Foremost Insurance Review (Rates, Coverage + More)
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D. Gilson, PhD
Professor & Published Author
D. Gilson is a writer and author of essays, poetry, and scholarship that explore the relationship between popular culture, literature, sexuality, and memoir. His latest book is Jesus Freak, with Will Stockton, part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Series. His other books include I Will Say This Exactly One Time and Crush. His first chapbook, Catch & Release, won the 2012 Robin Becker Prize from S...
Professor & Published Author
UPDATED: Jul 15, 2021
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UPDATED: Jul 15, 2021
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
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Foremost Mobile Home Insurance Overview
Foremost Insurance Group Facts | Provider Specifics |
---|---|
Year Founded | 1952 |
Current Executives | President - Mike Cok |
Numbers of Employees | 1557, 38,000 agents |
Total Sales/Assets | $571,340,000 |
HQ Address | 5600 Beech Tree Lane Caledonia, MI 49316 |
Phone Number | 1-800-527-3907 |
Company Website | www.foremost.com |
Premiums Written | $5,795,044 |
Loss Ratio | 78.80% |
Best For | Financial stability, Farmers' customers |
Over the past 50 years, mobile homes have fast become a viable and cheaper alternative home option for many individuals and their families. However, mobile homes are at an increased risk for damage or loss, so owners need to find an insurance company that provides mobile home vs. home insurance coverage at a decent rate.
In the sections to follow, we take a look at Foremost Insurance Group (Foremost), one of the oldest and top insurance companies in this niche market of mobile homes’ coverage. Included among other information in this Foremost Insurance review is the available phone number for Foremost Mobile Home Insurance Company, which is 1-800-532-4221.
It can be difficult to find a clear-cut comparison between insurance companies that discusses rates, coverage options, and financial assessments, so choosing a company and policy can be daunting and feel nearly impossible. Sifting through pages of information and still ending up confused in the end is frustrating.
This page offers an all-inclusive review of Foremost and takes an in-depth look into credit ratings and financial stability, customer reviews, market share data, and the ease/difficulty of their claims process.
Are affordable Foremost Insurance mobile home insurance rates available near you? Our handy tool will help you find mobile home insurance quotes in your area. Just enter your ZIP code above to get started.
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Foremost Insurance Company Ratings
We’ve got an in-depth look at how Foremost is rated and ranked among some of the world’s most prominent organizations in the area of mobile home insurance. But first, here’s a snapshot:
Ratings Agency | Foremost Ratings |
---|---|
A.M. Best | A |
Better Business Bureau | A+ |
Consumer Affairs | 2/5 from 50 Reviews |
Moody’s Rating | A2 |
NAIC Complaint Index | 0.38%(2018) |
S&P | A |
The table above lists an overall outlook of Foremost’s viability as a competitive insurance provider.
Through a series of watchdog organizations that provide ratings based on a company’s fiscal stability as well as their degree of customer satisfaction, we can gather a better outlook of not only how Foremost operates today but also how it will potentially run in the future.
It’s only a forecast, but Foremost receives steady A’s across the board from the top three credit ranking agencies and continues to provide excellent standards in the customer service department as a provider of mobile home insurance.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at Foremost insurance reviews from each of these watchdog organizations, and what each ranking specifically means for you as a potential mobile home policyholder.
Foremost Insurance A.M. Best Rating
A.M. Best is one of the oldest and most prestigious credit ranking agencies, with a primary focus on insurance. Rankings run the spectrum from an A++, indicating peak performance and dependability, to the lowest rank, a D. Foremost and its primary listing of mobile home insurance is currently ranked A, with stable status.
Foremost Insurance BBB (Better Business Bureau) Rating
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is the go-to source for consumers seeking accredited and trusted businesses in their local area. The BBB is a nonprofit organization with no affiliations to the government or the businesses they rate.
Their points-based ranking system reviews an allotted 16 elements of a business based on rigorous standards and data from active local complaints departments.
Foremost has an A+ rating with the BBB, which is the best possible rating.
Complaint Type | Range of Points That Can Be Earned or Deducted (Maximum to Minimum) |
---|---|
1. Type of business | 0 to -41 |
2. Time in business | 8 to -10 |
3. Competency licensing | 0 or -41 |
4. Complaint volume | 20 to 2 |
5. Unanswered complaints | 20 to -21 |
6. Unresolved complaints | 10 to 1 |
7. Serious complaints | 15 to 0 |
8. Complaint analysis | 8 to -12 |
9. Complaint resolution delayed | 0 or -5 |
10. Failure to address complaint pattern | 0 or -5 |
11. Government action | 0 to -30 |
12. Advertising review | 0 to -41 |
13. Background information | 5 or 0 |
14. Clear understanding of business | 0 or -5 |
15. Mediation/arbitration | 0 to -41 |
16. Revocation | 0 or -10 |
Foremost Insurance Moody’s Rating
An insurance company with a healthy line of credit shows fiscal viability on both sides of the spectrum, and a top rating from Moody’s proves an insurance company is financially solvent and reliable. A healthy score promotes trust between policyholders and their insurance agents, especially when the time comes to make a claim. You need to know the company you have been paying into will be more than capable of paying out.
Although Foremost does not make the headlines in Moody’s ratings, the fiscal solvency of Farmers Insurance Group, their parent company, is apparent by their A2 ranking.
Foremost Insurance Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating
Standard and Poor’s (S&P) comprises the second of the top three global credit rating agencies and serves as one of the most respected index providers and data sources for independent credit ratings of businesses. S&P has been offering financial market advice since 1860, and its ratings range from AAA to D.
Foremost boasts an A in S&P’s credit ranking system.
Foremost Insurance NAIC Complaint Index
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a nationwide organization that provides informative reports with the sole interest of protecting the interests of insurance consumers. The NAIC serves as a nationwide complaint agency, calling out insurance companies and holding them to higher standards.
This can be equated to the review section for a product; you would not buy a product without first referencing the ratings. The complaint index is a consumer resource reflecting real-time interactions on the customer level.
Foremost Insurance Group Company Information | 2016 NAIC Index Data | 2017 NAIC Index Data | 2018 NAIC Index Data |
---|---|---|---|
Company's Share of Complaints US Market | 0.69% | 0.57% | 0.38% |
Company's Total Complaints | 50 | 44 | 50 |
Company's Share of Premiums US Market | 0.95% | 0.94% | 0.94% |
Company's Annual Premium | $865,301,494 | $888,648,281 | $929,056,291 |
With the National Complaint Indexed at 1, Foremost has not only performed above average — registering below the number of registered national complaints each year — but has also improved as of the end of 2018 showing .41 percent less in the number of registered complaints.
The graph above is a depiction of Foremost’s national complaint index score, the average number of customer complaints a company receives in the context of its entire industry. The scores are with a national starting average of 1 as the baseline. Foremost’s placement is well below the national average at .41 which is a positive on the Foremost Insurance customer service side of this review process. Fewer complaints mean more happy policyholders which means an efficient, worthwhile insurance provider for your mobile home.
Foremost Insurance Group History
Edward J. Frey and Edward L. Stoddard, along with a handful of investors, founded the insurance company Foremost in 1952, one of the nation’s first insurance groups dedicated solely to providing policies for mobile homes. Throughout each decade, Foremost has proven itself a forward-thinking company capable of meeting the needs of a new and growing demographic of home-owning clients.
Foremost’s goal was simple: provide insurance to an evolving market of American families owning or residing in mobile homes.
Since the company’s inception, the mobile home community and Foremost have grown substantially, and the company remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of its policyholders.
They were influential in helping pass mandated tie-down-laws during the 60s, an advantageous win for Foremost and the safety of its policyholders; they also created the first travel trailer policy as Americans hit the road in a new class of recreational vehicles.
Within the first 20 years, Foremost’s revolutionary motor home policies ditched the old model of modifying auto policies and created coverage specifically for motor homes.
Mobile Claims Centers were introduced in the 70s to provide quick responses and continue to be Foremost’s most effective first-responder team in disaster relief scenarios. Officially endorsed by AARP in 1989, and with Foremost.com going live as early as 1996, Foremost has established an active online presence capable of bridging the generational gap between younger and older policyholders of mobile home insurance.
On March 7, 2000, Foremost was acquired by Farmers Insurance Group (Farmers), a company whose market share is well within the nation’s top five for home insurance. This allowed Foremost to expand into the auto industry with Bristol West, signifying growth and potential across a broad spectrum of markets, including the mobile home insurance division.
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Foremost Insurance Group Market Share
Market share by definition is the portion of a particular economic market that a company controls through a measure of its sales. According to Investopedia, a company’s market share percentage is determined by dividing the company’s sales over a select period of time by the sales totals of the industry over the same period.
Foremost purports itself to be “the market leader for mobile home insurance in the nation.” Although detailed figures on the niche market of mobile home insurance are limited, Foremost’s actions tend to speak volumes.
With over 50 years of active service and an NAIC complaint index score half that of a similarly sized insurer, the company’s dedication and innovation in regards to meeting the needs of the mobile home market are evident. Foremost has even set about releasing its statistical reports every three years based on target demographics of mobile homeowners to better serve policyholders.
As mentioned previously, mobile home market share figures may be hard to validate, but we can measure Foremost’s market potential as a subsidiary of Farmers. Farmers, with Foremost as its subsidiary, contends well with the top competitors in the larger home insurance sector, maintaining an enviable fifth place in the top 10.
Not to be discounted based purely on size, a smaller company can lead to a more personal touch when it comes to claims adjustments and customer service in general. Farmers seems to operate in that sought-after territory where size accurately matches the scope of the business, particularly in Foremost’s case, given the limits of potential in a niche market like mobile homes.
Foremost, under the umbrella of Farmers, may not be the biggest home insurance provider, and that seems to be just right.
Companies | 2016 - % Market Share | 2016 - Premiums Written | 2017 - % Market Share | 2017- Premiums Written | 2018 - % Market Share | 2018 - Premiums Written |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allstate | 8.64% | 7,903,530 | 8.44% | 7,957,403 | 8.36% | 8,262,445 |
Farmers | 6.03% | 5,515,277 | 5.96% | 5,617,990 | 5.86% | 5,795,044 |
Liberty Mutual | 6.74% | 6,164,379 | 6.86% | 6,471,114 | 6.74% | 6,655,452 |
State Farm | 19.26% | 17,613,109 | 18.63% | 17,556,871 | 18.40% | 18,177,462 |
Travelers | 3.70% | 3,387,144 | 3.76% | 3,547,478 | 3.81% | 6,170,558 |
USAA* | 5.84% | 5,341,021 | 6.05% | 5,703,741 | 6.24% | 6,170,558 |
*in 2017, USAA took over fourth place from Farmers.
Even though the Farmers’ market share has dipped slightly below 6 percent in the past three years, the number of premiums written continues to increase each year; a quick survey may suggest declining business, but the increase in premiums maintains that the company is hardly stagnant. The dip in ranking for Farmers has more to due with USAA’s drastic outperformance.
The average market share figure of 5.9 percent puts Farmers (and Foremost) well within the top five for homeowners multiple peril policies, and the steady increases in premiums written infer a level of stability and dependability behind a company that may be growing, albeit slowly.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Position for the Future
The market share information reveals some discrepancies on performance with the dip to fifth place, but Farmers and Foremost are considered a safe bet in the years to come.
The number of premiums continues to rise, and with a slightly higher loss ratio in the upper 70 percent, the possibility of payouts on claims remains high. With Foremost withstanding the test of time, with over 50 years of experience, particularly in the mobile home business, the company is likely in it for the long haul.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Online Presence: Foremost Insurance Website
As mentioned previously, Foremost has maintained an active online presence since the dial-up modem days of the 1990s. Its current online presence comprises two front pages, the more traditional insurance site, and an AARP endorsed site.
Both websites provide an intuitive layout offering bill pay, links for a variety of insurance options, quotes, an informative learning center, and a local agent option. A quick search utilizing the company’s agent option provides a healthy list of 26 nearby agents, including their location and contact information.
You can use your Foremost Insurance login on the website to access your Foremost Insurance policy information and pay your bill.
There is also a website with a Foremost Insurance agent login that offers education and tools to help them better server their customers.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Commercials
Although not as publicly apparent and flashy as some of the major contenders, Foremost has a handful of commercial videos accessible online that showcase real-life stories of Foremost policyholders.
The overall appeal of these videos stems from being informative while providing an emotional connection. These commercials focus on providing a name and face to the mobile home insurance company while depicting the various other coverages they offer.
This second video takes a more sports-inspired angle.
This last commercial video depicts the need for mobile home insurance after a natural disaster and is conducted in a similar vein as several of Foremost’s other home insurance videos. This time, there is an AARP endorsement and a real policyholder story.
Foremost Insurance Group in the Community
The Foremost Mobile Home Market Facts study is a systematic survey that the company conducts of mobile homeowners, landlords, and renters every three years. The studies and accompanying reports are valuable tools that aid in understanding the market and the insurance needs of mobile homes and their owners.
“This study helps Foremost provide the best possible coverage and service to our customers by understanding their needs,” says Jeff Bair, head of Foremost merchandising and business development. “We have continued to evolve this study to make sure the data we collect is relevant and useful to the entire manufactured home industry and to our independent agents throughout the country.”
The survey gathers information on everything from social media interaction of mobile homeowners to how they shop for their insurance, and it allowed Foremost to recognize a growing need in the insurance market, as the survey reported a 4 percent increase from 2008-2012 in those individuals who expect a mobile home to be their next residence.
The latest 2018 Mobile Home Market Facts report is available for free online. Foremost also produces corporate studies about RV, motorcycle, snowmobile, and off-road vehicle owners and their lifestyles.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Employees
To provide the most in-depth look into Foremost, we have also taken the liberty of doing some digging regarding the company’s employees. A company generally thrives when employee satisfaction is high, the benefits of which eventually translate to the policyholder. A happy workforce equals a productive workplace ready to operate above and beyond standard measures and practices.
Age of Employees and Tenure
According to Glassdoor.com, nineteen percent of employees hold their jobs for 11-15 years, and the average core workforce age group sits around the mid-30s to late 40s.
Employee Experience
According to Glassdoor.com, the average employee approval rating is 3.6 out of five stars, and the company boasts a 90 percent approval rating of the CEO.
Awards and Accolades
The larger entity of Farmers, under which Foremost operates as a mobile home insurance provider, ranks high for large entity corporations. According to the site Great Places to Work, the self-proclaimed global authority on workplace culture, Farmers ranked well — 26th in best workplaces in the financial and insurance division, with 81 percent of employees reporting that it is a great place to work.
Foremost Insurance Group Cheap Home Insurance Rates
In the long run, we know all these averages and rough estimates matter little when ultimately what you need are some solid figures. An actual price tag makes all the difference when figuring out what you will pay and how to get the best rates from mobile home insurance companies. To get a better view of Foremost’s national standing regarding discount rates, we took parent company Farmers’s data on home insurance rates and broke it down below.
Foremost Insurance Company Availability
Currently, Foremost has representation in 48 states, and not including Washington, D.C. Hawaii is the only state where Foremost is not licensed to sell mobile home insurance. Foremost’s more than 38,000 agents are licensed to operate anywhere else in the country. You can click here to find an insurance agent near you.
Foremost Insurance Rates by State
In researching the average premium rates for Farmers in every state, we discovered that homeowners in Denver, Colorado, paid the highest average premiums at just over $3,000 with a $500 deductible. Pasadena, California, trailed in at a distant second with an approximately $900 premium and a $1,000 deductible.
The lowest rates we saw in our comparison study were found in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the average premium is a little under $500 with a significantly higher deductible of $2,500.
In general, we would suggest that the cost of your mobile home insurance could range from $500-$1,000 a year, but this can fluctuate based on the age and overall condition of your home.
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Foremost Insurance Group Compared to the Top 10 by Market Share
Farmers, the parent company of Foremost, holds steady at fifth place when stacked up against the top 10 home insurance companies by market share.
Rank | Companies | Direct Premiums Written | Market Share | Loss Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | State Farm | $18,177,462,000 | 18.50% | 61.87% |
2 | Allstate | $8,262,445,000 | 8.36% | 65.55% |
3 | Liberty Mutual | $6,655,452,000 | 6.74% | 52.60% |
4 | USAA | $6,170,558,000 | 6.24% | 79.77% |
5 | Farmers Insurance Group | $5,795,044,000 | 5.86% | 78.80% |
6 | Travelers | $3,766,277,000 | 3.81% | 69.34% |
7 | American Family Insurance | $3,276,280,000 | 3.32% | 63.74% |
8 | Nationwide | $3,184,627,000 | 3.22% | 77.83% |
9 | Chubb Ltd Group | $2,832,082,000 | 2.87% | 91.87% |
10 | Erie Insurance Group | $1,675,976,000 | 1.70% | 66.03% |
The chart above gives an overall outlook of the playing field for all home insurance providers. With the exclusion of the drastically larger company State Farm, the top five are pretty evenly matched. The number of premiums written gives a better depiction of the size of each insurance provider, and the majority of two through five top off around the six million figure for premiums written; on average, they are about the same middleweight size, and Farmers is still an active competitor.
The loss ratio gives potential policyholders an idea of how the insurance provider will pay out to their policyholders, and Foremost, as a subsidiary of Farmers, is paying out in the safe range below 80 percent. It is comforting to know Foremost Insurance claims are being processed just as long as the payouts do not exceed the incoming number of premiums.
Foremost Insurance Group Sample Rates
Ultimately, this whole discussion and review process will come down to three questions all revolving around the elephant in the room, money. How much will Foremost charge for mobile home insurance? Can you afford that amount? And finally, is that amount equal to the value of your mobile home insurance coverage and its possible replacement?
We gathered a sample of the rates for mobile home insurance based in Pasadena, California using the California Department of Insurance’s search engine. Foremost is noticeably apparent in the first round of offered rates with an annual premium average price close to $300. The type of coverage is set at $50,000 in our first sample rate.
When it comes to annual premiums, Foremost offers a low figure on the side of the general average of $300. And given Foremost’s experience and replacement cost packages, they seem like an affordable and safe option.
When we increased the coverage offered to $100,000 in the same area of Pasadena, Foremost performed similarly providing a solid annual premium of $486. The premium is about around a hundred dollars more, but that is a small fee considering the price hikes offered by similar providers at that level.
Foremost once again stays at an affordable level unlike coverage packages offered by the likes of American Bankers Ins or even Allstate. It appears that Foremost provides competitive rates managing to under-price the top contenders; perhaps they do not offer the lowest annual premiums, but there is a reason for the cliche you pay for what you get. Sometimes it is worth it to pay a little more especially when it comes to safeguarding your home investment.
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Foremost Insurance Coverage Offered
Foremost offers various plans for mobile homes, along with any additional vehicles you may have. This includes automobiles, boats, and personal watercraft, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, and RVs.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Policy Types
Although Farmers offers a wide range of homeowners insurance options including renters and condo owners in addition to homeowners, its subsidiary Foremost focuses its coverage efforts almost solely on mobile homeownership. That doesn’t mean there is no room for variations of coverage within that niche market. Currently within the mobile home insurance offers, Foremost offers the primary mobile home coverage, vacant home insurance, seasonal coverage, as well as specific plans and options for landlords.
Mobile Home
The standard mobile home policy offers coverage for property loss due to weather-related damage, fire, faulty plumbing, and even burglary; Foremost covers the majority of sudden, accidental, and direct physical losses to your property. in addition, Foremost also offers a replacement cost option.
Vacant Home
Foremost is in the business of insuring vacant homes. Their website goes so far as to say they “love vacant homes”. Unlike most insurance providers, Foremost will offer coverage for vacant homes if work needs to be done or if you are putting the property up for sale.
Seasonal
The mobile home market is a prime candidate for seasonal home insurance, and Foremost will provide coverage for non-primary residences catering to the policy to meet the particular needs of seasonal home living.
Landlord
Foremost provides landlord insurance to cover against renters damaging mobile home property.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Standard Mobile Homeowners Policy
Foremost’s primary focus is on coverage for mobile homeowners. With that in mind, the standard policy provides a more traditional comprehensive coverage with additional options seemingly geared to the mobile home market. A detailed description of standard policy and additional coverage options are listed below:
- Comprehensive Coverage: This covers the majority, if not all, of any physical loss, no matter the cause. Policyholder property will be insured whether damages occur through direct, accidental, or sudden loss. Examples of included loss covered under Foremost’s comprehensive coverage include fire, vandalism, lightning, falling objects, explosion, landslide, burglary (actual and attempted), water damage from internal source such as bursting pipes, damage by wild or stray animals, damage or collapse from snow and ice, and wind or hail damage.
- Optional Replacement Cost: This option is a straightforward exchange of cash for property damage that allows policyholders to receive a monetary settlement of equal value to the cost of any damaged items with new property of comparable material and quality. Replacement is offered without any deduction for depreciation. In the majority of states, policyholders are eligible to receive up to an additional 20 percent above the amount of insurance for their mobile home if it needs to be replaced.
- Agreed Loss Settlement: Foremost offers a no-hassle loss settlement option, as well. If your home is destroyed by an insured loss, you receive the full amount of insurance for your home (minus any applicable deductible).
- Liability Coverage: Liability, probably the most popular coverage option Foremost offers, will cover costs if a mobile homeowner is found legally responsible for an accident that causes property damage or injury to any nonresident of the mobile home. This option comes in handy for covering costs from medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and property damage.
We have also taken the liberty to provide you with Foremost’s more popular coverage options:
- Hobby Farm or Ranch Liability
- Identity Fraud Expense and Management Including Monitoring
- Incidental Business Liability
- Personal Injury
- Water Damage From Sewers and Drains
- Earthquake Coverage
- Trip Coverage When Moving Your Home
- Personal Liability Coverage on Additional Residences
- Scheduled Personal Property Coverage
- Replacement Cost Coverage (Mobile Home, Other Structures and Personal Belongings)
If your mobile home resides in Texas, you should locate an agent to find out specifics about the additional coverage options offered to Texas residents.
On top of the primary coverage options, Foremost also provides a litany of extras primarily focused on the dangers or accidents that occur specifically with mobile homes. For an additional charge, you can add any of these:
- Additional Living Expenses
- Trees, Shrubs, Plants, and Lawns
- Debris Removal
- Emergency Removal Service and Emergency Repair After a Loss
- Credit Card and Check Forgery
- Fire Department Service
- Food Spoilage Coverage
Foremost Insurance Group’s Discounts
Foremost is not entirely up-front on the type and percentage amount of discounts they offer to potential policyholders. There are also no sections offered in the online quote web pages either. Your best bet to gather more detailed information would only be while talking to an agent about your specific policy. However, here are some general discount options Foremost offers that you may want to further inquire about in person.
Security Discounts
High deductible discounts are offered to policyholders who choose to pay higher deductibles. The higher the deductible will result in policyholders getting lower rates.
Foremost also offers a claims-free discount rewarding policyholders the longer they go without making a claim. It works sort of like a good behavior discount providing some type of reward for those who never have to cash in on their policy. The longer the period without having to file a claim, the lower the rates will be for policyholders.
Bundling Discounts
Foremost provides discounts when taking out second-home insurance coverage for additional residences, such as vacation homes. Multiple-Policy Discounts generally lower your premiums if you take out additional policies with Foremost.
Other Discounts
Seniors at the age of 50 or older receive discounts through the AARP sponsored Foremost program. Basically, individuals 50 years of age or older will be eligible to save money on their premiums.
Foremost Insurance Group’s Programs
Keeping in line with the previously mentioned conscientious attitude toward policyholders, Foremost offers a handful of community-centric programs. The Foremost Learning Center and AARP Learning Center offer general tips, advice, and guidelines over a broad range of topics from insurance FAQs to mobile home repair.
The Mobile Home Market Facts Sheet is the resulting report from a yearly survey conducted by Foremost to better understand the market and demographics of mobile homeownership. This study, conducted every three years since 1979, gathers statistical data on everything mobile home-related, from social media presence to how mobile homeowners shop for their insurance.
The 2018 report is also available for free online.
If disaster strikes, Foremost has a dedicated team of agents to represent policyholders in what they have termed their Mobile Claims Centers (MCCs). These representatives arrive following natural disasters to assist customers by answering questions regarding insurance matters, assisting in beginning the process of filing claims, and providing access to free satellite communications and internet services.
Since Foremost is a subsidiary of Farmers and offers insurance in a niche market, detailed information on the policies offered seems rather sparse, and the particulars of the financial costs of each policy are completely absent from any online site or researched home insurance data source.
Though Foremost is offering insurance to a market of less financially viable homes and the cost of such policies may vary too widely in range to list, the lack of policy specifics could be a deterrent for potential policyholders.
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Foremost Insurance Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your policy, it’s best to speak with your insurance agent directly, either in person or over the phone via Foremost Mobile Home Insurance phone number. However, like most insurance companies, fax, mail, and a service telephone line are also viable options.
Cancellation Fee
Foremost’s billing procedure when given notice of cancellation is to offer the termination of service with no cancellation fee. You may want to review a detailed copy of your policy to avoid any problems regarding billing procedures, as well as the yearly/monthly terms of your policy.
Is There a Refund?
Refunds are not offered for services rendered, and policyholders are responsible for scheduled payments if cancellation does not get processed before said date. If the policy is canceled and processed before the next scheduled payment, then no money will be due.
How to Cancel
Foremost must receive a written notice from the policyholder or a phone call placed directly with an agent or at the 1-800 number with the intent to terminate the policy. Written notices must include the policy number and the request to cancel signed and dated. Processing cancellation requests can take up to two weeks.
By phone:
- You’ll typically need to have the following: policy number, name, date of birth, and SSN.
- Cancellations by phone are not always effective immediately, so you may want to look into possibly scheduling your cancellation for a later date in the future.
- Besides speaking directly to your agent, you can call Foremost directly at 1-800-532-4221 during their normal business hours for assistance.
By mail or fax:
Write a letter that includes your name, address, and phone number along with your policy number and the date and time you want your policy to end. Sign, date, and mail your letter at least two weeks before your intended cancellation date to the Foremost Insurance address below:
Foremost Insurance Group
P.O. Box 0915
Carol Stream, IL 60132-0915
Fax: 1-800-325-1507
When Can I Cancel?
Policyholders are allowed to cancel at any time. The Foremost site does mention that any automatic payment programs you may have signed up for will be canceled upon receipt of a request for cancellation of your policy; however, this is also prefaced with a seemingly buyer-beware warning that automatic bank payments occurring around the same time as the policy cancellation may still result in a charge.
Timing is everything when canceling your policy, so please take note of any outstanding billing statements, as well as the date and time of your annual billing. Foremost must process the request for cancellation before it will discontinue any future automatic payments.
Foremost Insurance Claims
The Foremost Claims Department states online that they have an award-winning team of agents who will be there when you need to make a claim 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays. Foremost’s service standards are backed by a unique team of over 4,000 claims employees and a guarantee for a reply by the next business day.
If a natural disaster were to occur, Foremost has developed Mobile Claims Centers (MCCs), and it routinely deploys these representatives in a fleet of GPS-equipped vehicles as soon as possibly allowed in regards to safety in the area. These claims representatives are on-site to answer any questions and assist policyholders with pending claims.
Ease of Making a Claim
Though the potential for loss or damage is higher with mobile home ownership, insurance coverage for these mobile homes continues to be a niche market with a limited array of options when it comes to coverage. Given the limited options and increased risk for damage, it’s important to know what is covered in your mobile home insurance policy. Make sure to find a company that offers comprehensive coverage of damage and loss along with a straightforward claim filing process.
Foremost claims can be filed online, via phone at the Foremost Insurance claims phone number, 1-800-527-3907 (available 24/7), and by contacting your agent.
To help make the insurance claim process smoother, it helps to have the following information on hand:
- Foremost Customer’s Name, Address, and Phone Number
- Policy Number
- Date of Loss/Damage
- Description of Occurrence
- A telephone number where you can be contacted
Quick response time is one of the key repetitions on the website and seems to be Foremost’s priority. If you call Foremost’s toll-free number at 1-800-752-2461 as soon as possible following any damage or loss, Foremost states online that a claim representative will respond within 24 hours or by the next business day.
The helpline for claims is conveniently available 24 hours a day, even on weekends and holidays, as is the option to file your claim online. Foremost tries to return all claims by the next business day. Alternatively, if it becomes apparent that your claim will need further assistance from an in-person meeting with a claim representative, a staff member will make an appointment with you for a later date.
Premiums Written
To gain a better perspective on how Foremost performs as a mobile home insurance provider and how it stacks up in comparison to competitors, we’ve gathered the market share information for its parent company, Farmers. The data shown below is provided by the NAIC and represents Farmers’ performance in the category of multiple home perils insurance coverage over the past three years.
Year | % Market Share | Premiums Written |
---|---|---|
2016 | 6.03% | 5,515,277 |
2017 | 5.96% | 5,617,990 |
2018 | 5.86% | 5,795,044 |
Measuring Farmers’ performance alone provides some contradictory figures that at first glance would seem negative. There has been a noticeable dip, beginning in 2017, in the percent of the market Farmers controls. However, the number of premiums written has risen each year with a 100,000 increase from 2016-2017 and an increase of a little under 200,000 direct premiums being written between 2017-2018.
These reports indicate that while Farmers may be losing a percentage of its control over the home insurance market, it is hardly a stagnant company. Growth potential is maintained as influenced by consistent increases in direct premiums written year by year.
What this data does propose is that outside factors, such as another company overperforming, are most likely influencing the dip in market share percentage for Farmers — not Farmers’ lack of growth.
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Loss Ratio
A loss ratio percentage is a representation of how much a company spends or pays out on claims in comparison to the amount of money it is taking in through premiums. A higher percentage can be viewed as beneficial to the policyholder, as the insurance company is paying out when claims are being made.
However, a higher percentage could also suggest the company is potentially losing money and on the verge of financial instability. If an insurance company posts a loss ratio that is over 100 percent, that is tantamount to financial insolvency and indicates the company is paying out more in claims than what they have been receiving in premiums.
When choosing an insurance company for your mobile home, aim for one that lands somewhere in that sweet spot between 60-70 percent. In the table below, you can see Farmers’ loss ratio percentage along with the number of premiums written since 2016.
Years | Premiums Written | Premiums Earned | Loss Ratio | Loss and Cost Containment Ratio | Market Share | Cumulative Market Share |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 5,515,277 | 5,422,472 | 53.84% | 54.97% | 6.03% | 40.67% |
2017 | 5,617,990 | 5,560,409 | 77.53% | 78.51 % | 5.96 % | 45.94 % |
2018 | 5,795,044 | 5,695,952 | 78.80% | 80.09 % | 5.86 % | 45.60 % |
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Foremost Insurance Quotes: How to Get a Quote Online
Farmers’ loss ratio has settled around 78 percent, and the 20 percent loss ratio increase between 2016-2017 has since leveled off to a mere 1.27 percent increase in 2018. Premiums continue to increase each passing year, and all signs indicate Farmers stands on solid financial ground in spite of some recent dips in market share.
For the more technologically inclined consumers and those with nontraditional schedules, Foremost offers online services, including 24-hour Foremost Insurance bill pay and claims filing as well as an option to receive Foremost Insurance mobile home insurance quotes from the comfort of your home.
Step One: Getting Started
You can start your quote on the company website. First, click the “Get a Quote” tab at the top right section along the blue header navigation bar. You’ll be prompted to select your state followed by the insurance type.
At this point, you will be redirected to a page that provides contact information, address, email, and telephone, to all nearby agents for an in-person quote.
On the right-hand side, in the second and third sub-headed box, you’ll find two options for online quotes: a Foremost online quote button and an AARP-sponsored online quote button.
Step Two: Personal Information
Clicking either button will lead you to the subsequent start page for your online quote. Although pressing either button redirects you to two separate pages, the process and forms involved on both sites are identical. This informational run-down will work for the Foremost and the AARP sponsored online quote sites.
After reading the fine print and clicking the start button, you will be asked to provide some personal information including name, address, date of birth, email, and telephone.
Step Three: Mobile Home Facts Sheet
After all your personal information has been entered, you will be redirected to the mobile home information form, where you will enter information including the location, width, length, manufacturer, and model year of the home.
Step Four: Financials
The final redirect before being contacted by an agent with your free online mobile home quote deals with the financials. In this section, you may have to do some research and possibly gather a rough estimate for the resale value of your mobile home.
Highlights to look up beforehand include the value of the home and all unattached structures (exclude property, if any) and the desired coverage amount for the personal property within the mobile home.
Step Five: Contact
The next page simply confirms the preferred mode of communication for receiving your online quote, as well as an informational disclaimer. After clicking the NEXT button, the final page allows you to review all your information before sending it.
It’s that simple to get a rough estimate for a quote for your mobile home. Foremost assures you that a representative will send your estimate to you no later than the following business day.
Foremost Insurance Mobile App/Website Design
Overall, the Foremost website has a clean, easy to navigate interface that provides an intuitive user experience. However, the Foremost Mobile App does not provide any options for bill pay, filing claims, or accounts overview.
Since the app does not provide any actual insurance account options, it subsequently has a uniquely low rating. The main frustrations from most clients seem to be attempting to utilize the app for purposes that it is not outfitted or programmed to complete.
Currently, the Foremost Events App has a 1.5-star rating out of five on Google Play.
Foremost Insurance Pros and Cons
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of buying mobile home insurance with Foremost.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Foremost is one if not the the top insurance company offering Mobile Home Coverage | Mobile Home Insurance is a Niche Market for more at risk homes so much of the data is sourced from parent company Farmers |
Foremost is endorsed by AARP offering discounts to the 50 and older crowd | Aside from bundling with boat or motorcycle, Foremost doesn't offer much in the way of discounts |
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Foremost Insurance Group Reviews: The Bottom Line
Mobile homeownership is increasing in this country as the cost of production decreases. Noticeably, the value of a manufactured home goes a lot further than it did 50 years ago. Foremost has been there from the start and grown with this increased movement toward manufactured home living.
With the doubled benefit of joining the much larger Farmers, Foremost only stands to gain more financial solvency while maintaining the degree of service one would expect from a smaller insurance firm.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Foremost Insurance Group
#1 – How much would a Foremost Insurance Group homeowners policy cost me?
Mobile homes tend to be a more at-risk property to insure, so it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact dollar amount given the number of variables that can come into play. Location, type of structure, and weather conditions are all factors that play a role in your final cost.
The best way to get an estimate of how much your policy may cost is to fill out an online quote form. Once submitted, Foremost promises to get back to you within the next business day with a free, no-obligation quote for a new policy through Foremost Insurance Group or the AARP Mobile Home Insurance Program from Foremost. Agents are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-752-2461.
#2 – How does Foremost Insurance Group respond to natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes?
Foremost is aware of the dangers presented during these events, as well as the needs of their customers. When a potentially destructive storm is predicted to move into an area, Foremost assembles a dedicated team of agents to be ready in case it hits.
Following the storm, Foremost’s catastrophe claim settlement team moves into the affected area to answer questions and ease the facilitation of placing necessary claims.
#3 – Does Foremost Insurance Group specialize in mobile home insurance?
Foremost claims to be the number one insurance company providing coverage to potentially at-risk mobile homes. The company’s experience and expertise gives it a unique insight into the possible damages and losses policyholders should look out for when owning a mobile home
Another testament to the company’s expertise in the mobile home field of insurance is the AARP Mobile Home Insurance Program developed in 1989. AARP endorsed Foremost as the insurance company for members and developed a unique Mobile Home Insurance Program for the extended benefit of AARP members and their families.
#4 – Is Foremost the same as Farmers Insurance?
Foremost was acquired by Farmers Insurance Group in 2000, though it still operates under the name “Foremost” as a branch of Farmers Insurance Group.
Ready to find great mobile home insurance quotes in your area? Before you buy Foremost Insurance mobile home insurance, or any other insurance, you should compare rates so you can get the best deal. Just enter your ZIP code into our FREE online tool for more information.
References:
- https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/caledonia/profile/insurance-companies/foremost-insurance-company-0654-88372269
- https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/12/11/596237/10061180/en/Foremost-Releases-Newest-Mobile-Home-Market-Facts.html
- https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Foremost-Insurance-EI_IE1428.11,29.htm
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D. Gilson, PhD
Professor & Published Author
D. Gilson is a writer and author of essays, poetry, and scholarship that explore the relationship between popular culture, literature, sexuality, and memoir. His latest book is Jesus Freak, with Will Stockton, part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Series. His other books include I Will Say This Exactly One Time and Crush. His first chapbook, Catch & Release, won the 2012 Robin Becker Prize from S...
Professor & Published Author
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