Stillwater Insurance Review: A Good Choice for Car Insurance?

Stillwater Insurance Group seems to pride itself on personalized customer service. Though a midsized company, it offers many perks associated with some of the best car insurance companies in the industry. Its solid range of coverage options is highly customizable, and you’ll get a great website, an ever-improving mobile app, and customer service chat to manage your policy.

But it’s hard to gauge how happy customers are with Stillwater. Online customer reviews are mixed (though its claims service appears well-reviewed), and little information is available from third-party entities like J.D. Power. Though some customers report cheap rates, our research indicates the opposite.

Read on for deeper insights into Stillwater and how it compares with competitors.

Is Stillwater a Good Choice for Auto Insurance?

To help you decide if Stillwater is a good choice, here’s an overview of the company’s performance across five key metrics. Each is rated on a scale of one to five.

Where Stillwater stands out

Stillwater is a great option for people who want to customize their coverage. The company also has a strong financial standing, earning an AM Best financial strength rating of A- (Excellent), so it has the funds to payout claims when needed.

Where Stillwater falls short

Customer complaints are eight times the industry average for similarly sized insurance companies. Stillwater offers many coverage options but not as many as the larger players in the industry.

Stillwater Insurance Reviews: What Real Customers Are Saying

On a high level, customer feedback is mostly positive regarding stress-free claims service but somewhat mixed when it comes to customer service — especially billing and unexpected rate increases. Stillwater allegedly hit the Reddit user below with an unexplained (and mistaken) late fee, and resolving it required a lot of extra work.

But many customers report a positive experience. Even the reviewer below, whose actual premiums ended up being higher than their initial quote. Despite that, they claimed to have still found a great deal on their policy.

Many positive reviews focus on the easy claims process, as with the review below from a five-year customer, highlighting fast turnaround and open communication.

When possible, Stillwater responds to many reviews — positive or negative — showing that the company is interested in its customers’ experiences.

How Much Is Stillwater Car Insurance?

Auto insurance companies use unique formulas to calculate rates, so it’s crucial to compare them directly. Rates vary based on many factors, including your age, gender, marital status, driving history, credit, and more.

Here are Stillwater’s rates for common driving profiles to show how rates fluctuate and compare to the national average.

Stillwater’s average premiums are higher than most companies across all profiles, with rates for teens, seniors, and liability-only policies nearly double the national average. Premiums for full coverage and drivers with an at-fault accident have the most modest increases, so these policy types are likely your best chance to get a cheap rate with Stillwater.

But remember, average rates are just that: broad averages. Without getting a quote, it’s impossible to know what rate Stillwater will offer you.

Stillwater Insurance vs. The Competition

You should always compare quotes from several insurance companies when buying a new policy to ensure you get the best policy at the most competitive price.

Here’s how Stillwater’s average rates stack up against a few of its primary competitors.

Stillwater vs. GEICO

GEICO offers average rates that are around half the cost of Stillwater. Both companies offer user-friendly websites and apps, but GEICO offers more extensive optional coverages like mechanical breakdown insurance and rideshare. It also has a stronger reputation for customer service and a wider selection of discounts.

Stillwater vs. State Farm

Both companies have strong financial ratings and similar coverage options, though State Farm boasts much cheaper average rates. State Farm also beats Stillwater in customer satisfaction, industry reputation, and policy options. The insurance giant also offers more discounts, including the Drive Safe & Save program.

Stillwater vs. Progressive

Both companies offer bundling discounts and a range of insurance products. But Progressive offers cheaper policies, more discounts, more extensive coverage options, and better technology. Progressive also has a stronger industry reputation and financial rating.

Stillwater Car Insurance Discounts

Car insurance discounts are an easy way to lower your premiums. Stillwater offers the following opportunities:

• Accident/violation-free: For drivers with no recent history of accidents or traffic tickets.
• Good student: For high school and college students maintaining good grades.
• Multi-car: For insuring more than one vehicle on the same policy.
• Multi-policy: For purchasing multiple Stillwater insurance products.
• Paid-in-full: For paying the entire policy term up front.
• Paperless: For receiving all documents electronically.
• Theft and safety device: For insuring vehicles with features like car alarms and airbags.

Stillwater doesn’t specify the value of discounts. Consult your insurance agent for more details.

Stillwater’s Available Auto Insurance Coverages

You can purchase the following car insurance coverages through Stillwater:

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Collision insurance
• Comprehensive insurance
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist
• Rental car coverage
• Towing
• Medical payments (MedPay)
• Personal injury protection (PIP)

You can adjust your coverage limits for each coverage type as long as it complies with state laws. You can also adjust your deductibles for each option, including three levels of rental car coverage.

During my quote process, Stillwater offered me the option to purchase high liability limits — up to 250/500/250. I also noted that I could choose “no deductible” for comprehensive claims, and I could rerun my premium cost with each adjustment to see how it affected my price.

Keep in mind that coverage options vary by state.

What to Expect When Getting a Car Insurance Quote From Stillwater

Getting a quote for a Stillwater policy is easy and fast. You can complete the process online in less than 10 minutes. On the downside, you may have to provide your Social Security number to get a quote.

I entered my ZIP code on the auto insurance home page to start the process.

Next, I provided my personal information, including my name and address.

Then I provided my driving history, gender, marital status, occupation, education, and insurance history.

The final step before receiving my quote was to add information about my vehicle and how I use it.

Stillwater generated my quote in seconds and defaulted to offer four “package” options ranging from state-minimum insurance to premium coverage with liability limits set at 250/500/100 and additional coverage options.

I chose the “Basic Plus” plan and continued customizing my coverage limits and deductibles.

Adjusting my options was as easy as selecting an option from a dropdown menu.

Clicking on the question mark symbol triggered a pop-up with a clear explanation of the option.

The next page showed me possible discounts that applied to my premium.

Next, Stillwater displayed my available payment options.

I verified my driver’s license, VIN, and payment information in the final steps.

Overall, the process was easy to understand and complete.

What to Expect When Filing a Claim with Stillwater

You can file an insurance claim online or by phone. Stillwater will assign an examiner to review the damages and process your claim. You can follow the process online and check in through the company’s online chat.

Several customer reviews praised efficient claims adjusters and a fast claims process. The customer below highlighted a similar experience — the company issued their claims reimbursement check by the end of a call with their adjuster.

Still, some customers claimed to experience the opposite. For example, the reviewer below found the process “tedious,” as they had to get documents notarized. They also noted that a third party processed the claim. But it’s worth noting that they still liked their adjuster.

More About Stillwater Insurance

Stillwater’s other insurance products

Stillwater is a full-service insurance company. It originally sold title and mortgage insurance but expanded to offer other insurance products shortly after its founding.

In addition to car insurance, you can buy the following at Stillwater:

• Homeowners insurance
• Condo insurance
• Renters insurance
• Business insurance
• Landlord insurance
• Umbrella insurance

Product availability varies by state.

Stillwater Insurance FAQs

Below, we’ve answered the most common questions asked about Stillwater Insurance by prospective policyholders.

Does Stillwater have cheap car insurance?

No. Stillwater generally doesn’t offer cheap car insurance, according to our research. The average rate for Stillwater drivers is higher than the national average, but, since rates vary by a number of individual factors, it may offer you an affordable rate.

Is Stillwater the same as GEICO?

No. Stillwater Insurance is a separate entity from GEICO.

That said, GEICO partners with Stillwater to offer some insurance policies. That means you may buy an insurance policy underwritten by Stillwater through GEICO.

How long has Stillwater Insurance been in business?

Founded in 2000 as part of Fidelity National Property and Casualty Insurance Group, Stillwater Insurance has been in business for 24 years.

What states does Stillwater offer policies in?

Stillwater is available in 23 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Data Methodology:

Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.

All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.

Rating Methodology:

Compare.com’s mission is to help our readers make more informed decisions about their personal finances. Our editorial staff has crafted a proprietary objective rating formula — the Compare.com Rating — to make it easier for our readers to analyze and compare many of the industry’s most well-known insurers.

The score you see referenced in this article is based on several factors, including:

• Cost: How the insurer’s average rates compare to its direct competitors and the industry as a whole. This includes available savings opportunities, such as discounts and other factors.
• Customer satisfaction: How satisfied existing customers are with the service they receive. This includes the insurer’s scores among various third-party studies, such as the J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping and Claims Satisfaction studies, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index, among others.
• Ease of use: How easy it is for policyholders to utilize their policies. This includes mobile app availability, customer service availability, payment flexibility, and other related factors.
• Availability: The overall scope of the company’s insurance offerings. This includes available coverage types, national footprint, and other related factors.
• Industry reputation: A measure of the insurer’s overall standing within the industry. This includes its AM Best financial strength rating, BBB accreditation, and other related factors.

Sources:

1. Trustpilot, “Stillwater Insurance,” accessed May 20, 2024.
2. Better Business Bureau, “Stillwater Insurance Group,” accessed May 20, 2024.
3. WalletHub, “Stillwater Insurance Group,” accessed May 20, 2024.
4. Reddit, “Stillwater Auto Insurance concerns,” accessed May 20, 2024.
5. AM Best, “Stillwater Insurance Company,” accessed May 20, 2024.
6. National Association of Insurance Commissioners, “Stillwater Ins Co. National Complaint Index Report,” accessed May 20, 2024.
7. J.D. Power, “2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study,” accessed May 20, 2024.