Shelter Auto Insurance Review: Quotes and Service (2023)

Shelter has been rated by companies like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to mostly positive scores, especially when compared to other insurance providers.

MoneyGeek gathered auto insurance quotes for sample drivers in every state, which includes the states where Shelter sells auto insurance, and computed average costs. In the states where MoneyGeek has data on Shelter, it can have expensive premiums, costing an average of $1,462 annually.

For drivers with full coverage or a speeding violation, Shelter’s policies are expensive. On the other hand, policies are neither cheap nor expensive for drivers with minimum coverage or a young (teen) driver.

MoneyGeek realizes you want the cheapest car insurance in your state, but consider factors like customer service and financial stability instead of looking at price alone. Investing in a slightly more expensive auto insurance company because of its overall customer satisfaction rating could be worth it.

If you’re a driver with minimum coverage or a teen driver, Shelter’s policies are neither cheap nor expensive — you can expect a moderate rate. But if you’re a driver with full coverage or have a traffic violation, you pay an expensive premium with Shelter.

Insurance companies aren’t typically transparent about how they calculate their rates, but Shelter charges more for drivers with additional coverage and those with a poor driving record. Auto insurers consider drivers with traffic violations to be risky, which affects the cost of their insurance.

To help you compare Shelter against other major insurance companies in your state, MoneyGeek has resources and a comparison tool. The tool points you to additional resources to compare auto insurance companies, including Shelter, and shows where Shelter ranks in terms of pricing, customer service and standout coverages.

Traditional coverages like liability, comprehensive and collision insurance are offered by Shelter. The provider also has most of the common add-on coverages, like roadside assistance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement, new car replacement and gap insurance. However, it doesn’t offer better car replacement, accident forgiveness or deductible modification coverages.

Unlike many other auto insurance companies, Shelter does not have unique coverages available.

Shelter offers a solid lineup of customer support features. And while its basic auto insurance coverages are somewhat limited, there are many other optional coverages available.

Shelter offers a wide variety of other insurance products, which can be especially useful to those looking to take advantage of bundling discounts. However, keep in mind that, even with those discounted rates, you may still be able to find cheaper options elsewhere, even if it requires you to use separate companies for different types of insurance policies.

AM Best’s rating system looks at the financial strength of a given insurance company and considers how likely each is able to meet its obligations to customers if they need to file a claim. AM Best gives Shelter an A rating. Shelter’s rating indicates stability in this area, though it’s important to note that this is not a warranty of their financial strength or ability to pay out for claims.