reduces the chance of accidents and injury. Amica’s discounts for the latest safety tech could save you some money on your insurance.

Good Driving Rewards

When you sign up for the program, you can earn points you can use to reduce your deductible, for accident forgiveness or to pay part of the expense after an accident. You’ll earn points according to the length between claims, how long you’ve been with Amica, the number of policies you hold and if you refer others to the carrier.

Amica auto insurance premium length

Amica is transitioning its auto insurance from annual policies to six months. Shorter policies means your rates will be up for review more often. This could be good or bad, depending on your driving record and other risk factors. If you’re a safe driver, the more frequent rate reviews and renewals shouldn’t be an issue. But if you have tickets or negative changes in your credit score, your premiums could go up sooner than you anticipated.

Amica vs. other insurance companies

Amica mobile app and digital experience

Amica’s website and mobile app are both designed to be simple and extremely user friendly. When you set up an account, you can:

• File and track claims from both the website and mobile app
• Manage your policy from either method
• Pay bills online or through the app
• Get roadside assistance 24/7 through the mobile app

Alternative insurance products offered by Amica

Besides auto insurance, Amica also offers business insurance, financial planning, umbrella insurance, homeowners policies and life insurance. The insurer is one of the most complete insurance companies you’ll find.

In the spotlight 

• Younger drivers under 30 can qualify for a Legacy discount if their parents have been insured with Amica in the past years
• Amica ratings for how the insurer handles claims places it as the top carrier in customer satisfaction
• Amica offers insurance such as homeowners, renters and vehicle coverage as well as financial services
• Amica supports qualified, community-based non-profit organizations serving Rhode Island

Methodology: 

Coverage Utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze quoted rates from thousands of zip codes across all 50 states, using Amica’s premiums written. Quoted rates are based around the profiles of a 30 year male and female with clean driving records, good credit and the following full coverage details:

• $100k bodily injury liability per person
• $300k bodily injury liability coverage per crash
• $100k property damage liability coverage per crash
• $500 collision coverage deductible
• $500 comprehensive coverage deductible

Minimum coverages were applied to match state requirements. Both drivers used a new, financed 2018 Toyota Camry, commuting 5 days a week and driving 12,000 miles per year.

An accident was defined as an at-fault accident with $3k in property damage. A speeding incident was defined as speeding 16-20 MPH over the limit.

These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only – your own quotes may be different.