Allstate Insurance

Key Takeaways: 10 Things You Need to Know About Allstate Before You Sign 💡

What kind of company is Allstate? It’s a publicly traded (NYSE: ALL) property-casualty insurer ranked No. 4 in the U.S. by total P&C premiums written, serving over 16 million households with auto, home, life, and business insurance products.

Is Allstate the biggest insurance company? No. State Farm holds the No. 1 spot with roughly 10.3% of the total P&C market. Progressive is No. 2 at about 7.2%, Berkshire Hathaway (GEICO’s parent) is No. 3, and Allstate comes in at No. 4 with about 5.3% overall market share.

Who is cheaper — Allstate or Progressive? Progressive wins on price in nearly every driver category. Progressive’s average full-coverage premium is roughly $1,998/year versus Allstate’s $2,509/year, a difference of over $500 annually.

Is GEICO owned by Allstate? Absolutely not. GEICO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s conglomerate. Allstate and GEICO are completely separate, competing companies.

Does Allstate operate in Canada? Yes, through Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, serving five provinces: Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

What’s Allstate’s financial strength? AM Best rates Allstate A+ (Superior), and S&P gives it an A+ — strong indicators the company can pay its claims.

What about complaints? Allstate’s NAIC complaint ratio is 2.45 for auto insurance, meaning it receives more than double the expected complaints for a company its size.

Does Allstate offer telematics discounts? Yes, Drivewise monitors driving habits and can save up to 40% at policy renewal, though it can also increase your rates if driving is poor.

Is Allstate available in all 50 states? For auto, yes. For homeowners insurance, Allstate is currently not writing new policies in California and has limited availability in Connecticut.

What do Reddit users actually say? Mixed reviews — praise for agent relationships and Drivewise discounts, but recurring frustration over aggressive rate increases, slow claims processing, and disputed aftermarket parts.

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🏛️ Allstate Is Not Just an “Insurance Company” — It’s a Multi-Brand Conglomerate Most Consumers Don’t Realize

When people think of Allstate, they picture the auto insurance ads. But Allstate Corporation is actually a sprawling insurance conglomerate that owns multiple brands, including National General and Esurance (though Esurance’s brand has been largely folded into Allstate’s operations). Its 2024 revenue reached approximately $66.2 billion, with a market capitalization hovering around $54.5 billion as of mid-2025. In early 2025, the company also completed the sale of its Employer Voluntary Benefits business to StanCorp Financial Group for $2 billion — part of a deliberate strategy to shed non-core business lines and focus on property-casualty insurance.

What this means for consumers: Allstate is financially rock-solid, but its corporate decisions are increasingly driven by shareholder returns rather than policyholder advocacy. The company sold its life insurance division to Blackstone in 2021 for $2.8 billion and even sold its Northbrook, Illinois headquarters in 2022. These aren’t the moves of a company thinking small — they’re the moves of a company thinking about Wall Street.

📊 Company snapshot	Details
🏢 Founded	1931 (Sears subsidiary), independent since 1995
📈 NYSE ticker	ALL
💰 2024 revenue	~$66.2 billion
🏠 Households served	16+ million
⭐ AM Best rating	A+ (Superior)
📞 U.S. customer service	1-800-255-7828
🌐 Headquarters	Northbrook, Illinois (sold building; operations distributed)

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📊 Allstate Is Not the Biggest Insurance Company — Here’s Where It Actually Ranks

A common misconception is that Allstate is the largest insurance company in the United States. It’s big, but it’s not the biggest. According to 2024 NAIC market share data for personal auto insurance specifically, the rankings look like this:

🏆 Rank	Company	Auto market share (2024)	Total P&C premiums written
1️⃣	State Farm	~18.9%	~$108.9 billion
2️⃣	Progressive	~16.7%	~$75.9 billion
3️⃣	Berkshire Hathaway (GEICO)	~11.6%	~$63.3 billion
4️⃣	Allstate	~10.2%	~$55.9 billion
5️⃣	USAA	~6.2%	~$22.1 billion

The gap between Allstate and the top three has been widening. Progressive, in particular, has been aggressively gaining ground and actually edged past State Farm briefly for the No. 1 spot in total auto insurance by some measures in 2024. Allstate’s strategy has been to raise premiums to restore profitability after back-to-back losses in 2022 and 2023, which has cost the company market share but dramatically improved its bottom line — the company posted $10.2 billion in net income in 2025.

The uncomfortable truth: Allstate prioritized profit recovery over customer retention, and that trade-off shows up in both its shrinking policy count and improving financial results.

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💸 Allstate vs. Progressive: The Price Gap Is Bigger Than Most People Think

This is probably the most common comparison shoppers make, and the data is unambiguous: Progressive is substantially cheaper for most drivers.

🔍 Driver category	Allstate avg. annual cost	Progressive avg. annual cost	💰 Difference
👤 Clean record adult	~$2,509	~$1,998	Progressive saves ~$511/yr
👩‍🎓 Teen driver	~$7,437	~$7,174	Progressive saves ~$263/yr
⚠️ After speeding ticket	~$3,500	~$2,728	Progressive saves ~$772/yr
🚗 After at-fault accident	~$4,700	~$3,102	Progressive saves ~$1,598/yr
📉 Bad credit	~$4,855	~$3,621	Progressive saves ~$1,234/yr
🍺 After DUI	~$4,680	~$2,656	Progressive saves ~$2,024/yr

Where Allstate fights back is on service and perks. Allstate scored higher than Progressive on J.D. Power’s 2025 Insurance Shopping Study (669 vs. 645), and its Drivewise telematics program outperformed Progressive’s Snapshot (649 vs. 628 on J.D. Power’s telematics study). Allstate also offers unique features like Deductible Rewards (your deductible decreases by $100 for every claim-free year) and Claim RateGuard (prevents your premium from rising after your first claim).

The bottom line: if your primary concern is price, Progressive wins convincingly. If you value agent relationships, safe-driving rewards, and bundling discounts, Allstate has stronger tools — but you’ll pay a premium for them.

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🚫 No, GEICO Is Not Owned by Allstate — And Here’s Why That Myth Persists

This misconception likely stems from the fact that both companies are giant auto insurers with catchy advertising. But the corporate reality couldn’t be more different.

🔎 Feature	Allstate	GEICO
🏛️ Parent company	The Allstate Corporation (independent, publicly traded)	Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett’s conglomerate)
📅 Founded	1931	1936
🏠 Headquarters	Northbrook, IL	Chevy Chase, MD
💼 Business model	Captive agents + direct	Direct-to-consumer (primarily)
💰 Avg. full-coverage annual cost	~$2,915	~$1,867
⭐ AM Best rating	A+	A++

GEICO was acquired fully by Berkshire Hathaway in 1996 after Warren Buffett had been investing in the company since 1951. The two companies compete fiercely — in fact, GEICO’s average premiums are roughly $1,000/year cheaper than Allstate’s for comparable full coverage. Allstate, GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive are four completely separate and unaffiliated companies.

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🍁 Allstate Canada: Only 5 Provinces, But the Coverage Is Deeper Than You’d Expect

Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has operated since 1953 and is headquartered in Markham, Ontario. Unlike Allstate’s near-universal U.S. availability, the Canadian operation is limited to five provinces, but offers a surprisingly robust product lineup within those markets.

🍁 Province	Available products	Local claims phone
🏔️ Alberta	Auto, home, motorcycle, RV, boat, pet, travel	1-800-661-1577 (toll-free) / 403-974-8700 (local)
🏙️ Ontario	Auto, home, motorcycle, RV, boat, pet, travel	1-800-387-0462 (toll-free) / 905-477-5550 (local)
⚜️ Quebec	Auto, home, motorcycle, RV, boat, pet, travel	1-800-463-2813 (toll-free) / 514-351-5335 (local)
🌊 New Brunswick	Auto, home	1-800-561-7222 (toll-free) / 506-859-7820 (local)
🦞 Nova Scotia	Auto, home	1-800-561-7222 (toll-free) / 506-859-7820 (local)

Allstate Canada general contact: 1-800-ALLSTATE (1-800-255-7828)

Allstate Canada online portal login: apps.allstate.ca/myallstate/

Corporate office: Markham, Ontario (with secondary office in Anjou, Quebec)

For Edmonton residents specifically, Allstate has multiple agencies throughout the city, and Alberta policyholders can access Drivewise telematics discounts of up to 30%. Alberta is one of the few provinces where Allstate also offers profession-based discounts for pre-approved occupations.

What Canadian shoppers should know: Allstate Canada also operates subsidiary brands Pembridge Insurance Company, Pafco Insurance Company, and Ivantage Insurance Brokers. If you’re quoted through one of these, the claims are still ultimately backed by Allstate’s financial strength. Bundle home and auto for up to $1,034 in advertised savings.

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📞 The Complete Allstate U.S. Contact Directory Most Articles Leave Out

One of the biggest frustrations consumers report is getting routed through automated systems when they actually need a human. Here’s every critical U.S. number in one place:

📱 Purpose	Phone number	⏰ Hours
🚗 Auto insurance quotes	1-866-561-7300	24/7
🏠 Home insurance quotes	1-866-561-7300	24/7
📋 General customer service	1-800-255-7828	24/7
🔧 Claims reporting (auto & home)	1-800-255-7828	24/7
💳 Billing questions	1-800-255-7828	24/7
🛣️ Roadside assistance	1-800-255-7828	24/7
💼 Business insurance	1-888-255-7828	Weekdays

My Allstate account portal: Log in at allstate.com to manage policies, file claims, track claim status, view documents, and make payments. The Allstate mobile app (iOS and Android) offers the same functionality plus crash detection if you’re enrolled in Drivewise.

Pro tip most people miss: if you’re getting the runaround on a claim, filing a formal complaint with your state’s Department of Insurance often produces faster results than escalating through Allstate’s own channels. Every state insurance commissioner has a consumer complaint portal, and insurers are legally required to respond within a set timeframe — usually 15 to 30 days.

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💬 What Reddit and Real Customers Actually Say (The Unfiltered Version)

Consumer review platforms paint a polarized picture of Allstate. On NerdWallet’s analysis of Reddit threads, comments about Allstate home insurance trended “largely negative.” On PissedConsumer, the company holds a 1.7 out of 5 stars from over 1,500 reviews. Yet on Insuranceopedia and WalletHub, aggregated ratings land closer to 2.8 out of 5.

😊 What people like	😤 What people complain about
Local agent relationships feel personal and responsive	Aggressive rate increases at renewal with no explanation
Drivewise telematics can produce real savings	Claims adjusters lowball estimates using aftermarket parts
Deductible Rewards is a genuinely useful perk	Hail and storm damage claims frequently denied or delayed
24/7 claims reporting is convenient	Some agents prioritize upselling over genuine advice
Strong bundling discounts for home + auto	Reaching a decision-maker during disputes is extremely difficult
Digital app and online portal are well-designed	NAIC complaint ratio of 2.45 (more than double the expected rate)

The pattern that emerges across thousands of reviews: Allstate performs well during normal, uneventful policy periods. The trouble begins when you actually need to use the insurance. Claims handling is where Allstate’s reputation takes its biggest hit, with J.D. Power rating it below average in the 2025 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study at 665 out of 1,000 (industry average: 682).

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🗺️ Allstate’s State-by-State Availability: Where You Can (and Can’t) Get Coverage

Allstate sells auto insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Homeowners insurance is available in nearly every state, but with two critical exceptions as of 2025-2026:

⚠️ Restriction	Details
🚫 California (homeowners)	Not writing new home insurance policies due to wildfire risk and regulatory environment
🚫 Connecticut (homeowners)	Limited new policy availability
✅ Florida (homeowners)	Still available despite troubled market
✅ All 50 states + D.C. (auto)	Full availability

Monthly auto insurance rates swing wildly by state — from as low as $28/month in some low-risk states to $561/month in high-cost states like Michigan and Louisiana. That’s a staggering 20x difference based purely on geography.

The insider angle: Allstate’s decision to pull out of California homeowners insurance is part of a broader industry exodus. State Farm, AIG, and several other major carriers have also limited new policies there. If you’re a California homeowner shopping for coverage, your options are shrinking, and the state’s FAIR Plan (the insurer of last resort) may be your fallback — but it offers bare-bones coverage at steep prices.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is Allstate a good insurance company overall? It depends on what you prioritize. Allstate’s financial strength is excellent (A+ from AM Best), and its product lineup is among the broadest in the industry. However, its premiums run about 25% higher than the national average for auto insurance, and its claims satisfaction scores consistently land below the industry average on J.D. Power surveys. It’s a financially stable company that charges premium prices but doesn’t always deliver premium claims experiences.

Can I get an Allstate quote online without talking to an agent? You can start a quote online at allstate.com, but in most states, finalizing a policy requires speaking with an agent. This is by design — Allstate’s business model relies on a network of roughly 6,000 exclusive agents who earn commissions on each sale.

Does Allstate raise rates after the first claim? It can, though Allstate offers two features to mitigate this. Claim RateGuard prevents rate increases after your first at-fault claim (available for an additional premium). Accident Forgiveness protects your rate from a single at-fault accident.

Is Allstate cheaper than State Farm? Generally, State Farm tends to be cheaper than Allstate for most drivers. State Farm’s 2025 financial results were so strong the company announced a $5 billion cash-back dividend to policyholders — roughly $100 per insured vehicle. Allstate has not offered comparable direct rebates.

What is the Allstate Canada login portal? Canadian policyholders can access their accounts at apps.allstate.ca/myallstate/ to view policy details, submit claims, make payments, and update personal information.

Does Allstate offer renters insurance? Yes, starting as low as $4/month when bundled with auto insurance. It covers personal property, liability, and additional living expenses if your rental becomes uninhabitable.

Why does Allstate have so many complaints? Allstate’s NAIC complaint index of 2.45 means it receives roughly 2.5 times the expected complaints for a company of its size. Most complaints center on claims handling — specifically, disputes over payout amounts, delays in processing, and the use of aftermarket parts instead of OEM replacements. The company’s strategy of raising premiums aggressively to recover from 2022-2023 losses has also generated significant consumer frustration.

Is Allstate insurance available in British Columbia or Manitoba? No. Allstate Canada only operates in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. British Columbia and Manitoba have public auto insurance systems (ICBC and MPI, respectively) that limit private competition.

What discounts does Allstate offer? Allstate offers approximately 12 auto insurance discounts, including multi-policy bundling, safe driving (Drivewise), new vehicle, anti-theft device, early signing, paid-in-full, good student, defensive driver, and loyalty discounts. Combined, eligible customers can save up to 25% or more depending on their profile and state.

Should I switch from Allstate to Progressive or GEICO? If price is your primary concern and you have a clean driving record, both Progressive and GEICO are likely to offer lower premiums. Progressive averages roughly $500-$2,000 less per year depending on your risk profile. However, if you value having a dedicated local agent, safe-driving rewards that compound over time, and features like Deductible Rewards, Allstate may justify the extra cost. The best move is always to compare at least three quotes before making any decision.