Since its formation in 1961, Mercury has provided customers with tremendous value for their insurance dollar by pairing competitive rates with excellent customer service. The company has received J.D. Power’s prestigious Digital Experience Study? Award, earned A ratings from A.M. Best and Fitch, and has been recognized by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers” and “Best Employers for Women.” Mercury
Mercury General Corporation (NYSE: MCY) is the leading independent agency writer of automobile and home insurance in California, and is ranked as the sixth largest private passenger automobile insurer in California overall with total assets of more than $6.7+ billion.* Mercury also writes automobile and home insurance in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, as well as automobile insurance in Florida. In addition to automobile insurance, Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including umbrella, business, business auto, commercial multi-peril, landlord, and mechanical protection insurance.
Mercury sells a variety of insurance products through a network of local, independent agents in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Mercury Insurance offers auto insurance coverage such as collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motor vehicles. Applicants can take advantage of eight available discounts, though availability varies by state. Those who prefer to work with a company completely online will have to look elsewhere, as Mercury Insurance only sells policies through its agents.
Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Mercury Insurance offers auto, homeowners, renters, business, and personal umbrella policies. It’s a leading independent agency writer of auto insurance policies in California. However, auto coverage through Mercury is only available in 11 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Mercury writes high-quality policies for single-family homes that include the structure, belongings and liability coverage. This policy also covers temporary living expenses should your property become uninhabitable due to a covered loss. Moreover, it may provide coverage for additional living expenses when policyholders are ordered by law enforcement to evacuate their homes due to a reasonable risk of danger from a covered peril.
| City | Average Annual Homeowner Insurance Rate |
|---|---|
| $ |
Condo owners have different needs than homeowners or renters, so Mercury's comprehensive coverage includes personal property, personal liability protection, guest medical protection, loss assessment, and condo unit additions and alterations that may not be included in your condo association's policy. This policy also covers temporary living expenses should your property become uninhabitable due to a covered loss. Moreover, it may provide coverage for additional living expenses when policyholders are ordered by law enforcement to evacuate their homes due to a reasonable risk of danger from a covered peril.
| City | Average Annual Condominium Insurance Rate |
|---|---|
| $ |
Mercury assists house, condo and apartment renters, whose unique needs include protecting personal property and guarding against costly liability claims. This policy also covers temporary living expenses should your property become uninhabitable due to a covered loss. Moreover, it may provide coverage for additional living expenses when policyholders are ordered by law enforcement to evacuate their homes due to a reasonable risk of danger from a covered peril.
| City | Average Annual Renters Insurance Rate |
|---|---|
| $ |
Mercury Insurance offers the following auto coverage options:
Collision coverage pays for vehicle repairs after being in an accident or replacement if the car is deemed a total loss. If your car is totaled, Mercury will offer the actual cash value of your car after you pay the deductible.
Liability insurance may protect you if you’re found legally responsible for causing injury to another person or their property. It’ll also protect you in case someone files a lawsuit against you for causing property damage or bodily harm. Mercury Insurance offers bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage.
Mercury offers comprehensive coverage, which protects your insured vehicles from covered losses such as extreme weather, vandalism, or fire.
Mercury Insurance pays for a rental car if you’re in an accident and your vehicle needs repairs. It's optional coverage, but it could be useful if you need a car to commute back and forth from work or school. You can select from coverage limits ranging from $30 to $100 per day, for up to 30 days.
Uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle coverage protects drivers who are deemed not at fault in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. For policyholders with this coverage, Mercury Insurance will cover the cost of things like car repairs, lost wages, and medical expenses.
Medical payments insurance covers the cost of medical expenses if anyone in your vehicle is hurt in an auto accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Availability will depend on your state of residence.
Mercury Insurance calls its rideshare coverage “ride-hailing insurance,” and it’s available for as little as $0.90 per day. This optional rider allows you to add coverage to your personal auto policy if you drive for companies like Uber or Lyft. It’s available to policyholders in nine states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
Each state has different minimum insurance requirements, so if you're shopping for a new insurance policy, it’s best to check which coverages your state requires.
| City | Average Annual Mercury Auto Insurance Rate |
|---|---|
| Houston | $951 |
| McKinney | $862 |
| Denton | $851 |
| Fort Worth | $848 |
| Dallas | $823 |
| Richmond | $807 |
| Galveston | $794 |
| Beaumont | $781 |
| Edinburg | $780 |
| Conroe | $750 |
| Austin | $728 |
| Angleton | $715 |
| San Antonio | $710 |
| Lubbock | $696 |
| Corpus Christi | $690 |
| Brownsville | $680 |
| Laredo | $652 |
| Waco | $645 |
| Georgetown | $621 |
| El Paso | $611 |
| Belton | $580 |
Mercury Insurance offers several discounts to help you lower your premiums, including the following:
Since the availability of discounts varies by state, it’s best to contact a Mercury Insurance agent to see what discounts you may be eligible for.
Mercury allows policyholders to pay for their premiums in a few different ways, including by:
Policyholders can also set up automatic payments or make one-time payments online via the Mercury Insurance website.
Many insurance companies offer discounts for setting up autopay, so consider taking advantage of this option.
Looking at the loss ratio of an insurer is helpful when shopping around. That’s because it can give a decent insight as to whether an insurance company is under financial distress, or whether it'll be able to pay out claims.
Mercury Insurance has a 67.40% loss ratio, which is close to average among the auto insurers we compared. This signals that the company is relatively financially strong.
In addition to its other coverage options, Mercury Insurance also offers mechanical breakdown coverage. This type of protection pays for qualifying repair costs if your car breaks down and you're past your warranty period.
To make a payment, file a claim, or ask a general question, Mercury Insurance policyholders can contact a representative at 1-800-503-3724 or speak with their local Mercury Insurance agent. Those who prefer to communicate via email can reach a representative through a contact form on the Mercury Insurance website.
On the 2020 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Mercury Insurance ranked 22nd out of 25 top car insurance companies, but the company didn’t rank at all in the 2021 study Mercury also scored 829 in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, which is below the segment average of 858.4 Overall, the company received poor marks because policyholders weren’t satisfied with its customer service.
When it comes to Mercury Insurance’s financial stability, AM Best a third-party credit rating agency for the insurance agency gave the insurer a Financial Strength Rating of "A" (Excellent).5 A high AM Best rating can offer peace of mind that an insurer is financially sound and able to pay out claims.
Researching the number of complaints an insurance company has received each year can give you insights about whether it’s a smart idea to apply for coverage with them.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a reputable resource to use it collects all customer complaints about different insurance companies and uses that data to come up with complaint ratios. These numbers reflect how many complaints companies received compared to the industry average.
For 2021, Mercury’s complaint ratio for private passenger auto insurance was 2.06, higher than the industry ratio of 1.0.6 Meaning, Mercury received a higher number of complaints than the average of a company its size.
Mercury Insurance offers two options for account management. Policyholders can manage their policies online by creating an online account through the Mercury Insurance website. Those that prefer to speak with a representative can also call customer service or speak with a local agent for assistance.
When compared with premiums from competing insurers operating in the same states, Mercury’s premiums are slightly lower. Still, your premium may be higher or lower depending on factors such as the make of your vehicle and driving history. It’s a good idea to shop around in order to find the best rates for auto coverage.
FINAL VERDICT
Mercury Insurance offers several different types of auto coverage, including collision, liability, and comprehensive coverage. This insurer also provides several opportunities for discounts on your premium and a rideshare protection add-on.
Unfortunately, Mercury is only available in 11 states and has received some poor ratings for its customer service. Plus, its online account management features seem to be limited. Those looking for auto coverage will likely want to shop around and compare policies to find the best coverage to suit their needs.
Texas Insurance Ratings is committed to providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of auto insurance companies. All of our reviews are based on extensive research and analysis of each company’s coverage, customer service, pricing, years in business, accreditation, and more. To rate providers, we developed an auto insurance review methodology that compares the auto insurance coverage types, additional features, discounts, account management, and other features. We also take into account the company’s complaint ratio from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings when available.
Auto insurance companies we reviewed but didn't score highly in our review include: Direct Auto, GEICO, The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, Progressive, Safeco, and State Farm.
