Country Financial Review

THE GOOD

Competitive discounts:

Country Financial's homeowner discounts compare favorably with many other providers in the industry. In addition to some relatively common discounts such as those for new homes, newly renovated homes, and new homeowners, you can also find a great selection of less common price breaks, including those for homes with new electrical wiring and without a wood-burning fireplace. You can earn a price break by installing certain security devices in your home, such as burglar alarms, fire extinguishers, and sprinklers. Like most major home insurers, Country Financial offers even more savings if you purchase multiple insurance products from the company, such as auto, life, and business policies. Though it would be nice to see a discount for policyholders that maintain a claim-free record, this is the only notable omission in Country Financial's great lineup of discounts.

Simplified online claims form:

When you're dealing with a problem like property damage or filing insurance claims, it's convenient to have efficient tools at your fingertips so you can file a claim with minimal disruption to your life. Country Financial performs well in this respect, providing you with an easy online form to submit a claim whenever you have the time. After logging into your account and submitting your claim, you immediately receive a claim number so you can track the progress online. Though you can always call Country Financial's 24-hour claims center to get the ball rolling, it's nice to have the online option if it better suits your preferences.

Quality coverage for farm and ranch owners:

With nearly 90 years of experience insuring farms and ranches, Country Financial stands out in this arena. The company's farm and ranch policies offer excellent coverage options, including protection for your home and personal property, and for other common structures, such as barns, silos, sheds, and stables. You can also get coverage for your farm equipment and tools, hay and grain stores, and even your livestock. Country Financial's AgriPlus coverage option adds additional protections to the company's standard farm and ranch policies. AgriPlus policies offer higher coverage limits, broader protections for personal property, and coverage for additional types of farm machinery damage, among other advantages. Finally, you can also get crop insurance to protect you from certain crop losses caused by drought or excessive rain, disease, wind or hail damage, or even damage caused by wildlife.

Limited online resources:

Even if you've held a home insurance policy in the past, it's easy to get overwhelmed while evaluating all the different coverage options available to you. Many of the top home insurance companies work hard to provide good learning materials, including FAQs, tutorials, and glossaries, to help potential clients properly assess their options and make sound decisions. Unfortunately, Country Financial falls behind in this respect, providing very limited online resources on home insurance topics. Though they do offer basic information on their policy options and discounts, you have to call a Country Financial representative to fully grasp their policy details.

No online rate quote:

Instead of providing an online quote functionality, the Country Financial website directs you to a search tool that helps identify agents in your area who can provide one-on-one assistance with the quotation process. Some people do appreciate Country Financial's emphasis on local agents as a main source of policy and pricing information. However, it would be convenient if you could obtain an online quote during your preliminary research to get a better sense of how Country Financial's prices compare to other companies before you decide to contact an agent.