Encompass Insurance Review: Home and Auto
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Encompass Insurance is a subsidiary of Allstate Insurance, also known as the "good hands" company. Like Allstate, Encompass sells insurance through a network of independent agents. The company's specialty is bundled home and auto, but you can also buy standalone coverage for your home, car, RV, motorcycle, and boat as well as home business insurance and personal umbrella insurance through Encompass.
Related Resources: Encompass Insurer Profile for Auto and Homeowners
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 1
Encompass Insurance is a subsidiary of Allstate Insurance and sells insurance through a network of independent agents.
- 2
Encompass offers unique coverage options, including EncompassOne, which covers a car and home with a single premium and deductible, and customizable auto coverage.
- 3
Encompass has a better-than-average complaint history in homeowners and auto insurance compared to its peers.
- 4
Encompass may charge higher premiums but provides reliable customer service through their agents.
- 5
They offer bundled home and auto insurance and standalone coverage for home, car, RV, motorcycle, and boat, as well as home business and personal umbrella insurance.
Encompass Insurance
Encompass Insurance is a subsidiary of Allstate Insurance, also known as the "good hands" company. Like Allstate, Encompass sells insurance through a network of independent agents. The company's specialty is bundled home and auto, but you can also buy standalone coverage for your home, car, RV, motorcycle, and boat as well as home business insurance and personal umbrella insurance through Encompass.
History
Encompass was founded in 1897 as Continental Assurance Company of North America, to provide health insurance to railroad employees. The motto back then was "Protection and Security."1 Over the next several decades, Continental Assurance would go through one merger and complete two acquisitions. In the 1960s, the company changed its name to Continental National American Group or CNA.2
Fast forward to 1999. CNA sells its personal lines of insurance to Allstate so it can focus on commercial lines of insurance. Allstate then introduces its newly purchased subsidiary as Encompass Insurance Company. Today, Encompass offers its personal insurance products in 39 states through 2,400 independent agents.
Encompass Complaint History: Better than Average
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners tracks complaints against insurance carriers, by type of coverage. As shown in the table below, Encompass' complaint history on homeowners and auto insurance is somewhat better than its peers. For perspective, lower is better: 1.0 is an average level of complaints, with 0.5 and 2.0 being half and twice as many complaints as average, respectively.
Policy Type | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
Homeowners | .74 | .55 | .53 | .90 |
Auto | .99 | .90 | .68 | .77 |
Source / Methodology: NAIC3 / Aggregation of complaint data from multiple companies making up the Encompass brand. The numeric values are calculated by dividing Encompass' share of complaints by the insurer's share of premiums nationally. It's not a perfect measure, but is worth considering.
Is Encompass Right for You?
Encompass may charge higher premiums for home and auto insurance than the average carrier. But in return, you get reliable customer service through an agent, plus premium coverage features. The carrier also offers multiple discounts and customization options, so you can tailor your insurance and the premiums to suit your needs.
Encompass is right for you if… | Encompass may not fit if… |
You like managing your insurance through an agent. | You prefer to manage your insurance independently online. |
You need multiple lines of insurance that you can bundle together with Encompass. | You only need minimum coverage for your home or car. |
You want upgraded features, like Accident Forgiveness on your auto policy, or jewelry coverage on your home policy. | You want the cheapest premium. |
What We Think About Encompass
Encompass is not a discount carrier, and it does offer some unique and customizable coverage options that have decent value. The carrier's sweet spot is bundled home and auto coverage, called EncompassOne. EncompassOne is interesting because it covers your car and home with a single premium and a single deductible. It's available in one of three levels: Special, Deluxe, and Elite. Deluxe and Elite include popular options like Accident Forgiveness and a property coverage limit equal to 200% of the home's value.
You can also buy standalone homeowners and auto coverage from Encompass. We'd characterize the standalone homeowners coverage as premium, in that most coverage levels include high limits and upgraded features like jewelry and fur replacement. With other carriers, these would be optional add-ons.
The auto insurance from Encompass is more customizable. You can add things like New Car Replacement, Gap Coverage, and Roadside Assistance to your standard liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance. And to manage the cost of your auto insurance, Encompass offers many (13 at last count) different discounts. Those discounts range from the standard anti-lock brake and anti-theft device discounts to less common options like the "Future Effective Date." This reduces your premium for initiating a policy seven or more days before its effective date.
Finally, Encompass, like Allstate, uses the agency-driven model. You can manage some of your policy online via the MyEncompass website, but you also have access to an agent who can answer questions and help you customize coverage or qualify for discounts. This is a plus if you like managing your policy over the phone, but a negative if you'd rather have more freedom to do everything online.
Encompass auto insurance summary:
The auto insurance rates won't be the cheapest in town, but you can customize your policy with value-rich upgrades.
Encompass homeowners insurance summary:
Encompass does not offer bare-bones homeowners insurance. The standalone homeowners insurance has ample coverage limits and extra features built in.
How Encompass Auto Works
See the table below for the types of standalone auto coverage available through Encompass.
Auto Coverage Type | How it Works |
Property Liability and Bodily Injury Liability | If you cause an accident, property damage liability pays to repair the resulting damage to someone else's property up to stated limits. Bodily injury liability covers the cost of someone else's medical bills up to stated limits. |
Collision | After your deductible, collision pays to repair your vehicle if it's damaged in an accident. |
Comprehensive | After your deductible, comprehensive covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle if it's stolen or damaged by fire, vandalism, hail, falling tree branches, etc. |
Medical Payments and Personal Injury Protection
| Medical payments and personal injury protection cover medical costs for you and your passengers that result from an accident when you are driving, no matter who is at fault. |
New Car Replacement | If a car is totaled, standard car insurance pays to replace your car at its current value. With New Car Replacement, your coverage will replace your totaled car with a current model year. You are responsible for your deductible. Only available for cars less than four years old. |
Accident Forgiveness | If you have Accident Forgiveness, Encompass will not raise your premiums after your first accident. EncompassOne Elite offers forgiveness for multiple accidents rather than just the first one. |
Gap Coverage | Gap coverage pays off your loan if your car is totaled when the vehicle's value is less than what you owe on your car loan. Only available alongside comprehensive and collision coverage. |
Roadside Assistance | Roadside Assistance pays for limited towing and other breakdown services, such as battery jumpstarts and tire changes. |
Source: Encompass4
How Encompass Homeowners Works
The table below shows the options for Encompass' standalone homeowners insurance.
Homeowners Policy Features | How it Works |
200% Property Location Limit | Pays up to 200% of your home's value to replace the house itself and its contents if they are damaged by a covered loss. |
Enhanced Replacement Cost Coverage | If the home is damaged by a covered loss and the rebuild cost exceeds the policy limit, Encompass will cover the difference when you have Enhanced Replacement Cost Coverage in place. |
Water Backup Protection | Covers the cost of damage due to a water backup. This is included in EncompassOne Elite and can be added to standalone policies. |
Covered Losses for Structure and Contents | Covers the cost of damage to your personal property resulting from a covered loss. This is included in EncompassOne Elite. |
Increased Building Costs | Covers any additional rebuilding costs associated with updates to building ordinance codes. |
Mortgage Rate Protection | Pays up to $20,000 towards closing costs and mortgage acquisition fees if a covered loss requires you to refinance the home at a higher interest rate. |
Personal Injury Protection | Up to policy limits, Personal Injury Protection pays your legal fees if you are sued for libel or slander. |
Computer and Data Recovery Coverage | Pays to recover data and to replace tablets, laptops, and computers if they damaged in a covered loss. |
Jewelry and Fur Replacement Cost Coverage | Up to policy limits, pays to replace jewelry or fur that are damaged in a covered loss. These items are often excluded from standard homeowners policies. |
More About Encompass
Two features Encompass offers to help you manage your policy on the go are the MyEncompass website and the Encompass Roadside Assistance app for iOS and Android.
MyEncompass
You can create an account and log onto MyEncompass here. Use the website to review your coverages, request proof of insurance, update your contact information, and manage your billing.
Note that MyEncompass is not available in Massachusetts. Those customers can access Encompass' online billpay website here or call customer service at 866-430-2916 to set up automatic payments or make one-time premium payments.
Encompass Roadside Assistance app
Use the roadside assistance app to request help for a flat tire, empty gas tank, dead battery, lock out, or mechanical issue that has you stranded roadside. The app uses GPS to identify your location and sends a confirmation when help is on the way. If you have Encompass' towing and labor coverage, you'll receive services as outlined on your policy. If you don't have towing and labor coverage, you can still use the app to get help -- but you'll pay the towing company or mechanic directly for the services you receive.
The Encompass Roadside Assistance app is available for iOS or Android.
Encompass Discounts
Here's a look at the discounts Encompass offers on its auto and home policies.
Discount | How You Get It |
Safe Driving Bonus | If drivers on your policy have no chargeable accidents for 12 consecutive months, Encompass automatically applies a 5% discount to your next policy premium. |
Future Effective Date | Initiate a new policy more than seven days prior to the effective date. |
Encompass Easy Pay | Set up automatic payments to cover your premiums. |
New Car Discount | The discount is automatically applied to newly purchased vehicles added to your policy. |
Homeowners Discount | The discount is automatically applied if you own your home, condo, townhouse, or mobile home. |
Good Payer Discount | You automatically qualify and will continue to receive the discount as long as Encompass hasn't sent you a notice of cancellation for nonpayment in the prior 12 months. |
Defensive Driver Discount | Take a defensive driving course to qualify. |
Anti-lock Brake Discount | You qualify if the insured vehicle has factory-installed two- or four-wheel anti-lock brakes. |
Anti-theft Device Discount | You'll see the discount applied to your comprehensive coverage if your car is equipped with an approved anti-theft device, such as VIN etching or an alarm. |
Passive Restraint Discount | If the insured vehicle has factory-installed air bags or a motorized, automatic belt restraint system, you'll qualify for a discount on your Medical and Personal Injury Protection coverage. |
Good Student Discount | Earn a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better to qualify. You must document the GPA with a certified statement from the school once annually. |
Driver Training Discount | Drivers under the age of 21 qualify after completing driver's training and logging several hours of driving experience. |
Resident Student Discount | College students qualify when they live 100 miles away from home and do not have a car on campus. |
Home Security System | Install a new home security system or document your existing security system to qualify. |
Modern Home | You'll qualify for this discount automatically if your home is less than 49 years old. |
EncompassOne Bundle | Roll your home and auto into one policy with a single premium and single deductible. Choose from three coverage levels: Special, Deluxe, and Elite. |
Table data source: Encompass5
Encompass Insurance FAQs
After an accident, how are damages assessed and estimated?
If your car is drivable, you can snap photos of the damage with your smartphone and submit them online at Encompass Claim Photo Express. You should receive an estimate within 24 hours.
Note that photo claims are not available in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. You can alternatively call 800-588-7400 to start a claim.
The accident wasn't my fault. Do I have to pay the deductible?
Comprehensive, collision, uninsured motorist property damage, and personal injury protection coverages typically have deductibles. For any losses filed under these coverages, you will have to pay the deductible. If the other driver is responsible for the charges, Encompass will attempt to recoup the costs, including your deductible, from that driver. That process can take weeks or months. If Encompass successfully recovers those funds, you'd be reimbursed for the deductible.
If my car is totaled, how do you determine actual cash value of the vehicle?
Actual cash value applies when you do not have New Car Replacement on your policy. Encompass will look at the age and condition of your vehicle, plus pricing of similar vehicles in your area to determine what your car was worth before the accident.
Encompass tools and resources
Encompass provides a nice selection of tools and resources on its website, ranging from loan calculators to accident kits. Here are the highlights.
What to do after an accident
It's critical to gather the right information at the scene of an accident. The Encompass Accident Kit is a downloadable guide that walks you through exactly what to do after a collision.
Lease or purchase calculator
Not sure if leasing or buying is the right option? This calculator can help you compare your options.
Compare car loan calculator
A longer loan term lowers your payments but raises your total interest costs. A shorter loan term means higher payments and lesser interest over time. Quantify the differences between term lengths with this calculator.
Car payment estimator
Use the car payment estimator to calculate car payments and determine what size loan you can afford.
- Encompass Insurance Company. (2020, June 17). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encompass_Insurance_Company
- CNA Financial. (2020, April 26). Retrieved August 03, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNA_Financial
- Consumer insurance search results. (n.d.). Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://www.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS
- Auto insurance. (n.d.). Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://www.encompassinsurance.com/insurance-products/auto-insurance.aspx
- Auto insurance. (n.d.). Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://www.encompassinsurance.com/insurance-products/auto-insurance.aspx
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