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Based in Bloomington, Illinois, Country Financial has been selling insurance for nearly 100 years. Country Financial renters insurance may be right for you if you’re looking for solid coverage options, good customer service and reasonable rates. But you can’t buy a policy online, and the company serves only 19 states.
| Best for: Renters who want personal assistance with customizing their policy. |
Country Financial renters insurance pros and cons
How Country Financial renters insurance rates
Country Financial renters insurance earned 5 out of 5 stars for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The renters insurance scoring formula takes into account policy coverage options and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, the financial strength of the company, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
Based on these ratings, Country Financial is among NerdWallet’s Best Renters Insurance Companies for 2022.
State availability
Country Financial sells policies in 19 states.
» MORE: The best cheap renters insurance
Country Financial renters insurance coverage
Landlords sometimes require tenants to purchase a policy with a minimum amount of renters liability insurance, but otherwise, the coverage you choose is generally up to you. Below are the four types of coverage included in most standard renters policies:
For more details, see what renters insurance is and what it covers.
If you need more coverage, you can add the following options:
- Premier coverage for personal property. This upgrade means your belongings will be covered not only for standard problems such as fire and theft, but also for things like broken antiques and appliances damaged by power surges.
- Replacement cost coverage. If you have older items, such as a 3-year-old computer or a 10-year-old mattress, a standard policy would pay out only their current value if they were stolen or destroyed. Adding replacement cost coverage means you’ll get paid enough to buy brand-new items.
- Coverage for high-value items. Like most renters policies, Country Financial insurance has limits on how much it will cover for valuable items like jewelry and firearms. If your belongings are worth more, you may want to insure them separately to make sure they’re covered. An appraisal may be required.
- Identity theft coverage. If someone steals your identity, this coverage can pay for some associated expenses and provide a specialist to help you get back on your feet.
- Water backup coverage. This endorsement pays for damage if water backs up into your home from a drain, sewer or malfunctioning sump pump.
Country Financial renters insurance rates
The average cost of Country Financial renters insurance is $154 a year, or about $13 a month, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. That’s slightly less than the national average of $168 a year. In most of the states where we analyzed its rates, Country Financial was cheaper than the statewide average.
» MORE: The average cost of renters insurance in every state
Discounts
You may be able to save on your renters policy by:
- Buying more than one Country Financial policy.
- Going at least five years without filing a claim.
- Making payments on time for at least three years.
- Being a new Country Financial policyholder.
Consumer complaints
Country Financial received far fewer than the expected number of home insurance complaints to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (NAIC home insurance complaints also cover other home policy types, including mobile home, renters and condo insurance.)
Consumer experience
Website: The Country Financial website offers most of the basic services you’d expect, including bill payment, claims filing and coverage information. The site also has some limited content in Spanish. However, you can’t get a quote or buy a policy online.
App: You can use the Country Financial app to report and track claims, manage payments, see policy information and contact your representative.
Renters insurance buying guide
Before you compare renters insurance companies, gather key information such as the address of the rental and any safety and security features the unit has.
You should also figure out how much coverage you need. Take a quick inventory of your belongings: How much would it cost you to replace them? Include all furniture, electronic devices, clothing, jewelry and household items. This total is the minimum amount of personal property insurance you should have.
Your liability limit should be high enough to cover your net worth, while your deductible should be an amount you’d feel comfortable paying in an emergency.
When evaluating renters insurance quotes, make sure each rate estimate includes the same coverage limits and deductibles so you know you’re getting a fair comparison. While it’s tempting to buy the cheapest policy, you may also want to read reviews of your preferred company to make sure it offers good customer service.
How to file a renters insurance claim
File as soon as it’s safe. The sooner you report a theft or damage to your home, the sooner your insurer can assign an adjuster and start working on paying out your claim. Some companies let you file claims online or through their app, while in other cases you may have to call your agent or insurer instead. Have your policy number handy.
Document the damage. Bolster your claim by taking photos or video of all damage. If something was stolen, report it to the police before you contact your insurance company. Your insurer may ask for a copy of their report.
Prevent further damage. After you’ve taken pictures of everything broken or destroyed, take steps to prevent additional damage, such as putting a tarp over a broken window to protect your belongings inside. Keep receipts for any supplies you buy, as your insurer may reimburse you later.
Frequently asked questions
What other types of insurance does Country Financial offer?
Country Financial sells various types of insurance including auto, motorcycle, homeowners, life and business. Learn more with our Country Financial auto insurance review.
How can I get a renters quote from Country Financial?
You can call the company at 866-COUNTRY or use the “request a quote” service on the website to have a representative call you. Online quotes aren’t available.
» MORE: Country Financial home insurance review
Does Country Financial have dog breed restrictions on its renters policies?
Yes. Depending on where you live, you may not be covered for injuries caused by the following dog breeds: pit bull, chow, Rottweiler, Doberman pinscher, Akita, wolf, wolf-dog, or Fila Brasileiro (or any hybrid of these breeds). In some cases, you may not be able to get a Country Financial renters policy at all if you own one of these dogs.
Other renters insurance companies to consider
Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other renters insurance companies:
Renters insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s renters insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, coverage options, discounts, online experience and more. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2018-2020. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
Rates methodology
To find the national cost of renters insurance, NerdWallet averaged rates for 30-year-old men and women for multiple insurance companies in every ZIP code across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Sample tenants were nonsmokers with good credit and no recent claims, living in a two-bedroom apartment. They had a $500 deductible and the following coverage limits:
- $30,000 in personal property coverage.
- $100,000 in liability coverage.
- $10,000 in additional living expenses coverage.
- $1,000 in medical payments coverage.
We then compared Country Financial’s rates to the average rate for all companies in states where Country Financial offers policies and where its rates were available from Quadrant Information Services.
These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
This post was originally published on Nerd Wallet
