Shelter Insurance Review
Shelter Insurance has great customer service and useful coverage options. But it's typically not the cheapest option for car insurance.
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Editor's Rating
Shelter Insurance Company has cheap home insurance rates and offers a wide range of coverage options to customize your policy. Car insurance from Shelter is usually more expensive than average, but the company offers a few discounts to help drivers lower their rates.
Shelter customers can expect the company to take good care of them in an emergency. However, Shelter is only available in 15 states, so most people can't take advantage of its great service.
Pros and cons
Pros
Cheap home insurance
Affordable rates for teen drivers
Outstanding customer service
Cons
Not available in most states
Expensive car insurance
Shelter car insurance
Shelter car insurance quotes
Shelter car insurance is expensive for most drivers.
Full coverage car insurance from Shelter costs $180 per month, which is 19% more expensive than average. Shelter's minimum coverage policies are pricey as well. At $70 per month, minimum coverage from Shelter is 37% more expensive than average.
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Young drivers can find affordable rates at Shelter. Full coverage car insurance from Shelter costs $416 per month for an 18-year-old driver. That's 11% cheaper than average.
But it's still nearly twice as expensive as the cheapest company, State Farm.
Shelter auto quotes vs. competitors
Minimum coverage
Full coverage
Full coverage for teens
Company | Monthly rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $28 | |
| Progressive | $38 | |
| Geico | $50 | |
| Allstate | $68 | |
| Shelter | $70 | |
Minimum coverage
Company | Monthly rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| State Farm | $28 | |
|
| Progressive | $38 | |
|
| Geico | $50 | |
|
| Allstate | $68 | |
|
| Shelter | $70 | |
Full coverage
Company | Monthly rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| State Farm | $84 | |
|
| Progressive | $141 | |
|
| Geico | $164 | |
|
| Shelter | $180 | |
|
| Allstate | $187 | |
Full coverage for teens
Company | Monthly rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| State Farm | $236 | |
|
| Shelter | $416 | |
|
| Geico | $432 | |
|
| Allstate | $623 | |
|
| Progressive | $629 | |
Shelter auto insurance discounts
There are a few ways to save money on car insurance with Shelter Insurance. But you'll find most of the same discounts at any major insurance company.
Drivers can save with Shelter by:
- Staying accident-free and avoiding tickets for at least three years.
- Getting high grades in school. Drivers have to qualify for this discount by age 19 and can continue saving as long as they're under 25 years old and unmarried.
- Paying their policy in full every six months or annually.
- Insuring multiple cars with Shelter.
- Bundling home and auto insurance from Shelter. This discount is only available to customers who are at least 48 years old.
- Bundling Shelter life insurance with their auto policy.
- Owning a car with safety features like air bags and seat belts.
- Completing an accident prevention course.
- Taking a driver training course if they're under age 21.
Shelter car insurance coverage
A basic policy from Shelter also includes roadside assistance and new car replacement at no additional cost.
Most companies charge extra for these coverages.
Shelter also gives customers multiple ways to upgrade their protection.
Rental reimbursement
Rental reimbursement pays for the cost of renting a car while your vehicle is in the shop after an accident. This only applies if the damage is covered by your policy. For example, if you have collision coverage and you cause an accident, this coverage would apply.
Gap insurance
Gap insurance helps you pay the difference between the balance on your auto loan or lease and the amount you receive from a claim after your car is totaled.
Loss of use
Loss of use coverage provides you with a one-time payment while your car is in the shop.
Accidental death insurance
Accidental death insurance pays you, your family or another beneficiary if one of you dies in a car accident.
Disability income coverage
Disability income coverage provides a weekly payment for up to one year if you're hurt and unable to work after an accident.
Basic car insurance from Shelter car insurance comes with bodily injury and property damage liability. These coverages are required by law in nearly every state in the country.
Drivers can also get full coverage car insurance from Shelter, which includes collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage pays to repair your car after a crash. Comprehensive coverage applies to theft, vandalism or damage that's not caused by a collision.
Shelter home insurance
Shelter home insurance quotes
Shelter's home insurance rates are 47% cheaper than average.
At $1,354 per year, homeowners insurance from Shelter costs $247 less per year than the second-cheapest company, State Farm.
Find Cheap Homeowners Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Shelter's basic policy also includes more coverage than most other insurance companies. That means homeowners get more protection without paying a higher rate.
Shelter home quotes vs. competitors
Company | Annual rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Shelter | $1,354 | |
|
| State Farm | $1,601 | |
|
| Allstate | $1,932 | |
| Farmers | $2,465 | |
| Travelers | $2,539 | |
Shelter home insurance discounts
Shelter offers fairly limited discount options for homeowners, but it does have a few standard discounts.
- Multipolicy bundling discount: Get a discount when you bundle your home insurance with another Shelter policy, like car insurance.
- Claim-free discount: You'll get cheaper rates after being claim-free for six years.
- New home discount: Homes under construction are eligible for a discount of up to 40% for one year. Homes built and occupied within a year also qualify for a discount.
- Protective device credit: Get a discount if your home has certain security features. This can include an alarm system or at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the building.
- Heating system discount: You'll have cheaper rates if you don't have a solid wood heating device, like wood or coal. This does not include a conventional fireplace.
Shelter home insurance coverage
Shelter includes credit card fraud and check forgery coverage with its basic home insurance policy for no additional cost. Most insurance companies charge extra for this protection.
Shelter also offers some add-ons for an additional cost to enhance your policy.
Inflation protection
Inflation protection will pay to repair or rebuild your home if it costs more than your dwelling coverage limit, up to a certain amount.
Water backup coverage
Water backup coverage pays for water damage due to a sewer, drain or sump pump backup.
Earthquake coverage
Earthquake coverage pays for damage to your home and property after an earthquake.
Business protection
Business protection covers certain home businesses on your property.
Increased computer coverage
Increased personal computer coverage gives you extra coverage to repair or replace your computer.
Farm protection
Farm protection covers certain farming activities on your property.
Docks and piers coverage
Docks and piers coverage pays to repair or replace your dock or pier if it's damaged in a covered event. This could include things like vandalism or fire but won't typically protect against floodwater.
Watercraft activity protection
Watercraft activity protection pays for medical bills and liability costs for certain watercraft activities.
Basic homeowners insurance coverage from Shelter includes dwelling coverage, personal liability and personal property.
Where is Shelter Insurance available?
One of the main drawbacks of Shelter is that it is not available nationwide. The company only offers coverage in 15 states, mostly in the Midwest and Great Plains.
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
Shelter Insurance customer service and ratings
Shelter Insurance has excellent customer service.
It earned the second-highest score on the J.D. Power auto insurance customer satisfaction survey in the U.S.'s central region, where Shelter does most of its business. That means Shelter customers are generally happy with its claims process, pricing, coverage options and billing department.
Shelter gets fewer complaints about its service than other companies, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
- Shelter auto insurance earned a 0.26 score on the NAIC complaint index. That means it only gets 26% as many complaints as other insurance companies of a similar size.
- Home insurance from Shelter earned a 0.19 score on the complaint index. That's only 19% as many complaints as other similar-sized companies.
AM Best gave Shelter an A, or excellent, financial strength rating. If there's a disaster, Shelter shouldn't have a problem paying out a lot of claims at once.
Contact Shelter Insurance
You can call the Shelter Insurance phone number — 800-743-5837 — to buy a policy, ask questions about your coverage or file a claim. For roadside assistance, drivers can call 855-817-6510.
Customers can also file a claim on the Shelter Insurance website. You can log in to your online portal, or start your claim without logging in.
Shelter has an app called My Shelter, where customers can view their policy and ID cards, pay bills or contact roadside assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shelter Insurance good?
Yes, Shelter Insurance is a good company. It has excellent customer service reviews and good coverage options. Home insurance rates from Shelter are very affordable, but its car insurance quotes tend to be expensive.
What is the Shelter roadside assistance phone number?
Shelter's roadside assistance phone number is 855-817-6510. You can also use Shelter's mobile app to contact roadside assistance.
Is Shelter Insurance or State Farm car insurance better?
Car insurance from Shelter costs an average of 75% more than car insurance from State Farm. However, Shelter offers a longer list of coverage options than State Farm does. In fact, since State Farm doesn't offer a gap insurance option, drivers who financed their cars may be better off with Shelter car insurance.
Methodology
To compare Shelter auto insurance quotes, ValuePenguin gathered rates from ZIP codes across four states where data was available. Rates are for a 30-year-old single man with a clean driving record and good credit score who owns a 2015 Honda Civic.
Full coverage quotes include higher liability limits than required by law, along with comprehensive and collision coverage.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Comprehensive and collision deductible: $500
To compare Shelter home insurance rates, we collected rates from ZIP codes across six states where data was available. Rates are for a 45-year-old married man with good credit. The dwelling coverage amount is based on the median home value in each state. Quotes also include $100,000 of liability coverage, $5,000 in medical payments coverage and a $1,000 deductible.
Quotes are based on insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may differ.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.