Table of Contents
Company Background
Launched in 1912, Liberty Mutual was established as a response to a Massachusetts law, which required all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. It started expanding rapidly. And by 1912, the company started offering auto insurance.
In 1917, they ventured into public liability policies. And since then, the company has grown to become one of the largest insurers in the nation.
Currently, the company offers a wide range of insurance products for home, fire, auto, workers’ compensation, as well as liability coverage, both for homes and businesses.
Based in Boston, this insurance company now has more than 45,000 employees, spread across different countries around the globe.
Liberty Mutual is currently ranked as the 6th largest casualty and property insurer in the world. Also, the company holds an A rating from AM Best, which is the highest rating in the industry.
Liberty Mutual also runs various philanthropic campaigns, geared towards helping homeless people, promoting accessibility for people with disabilities and promoting educational programs in underserved communities.
Their home insurance policies are geared towards homeowners, landlords with rental properties, condo owners, and apartment dwellers.
Liberty Mutual usually underwrites its own insurance. However, they also use various subsidiaries, based on the location.
Some of their subsidiaries include America First Insurance, Wausau Underwriters, Oregon, Safeco Insurance Company, American Stages Lloyds Insurance, Ohio Security Insurance, Excelsior Insurance Company, Golden Eagle Insurance Company and North Pacific Insurance Company, just to name a few.
However, it’s important to note that their use of various subsidiaries doesn’t affect the quality of service. Furthermore, all their policies are backed by the company’s great financial strength.
Coverage
As noted earlier, Liberty Mutual home insurance provides standard coverage for the policyholder’s dwelling, personal property, liability protection as well as additional living expenses. Let’s take a closer look at each of these coverage options:
Dwelling Protection
Liberty Mutual home insurance will provide coverage for the physical structure of your home, as well as detached structures on the property like fences, sheds, and driveways.
So, if your home is damaged by severe weather elements, water, fire, vandalism, or theft, then the insurer will take care of the damage, whether it’s by repairing or replacing the damaged structure.
You should note that Liberty Mutual will only compensate for water damage caused by drains, sewers and sump pump wells. Therefore, they will not provide coverage for damage or loss caused by flooding.
However, they offer a separate flood insurance policy, in partnership with the National Flood Insurance Program. For the flood insurance policy, you will receive coverage of up to $250,000 for your home and at least $100,000 for your valuables.
Personal Property Coverage
If your personal possessions like furniture, electronics, and rugs are stolen, or damaged, then Liberty Mutual will pay you the actual cash value of the item. Actual cash value means that you will receive an amount equal to the item’s replacement cost, minus depreciation.
The actual cash value will be determined by subtracting depreciation from the item’s replacement cost. Depreciation is computed by determining an item’s expected lifetime and then establishing what percentage of that life remains. The percentage obtained will then be multiplied by the replacement cost, which will give you the actual cash value.
Personal Liability Protection
Liberty Mutual also provides coverage to homeowners who accidentally damage other people’s property.
For example, a tree on your compound may fall and damage your neighbor’s fence. And your neighbor may decide to sue you for the damages.
In such circumstances, Liberty Mutual will step in and cover the costs needed to repair the damage or pay legal fees.
Personal liability coverage will also help to protect you from having to pay expensive medical bills if someone is injured on your property, and you are deemed liable for the injury.
For instance, a visitor may be walking through your workshop, and they are hit by a heavy falling object.
The visitor may then suffer a broken back or arm, and they may sue you for damages. And this is where Liberty Mutual's personal liability coverage will kick in. This coverage will help you to pay for medical bills and the associated legal expenses.
As you may expect, Liberty mutual liability protection doesn’t cover everything on your property. So, if you have something like a swimming pool on your property, then you should consider increasing your liability coverage, due to the greater risk it presents.
Associated Living Expenses
If you have been displaced from your home and you’ve been forced to live in a hotel, then Liberty Mutual will provide coverage for the living expenses you incur during this period.
Coverage includes incidents like fire, tornadoes and floods as well as when you’ve been restricted from living on your property due to severe weather conditions.
In such situations, Liberty Mutual will pay for additional living expenses like hotel stays, restaurant meals, or the cost of takeout meals.
Just like other coverage options, the policy limits will apply. Also, additional living expenses coverage is not available in some states.
So, if you opt to purchase Liberty Mutual home insurance, then you should read your policy document carefully to see whether your state is among those covered.
Additional Home Insurance Coverage
Dwelling protection, personal property protection, and liability protection come standard for all Liberty Mutual home insurance policyholders. But considering people have different needs, you may opt for additional coverage, depending on your situation. Some of the additional home insurance coverages that Liberty Mutual offers include:
Scheduled Items
If you own valuable items like art, jewelry and other expensive possessions, then you should opt for this type of coverage. It provides more coverage for expensive possessions, compared to a standard policy.
Flood Insurance
Water damage caused by a leaking or burst pipe is usually covered by the standard Liberty Mutual home insurance policy. But if your home is damaged by severe flooding, then you may not be compensated.
So, if you live in an area that is prone to severe flooding, then you should purchase additional flooding protection coverage.
Umbrella Coverage
Umbrella coverage falls under personal liability protection. It provides additional liability protection on top of what you will get in a standard policy.
Earthquake Coverage
Liberty Mutual home insurance doesn’t provide earthquake coverage. Therefore, if you live in high-risk states like Arkansas, Alaska, California, Illinois, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina and Wyoming, then you should consider having this coverage.
Identity Fraud Expense Coverage
Liberty Mutual also offers customized identity theft insurance, which you can add to your property policy.
It covers attorney fees, lost documented wages, as well as loan reapplication fees, in case your first application didn’t go through due to issues of fraud.
Their Identity fraud coverage provides up to $15,000 for every incident and a maximum payout of $30,000 per policy.
Offered Discounts
Just like other home insurance companies, Liberty Mutual offers a wide range of discounts, designed to help policyholders save on premiums. Some of the discounts that they offer include:
Multi-policy Discount
Liberty Mutual will give you a discount if you bundle your home insurance policy with a business insurance policy, life insurance policy, auto insurance policy, or any other insurance policy that you purchase from them.
Protective Devices Discount
Installing protective and safety devices in your home like deadbolts, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, burglar alarms, fire alarms, shutoff devices, sprinklers or water leak detection, can earn some discounts on your Liberty Mutual home insurance policy.
Claims-free Discount
If you go for 5 years without filing an insurance claim with Liberty Mutual, then you can claim this discount. You are also eligible for this discount if you switch to Liberty Mutual and you have gone for 5 years without filing an insurance claim with your previous insurer.
Newly Bought and Renovated Homes Discount
Liberty Mutual offers lower rates and discounts for newly purchased homes. Renovating your home could also earn you some discounts.
Early Shopper Discount
If you are currently insured by another home insurance company, you can qualify for a Liberty Mutual early shopper discount, if you request a quote from this insurance company before your current policy runs out.
Insured to Value Discount
Opting to insure your property at replacement cost as opposed to market value, may earn you some discounts on your Liberty Mutual home insurance policy.
Other Available Discounts
- Military discount: Offered to active duty military members and veterans
- Paperless policy discount
- New roof discount
- Preferred payment discount
All available discounts are subject to eligibility requirements. Also, they tend to vary from one state to the other. Furthermore, the offered discounts will vary from one policyholder to another.
Cost of Liberty Mutual Home Insurance
According to Policy Genius, the average cost of a home insurance premium in the country is approximately $1,200.
Liberty Mutual’s home insurance premiums range from approximately $87 per month to $359 monthly.
On average, you will be spending approximately $1,000 to $4,300 annually, depending on the number of discounts you qualify for.
Liberty Mutual has an online calculator, which you can use to estimate the cost of your home insurance policy.
What Determines the Actual Cost?
Using the company’s online calculator will only give you a rough estimate of what you expect to pay for home insurance premiums. However, when calculating the actual cost of the insurance premiums will pay, Liberty Mutual will consider the following 5 factors:
Location
Your home’s location is probably one of the biggest factors that will determine your Liberty Mutual home insurance rates. Each area has different circumstances, and all these will be used to determine the possibility of a claim.
For example, if you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, flooding or severe storms, then there is a high chance you will pay higher home insurance premiums, compared to someone living in an area that experiences fair weather conditions throughout the year.
Furthermore, you may pay higher home insurance premiums if your neighborhood has a high crime rate. On the other hand, proximity to a fire station or fire hydrants could save you some dollars on home insurance premiums.
Estimated Replacement Cost
Estimated replacement cost refers to the amount of money that will be required, to rebuild, repair or replace your home to its current exact standards.
For instance, if your home was severely damaged by a storm, how much money would it cost to rebuild it and restore it to its previous standard?
As you may expect, the higher the replacement cost of your home, the higher the home insurance premiums you will pay.
Insurance companies normally use factors like the square footage, age of the house, the number of floors, construction and materials used, as well as various other features. Liberty Mutual will also consider the availability of materials and current inflation levels when determining the replacement cost.
Age and Condition
The risks associated with a house tend to increase with age. Consequently, your Liberty Mutual home insurance premiums will also increase.
As a building ages, there is a high chance that the plumbing system, HVAC system, wiring and other systems will break down. And these systems will require to be repaired frequently, which translates to more claims over time.
If you are an owner of a brick home or your home is made of fire-resistant materials, then your home insurance premiums will be lower. Furthermore, Liberty Mutual offers discounts for newly-built homes, which translates to lower costs for the premiums.
Safety, Security and Damage Mitigation Devices
Keeping your home well maintained, improving your home’s security, updating your electrical, heating and plumbing systems, as well as taking steps to minimize the risk of water damage can all help in keeping your home safe and secure.
And when you have installed such systems, your claims will be fewer, compared to someone whose home is prone to all sorts of security and safety risks.
Therefore, the homeowner who has installed safety, security and damage mitigation devices will end up paying lower home insurance premiums.
And as noted earlier, Liberty Mutual offers a discount on home insurance premiums, for people who’ve installed security and safety devices like smoke detectors, burglar alarms, bolt locks and other safety features.
Deductible
A deductible is out-of-pocket money that you pay before your home insurance coverage kicks in. Higher deductibles come with a lower risk for the insurer. Consequently, the insurer may reduce your insurance premiums accordingly.
Requirements to Get a Liberty Mutual Home Insurance Policy
If you want to purchase a Liberty Mutual home insurance policy, you will be required to supply key details about the property you intend to insure.
Some of the information required includes the property’s physical address, size, safety features, condition and age.
Also, you will need to provide details regarding all individuals listed on the property’s deed or mortgage, as well as those living on the property on a full-time basis.
After supplying this information, Liberty Mutual will send someone to your property, who will inspect the loss or damage, to confirm the information you’ve provided. After the inspection, they will then send you a quote.
Filing a Home Insurance Claim
If you are a Liberty Mutual home insurance policyholder, then it’s within your right to file a claim, if you’ve suffered damage or loss. Liberty Mutual uses a simple claims process, making it easy for everyone to file a claim.
First, if you require emergency assistance for services like covering your roof, water removal or temporary shelter if your home is currently unlivable, then you should reach out to them right away by calling Call 1-800-225-2467.
For less urgent claims, you will follow the laid-out process. You can file the claim online, and then track its status using your online account. Here is how the claims process works:
Creating the Claim
After filing the home insurance claim, Liberty Mutual will review it, to determine whether you are covered and the level of coverage. Ensure you take clear videos and photos, to document the level of damage.
Reviewing the damage
After creating the claim, Liberty Mutual will send some inspectors to your home, who will undertake a thorough review of the damage. The review will help to estimate the cost of repairing the damage. Liberty Mutual will also assess the costs for replacing or repairing personal items that were lost or damaged.
During the damage review, you will be required to send a list of your personal belongings that were either lost or damaged, including details such as their make or model, age of the item, and condition. You also need to attach the receipts.
Liberty Mutual will also need you to attach vital documentation such as estimates from contractors as well as reports from experts like electricians and plumbers.
Receiving the payment
Using the damage assessment reports, Liberty Mutual will then calculate the payable amount. They also send you a copy of your property claim estimate, including payment methods as well as when you should expect to receive the payment.
Completing the claim
After receiving the money, you can then undertake the repairs and replace the lost or stolen valuables. Liberty Mutual will ask you to send copies of receipts or invoices for documentation purposes.
They can also recommend a contractor if you are finding it hard to find a reliable one. Their customer service representatives will stay in touch with you throughout the claims process and answer any questions that you may have until you are back to normal.
As you can see, the claims process is simple and effortless. In fact, the company encourages its policyholders to file their claims digitally, indicating that the process can take less than 10 minutes.
Availability
Liberty Mutual home insurance is currently available in all the 50 states across the U.S. And while they may not have offices in every state, they normally work through various subsidiaries, making it easier for them to take their services closer to their customers.
Customer Service
If you are a Liberty Mutual policyholder, you can get in touch with them via email or phone. Their phone support is available from 8 am to 10 pm Eastern Time Zone, from Monday through Friday.
They are also available on phone on Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm and 11 am to 5 pm on Sundays. Customers can contact them via email at any time. However, email responses may take slightly longer.
You can also get in touch with Liberty Mutual via various social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Liberty Mutual also has a mobile app, which you can use to manage your policy, pay your bills, make updates, and file claims.
Financial Stability
Liberty Mutual scores a solid “A” AM Best rating when it comes to financial stability. This is to show that Liberty Mutual is a stable insurance company, with a great ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations such as paying out claims.
Therefore, homeowners can rest easy knowing that Liberty Mutual is capable of reimbursing them for all covered losses and damages.
Liberty Mutual Home Insurance vs. the Competition
When it comes to buying home insurance, you have numerous options to explore. So, how does Liberty Mutual home insurance stack up against its competitors? Let’s take a closer look:
Value for Money
The truth is, Liberty Mutual is not the cheapest home insurer on the market. However, they offer numerous benefits that set them apart from the competition. For example, they are one of the few home insurance companies that protect against inflation.
So, when you renew your home insurance policy, your coverage will immediately adjust for inflation, making sure you receive the same level of protection that you got when you first signed up.
Customer Satisfaction
Despite their great financial strength and a wide range of online tools, their level of customer satisfaction is average.
A 2019 J.D Power Homeowners’ Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey gave Liberty Mutual a score of 3 out of 5 for overall customer satisfaction. Its competitors like State Farm and Allstate scored much higher in this category.
Hence, if customer satisfaction is on top of your considerations when you are shopping for home insurance, then Liberty Mutual may not be your best option.
Discounts
Leading home insurance companies offer various discounts. When compared to what other companies are offering, Liberty Mutual’s discounts are standard.
The discounts they offer such as new roof discounts, new home discounts, multi-policy discounts, and paperless discounts are just what you will find elsewhere.
Where they stand out from other providers, is their claims-free discount. If you switch to Liberty Mutual home insurance and you have not filed a claim with your previous insurer for at least 5 years, then you will qualify for this discount.
Furthermore, if you keep your Liberty Mutual home insurance policy claims-free for at least 3 years, then you will qualify for the company’s Safe Homeowner Program Discount, which translates to additional savings on your premium.
Accessibility
As for accessibility, Liberty Mutual home insurance outperforms most of its competitors. As noted earlier, they provide a wide range of online tools, making it easy for their customers to get in touch with them.
They also have a comprehensive mobile app, which provides a convenient means for the customer to access their services.
Liberty Mutual also has a free online calculator, which you can use to calculate your quote. Furthermore, their website is user-friendly, easy to navigate and highly resourceful.
Coverage
Similar to other home insurance providers, dwelling coverage, personal property protection and liability protection come standard with the Liberty Mutual home insurance policy.
However, they also offer a wide range of additional coverage options, which you may not find elsewhere. Some of the additional coverage options include personal property replacement cost coverage, hurricane coverage, blanket jewelry coverage, inflation protection coverage and flood insurance.
Customer Complaints
According to a 2017 report published by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Liberty Mutual had more customer complaints filed against them, compared to other home insurance companies.
And as much as the customer complaints have reduced in recent years, they still trail other providers like State Farm.
Pros of Liberty Mutual Home Insurance
You may be probably asking yourself why you should choose Liberty Mutual home insurance coverage, instead of the other available options. Well, here are the pros of Liberty Mutual home insurance:
Effortless Claims Filing
Liberty Mutual has made the claims filing process as easy as possible, using a smartphone. For instance, you can easily access your policy number and coverage information using the mobile app. You can also use the same app to file a claim, thus saving yourself valuable time.
Handy Online Tools
Besides the mobile app, Liberty Mutual has various online quote tools, which are available for everyone. For instance, there is the Coverage Customizer Tool, designed to help potential customers identify the additional home insurance coverage that may be of benefit to them, as well as available discounts they may be eligible for.
There is also another handy tool that is known as Am I Covered, which enables current policyholders to check whether their policy will provide enough cover in case of an accident or incident.
Liberty Mutual also has an online cost estimator, which provides free and accurate estimates, making it easier for customers to shop for the right insurance coverage for their needs.
Flexible Coverage Options
Dwelling, personal property, personal liability and additional living expenses all come standard with Liberty Mutual home insurance. However, they also offer a broad range of additional coverage options, designed to meet the needs of different policyholders.
For example, if you have expensive jewelry, you can purchase the company’s blanket jewelry coverage. The blanket jewelry coverage will replace your jewelry if it's stolen or lost, without up-front appraisal or the need for a deductible.
And if you live in an area that is prone to flooding, then you can opt to purchase flood insurance coverage, since water damage caused by flooding is not covered under the standard policy.
Nationwide Coverage
Liberty Mutual home insurance is available in all 50 states. Therefore, you will be covered regardless of where you live.
Cons of Liberty Mutual Home Insurance
Just like other home insurance companies, Liberty Mutual also has its own fair of shortcomings. These include:
- Low customer satisfaction ratings
- No liability coverage for certain dog breeds
Recommended For
Whether to purchase this insurance policy will depend on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a digitally advanced home insurance provider, then Liberty Mutual may be an ideal option for you.
They offer a broad range of mobile and web-based tools, which make it easier and convenient for their customer to access their services, regardless of the time of the day or the location.
Liberty Mutual home insurance will also be a great option for someone who is looking for a well-rounded policy, with various opportunities to add coverage, upgrade or score discounts.
Not Recommended For
If you are looking for a carrier that offers a personalized approach to home insurance coverage, then Liberty Mutual may fail to meet your expectations.
As noted above, most of their services such as customer support and the claims process are average at best.
So, insurance shoppers looking for robust assistance, personalized service and above-average customer support, should look elsewhere.
Our Take
Liberty Mutual is one of the largest and most popular home insurance carriers in the country. It’s available in all the states and offers a wide range of coverage options, designed to meet the coverage needs of their diverse range of clientele.
They also offer numerous discounts, making it easy to find an affordable coverage option.
Unfortunately, their lower-than-average customer satisfaction rating can give some people a reason to look elsewhere.
But ultimately, the decision of whether to purchase Liberty Mutual home insurance coverage or not, all comes down to personal preferences and individual circumstances.
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