CONNECT insurance review 2023

CONNECT car insurance

CONNECT, powered by American Family car insurance may be an option for drivers who want access to additional benefits within certain car insurance coverage types. For example, CONNECT’s comprehensive coverage comes with stolen key expense coverage that will replace your car’s locks if the keys to the vehicle are stolen. If the cost of the replacement locks is less than $250, there is no deductible requirement. CONNECT car insurance also offers accident travel expense coverage that pays for travel or accommodation if you are more than 100 miles from home and your car is not drivable.

These options allow you to personalize your standard CONNECT car insurance policy. CONNECT even offers gap insurance and new car replacement insurance for drivers who want additional protection for their new vehicles, as well as roadside assistance.

Pros and cons of CONNECT car insurance

When shopping around for car insurance quotes, narrowing down your list of carriers is part of the process. This summary of CONNECT car insurance’s pros and cons could help you easily compare with other car insurance carriers.

CONNECT car insurance cost

While CONNECT’s average car insurance rates are unavailable, knowing national average figures could help when it comes to analyzing your personal CONNECT quote. The average cost of car insurance in the U.S. is $2,014 per year for full coverage and $622 per year for minimum coverage. Your rates may vary depending on where you live, the car you drive, your coverage choices and more. Reaching out to a CONNECT agent for a car insurance quote is the best way to understand how much you might pay for car insurance with the company.

CONNECT car insurance discounts

Car insurance could be an expensive part of every driver’s budget, but there are ways you may be able to lower the cost. When comparing car insurance companies, also consider the available discounts to help earn savings on car insurance. A few of CONNECT’s more unique discounts include:

CONNECT car tools and benefits

CONNECT does not appear to offer any additional services to auto insurance policyholders at this time.

CONNECT home insurance

CONNECT home insurance allows homeowners to build fully personalized policies for their homes and cover unique risks with endorsements. After choosing policy limits for standard coverage, like dwelling and liability coverage, homeowners can choose to add other types of coverage, like earthquake coverage, scheduled personal property coverage, or mine subsidence insurance, which must be offered in some states.

As with its auto insurance, CONNECT home insurance is underwritten by American Family, the company’s parent company. American Family received a Bankrate Score of 3.1 out of 5, due in part to its coverage options and discount opportunities. It also scored above-average in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study, indicating that policyholders are generally satisfied with this company’s home insurance. However, CONNECT home insurance does not have mobile app accessibility, which may be a drawback for customers who want to manage their policies on mobile.

Pros and cons of CONNECT homeowners insurance

When shopping for the best homeowners insurance, it’s important to consider the carrier as well as the product offerings. Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons of CONNECT homeowners insurance to help you see how it stacks up against other insurance companies while comparing home insurance quotes:

CONNECT home insurance cost

Average rates for CONNECT home insurance policies are unavailable, so reaching out to an agent for a quote is the best way to receive an estimate of how much you might pay. As a baseline, it may help to know that the national average cost of homeowners insurance with $250,000 in dwelling coverage is $1,428, although your estimated premium may vary depending on where you live, the size of your home, selected coverage amounts and more.

CONNECT home insurance discounts

Home insurance is a necessary expense for most homeowners, making affordability a key priority for those who want cheap home insurance. Some unique discounts on a CONNECT home insurance policy could include:

CONNECT home tools and benefits

CONNECT does not offer any additional services to homeowners insurance policyholders.

CONNECT customer satisfaction

Evaluating insurance companies based on customer satisfaction will help give an idea of what the customer experience might be like. Consulting J.D. Power, a third-party agency that annually conducts customer surveys about their experience with insurance companies, can help. But beyond these results, you can also speak to current and former policyholders of CONNECT to see what their experience with the company was and is, especially on a local level.

CONNECT auto satisfaction

As a company powered by American Family, CONNECT is not directly ranked by J.D. Power. However, American Family ranked above average in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study in the Central, North Central and Southwest regions. This indicates that customers may be generally pleased with the service they received from AmFam during the billing and claims process, as well as policy offerings, interaction with company representatives and price. Additionally, American Family has a strong history of paying out claims, with a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best.

However, the NAIC reports an above-baseline index for CONNECT at a score of 1.27, meaning that the company may receive a few more complaints than what is considered standard.

CONNECT home satisfaction

American Family earned 842 out of a possible 1,000 points in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study. Similar to the auto insurance study, this study also reviewed policy offerings, premium price, billing and claims processing as well as communications with company representatives. Based on this score, J.D. Power shows American Family customers to be highly pleased with the service received.

Unlike its auto insurance product, CONNECT’s complaint index shows a below-baseline score of .55 for home insurance policies. This means that the NAIC receives considerably fewer complaints than normal for CONNECT’s homeowners insurance.

How to file a claim with CONNECT

Filing a claim with CONNECT can be done by logging into your account on its website or by contacting your agent. Policyholders can also call its toll-free number at 1-800-872-5246.

CONNECT availability

CONNECT home and auto insurance is underwritten by American Family. When purchasing a policy from CONNECT, it may be underwritten either by American Family Connect Property and Casualty Insurance Company or American Family Connect Insurance Company, depending on what state you live in.

CONNECT insurance is available in 44 states, which may include:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• Wisconsin

Other CONNECT perks worth considering

Home and auto insurance aren’t the only two insurance products that CONNECT offers. Here’s a sample of other policies customers may buy from CONNECT:

• Renters insurance: Renters can purchase a policy with coverage for their personal belongings, as well as liability and loss of use coverage.
• Condominium insurance: Condominium unit owners typically need coverage for the interior of their unit, which this policy type accounts for.
• Umbrella insurance: An umbrella policy can be useful if you want increased personal liability coverage for your auto and home policies that goes beyond the policy limit.

CONNECT corporate sustainability

CONNECT has internal initiatives with its teams and external initiatives with non-profit organizations that align with its mission to improve communities. Organizations it has partnered with include Habitat for Humanity, United Way and Literacy Green Bay.

Employees are also offered paid time off to volunteer and the company will match employee donations to participating organizations through its American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation. This foundation also awards college or vocational schools scholarships to children of full-time employees.

Not sure if CONNECT is right for you?

Although Bankrate’s CONNECT insurance review may highlight why this insurer is the right fit for some, others may need to know how it stacks up against competitors. If you’re unsure about CONNECT insurance or want to explore other options during the quoting process, consider these alternatives:

CONNECT vs. Farmers Insurance

As a large and nationally available carrier, Farmers also offers unique home and auto insurance endorsements to personalize your policy. Farmers has a long list of discount opportunities for those who want extra ways to save on their home insurance.

Learn more: Farmers Insurance review

CONNECT vs. Geico

Geico’s average rates and long list of discounts make it one of the cheapest car insurance companies in the nation. It is also widely available, with strong mobile app accessibility, and may be a good fit if CONNECT is not offered in your state. For these reasons, Geico also tied for a 2023 Bankrate Award for Best Auto Insurance Company Overall.

Learn more: Geico Insurance review

CONNECT vs. State Farm

State Farm was recognized for its low premiums and excellent customer service in the 2023 Bankrate Awards, where it won Best Auto Insurance Company for High-Risk Drivers. 2022 J.D. Power customer satisfaction scores for home and auto also found State Farm to consistently rank above average, indicating that its customers may be generally pleased with its service.

Learn more: State Farm Insurance review

Is CONNECT a good insurance company?

Bankrate strives to provide honest, straightforward and helpful information about insurance companies to help our readers pick the best options for their needs (and budgets) — that’s why we keep licensed insurance agents on staff. We use our decades of combined industry experience to provide insights you may not find in other reviews.

CONNECT is an insurance company that offers a range of insurance products, including auto, home and umbrella insurance. The company strives to match customers with the products that most closely match their lifestyles. With the backing of American Family Insurance, CONNECT could be a good option for some policyholders. However, its limited state availability, lack of a strongly rated mobile app and inconsistent NAIC complaint index scores may be a drawback for some.

Bankrate Score methodology

Our 2023 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories. 

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways a home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.