Selective Insurance Review
- With 2.9/5 stars in 2024, Selective is a decent insurance company.
- Read Selective reviews, complaints and prices before you buy.
Selective insurance: Ratings and reviews
Selective Insurance, a regional auto insurer with a robust footprint in various states, combines comprehensive coverage options with personalized customer service. While it may not be a household name like some larger companies, Selective Insurance boasts a rich history of reliability and is available in AZ, IL, IN, IA, MN, MD, NJ, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, and WI. In this review, we delve into what sets Selective Insurance apart, from its coverage offerings to its discount opportunities.
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Affordable rates
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Customizable coverage options
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Strong financial reputation
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Only available in select states
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Mixed customer reviews
Is Selective a good insurance company?
The majority of The Zebra's review incorporates how well Selective scores in terms of customer service. In order to determine that we looked at the following third-party ratings.
Trustpilot reviews: 3/5
- Selective earned 3/5 stars from Trustpilot[1]
BBB Customer Reviews: 1.29/5
- Selective has a 1.29/5 rating from Better Business Bureau customers[2]
Complaint Index: Above average
- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) receives Above average customer complaints for Selective[3]
Financial Strength: Superior
- Selective received an Superior financial strength rating from A.M. Best for its ability to pay out claims[4]
The Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey
In addition to third-party ratings, we like to incorporate the results from our own consumer survey where we ranked which auto insurance companies are the best based on feedback from real customers. However, we did not collect a sufficient amount of data on Selective for it to be included.
How much does Selective Insurance cost?
While the national average cost of a 6-month car insurance policy is around $1093, the cost of Selective Insurance coverage is $795, or roughly 10% cheaper than a typical policy. This reduced rate makes Seletive a relatively affordable insurance company on average.Â
The table below shows how Selective auto insurance compares against other top insurers.Â
Updating data...
| Company | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| Allstate | $201 |
| Progressive | $157 |
| Selective Insurance | $132 |
| State Farm | $131 |
| GEICO | $129 |
| Nationwide | $123 |
| USAA | $114 |
Source: The Zebra
Similar to any insurance company, pricing for Selective auto insurance does vary based on your age and generally will get cheaper the older you get.Â
The table below shows Selective's car insurance premiums for different age brackets.Â
Updating data...
| Age Group | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| Teens | $235 |
| 20s | $115 |
| 30s | $81 |
| 60s | $78 |
| 40s | $77 |
| 50s | $75 |
Source: The Zebra
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool data methodology
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.
The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.
For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.
Discounts offered
Selective Insurance offers several discount opportunities to policyholders, such as:
- Multi-policy - You qualify for this discount if you bundle homeowners, condo or renters with auto
- Advanced quote - If you receive a quote at least 8 days prior to your current auto insurance policy expiration date, you may earn this discount
- Loss-free - You can apply this discount if you haven't experienced an auto insurance loss over a certain period of time
- Anti-theft - A common discount, drivers can earn this if their vehicle has certain safety or anti-theft featuresÂ
Read more about Selective's discount options here.
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What types of coverage does Selective offer?
Selective offers standard coverage options, including liability, collision, and comprehensive coverages. They also over customized coverage options that can be added by endorsement to your policy. These include:Â
- Accident forgiveness -Â With this coverage, your first accident will not result in a rate increase.
- Diminishing deductible -Â This endorsement gives you an automatic $100 credit towards your deductible, plus an additional credit for every claim-free year ($500 max).
- Newer car replacement - This pays the actual cash value for a car one model year newer and with 15,000 fewer miles.
- Selective Choice Replacement CostSM - This add-on pays to replace a vehicle with the latest model year available at the time of the loss, and gives the option of coverage for 2, 4, or 6 years from the purchase date.
- The Selective Edge -Â A policy package that includes roadside assistance, key replacement, pet injury coverage and more.
Read more about Selective's additional coverages here.
Additional lines of insurance
Selective offers a long list of insurance products for individuals and businesses.Â
- Homeowners
- Umbrella
- Flood
- Small business insurance
- Condo
- Renters
- Business owner's
- Workers compensation
Selective insurance review: Summary
In summary, while not available nationwide, Selective insurance offers a broad array of coverage options and affordable rates. Its robust financial strength further solidifies its reliability as an insurer. The availability of multiple discounts presents an opportunity for savings, making Selective Insurance a worthwhile option for those residing in the states where it operates.
Methodology — how The Zebra reviews insurance companies
The team of insurance experts at The Zebra considers the company's standing in five main categories to come up with an overall rating. These metrics are weighted according to importance and are detailed below:
- Price (20%): Using the base profile detailed below, we compared the company's average rate with the national average. If it surpassed this average, we gave a lower rating; if it fell below, we awarded a higher rating.
- Coverage (20%): The highest-scoring companies offer a variety of coverage options, including bundling options, roadside assistance, telematics, beyond-basic coverage levels, and a variety of other coverage types.
- Customer service (30%): We averaged ratings from JD Power, the NAIC complaint index to come up with a rating for the company's customer service. In instances when a company is not rated, we may use alternative rating agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot.
- Financial strength (10%): We use AM Best to determine a company's financial standing. In some cases when a company is not rated by AM Best, we may use an alternative measure such as Demotech.
- The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey (20%): The Zebra conducts an annual survey measuring customer satisfaction for many of the top insurance companies with the goal of ranking both the best auto insurance companies and best home insurance companies. Read more below.
For our auto insurance review, we analyzed more than 83 million insurance rates spanning every U.S. ZIP code using a sample user profile: a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord, good credit and full coverage at these levels:
- $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident for bodily injury liability
- $50,000 per incident for property damage liability
- $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage
For our home insurance review, rates are based on a sample user profile: a 45-year-old married homeowner living in a 2,500-square-foot single-story home built in 2011 with these coverage levels:
- $200,000 for the dwelling
- $20,000 for other structures
- $100,000 for personal property
- $100,000 for personal liability
- $1,000 deductible
These sample premiums are dynamic and automatically refresh whenever the newest data is made available.
To generate pricing for particular rating factors, we adjusted this profile based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies. These factors include credit score, coverage level and others.
For The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey, findings are based on an online quantitative survey of 4,134 current U.S. auto and home insurance customers, with Census-balanced sampling by age, gender and region. Categories with n=<20 responses are considered insufficient sample size and are not reported. This survey was developed by The Zebra and executed by independent research firm Maru/Blue in 2023.
Selective insurance: Frequently asked questions
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.