Stillwater Insurance Group (Fidelity) Insurance Review & Complaints: Home, Auto & Business Insurance (2023)

Formerly known as Fidelity National Property & Casualty Insurance Group, Stillwater Insurance services include homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and business insurance. The California-based company now operates in all 50 states under its new name.

What is Stillwater Insurance?

At the time of the company’s founding in 2000, Stillwater was created as a property & casualty branch of Fidelity National Financial, a Fortune 500 company. Under the Fidelity name, the company started out offering insurance in California but branched out into other states quickly.

In 2003 the insurance company acquired Mutual of Omaha’s flood and personal lines operations, which made them the largest insurer in the country for flood coverage. It was massive water damage caused by a series of hurricanes in 2005 – including Katrina – that was the reason for Stillwater’s shift. Fidelity decided to sell off their property & casualty business, and a group of investors purchased it, rebranding it under the Stillwater name.

Stillwater today continues to offer home and auto insurance to individuals, and also offers business insurance. The Stillwater Insurance Group consists of: Stillwater Insurance Company; Stillwater Insurance Services, Inc; and Stillwater Property and Casualty Insurance Company. These three companies make up Stillwater Insurance Group, with offices in Santa Barbara, CA, Jacksonville, FL, and in Omaha, NE. Policies are sold through local independent agents.

What Types of Insurance Products Are Offered?

Stillwater’s product availability differs from state to state, with homeowners insurance being the most extensive in terms of availability.

Auto Insurance

The insurance company writes auto insurance in 16 states scattered across the country: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The auto plan appears relatively straightforward and basic, with coverage including the legally mandated base level as well as options like comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, rental car, and roadside assistance.

The company offers several common discounts including multi-policy, good driver, good student, and paid in full discounts.

Home Insurance

The home insurance program includes homeowner’s coverage for single-family homes and condos as well as renter’s insurance for tenants. The company also writes a landlord insurance policy that is designed to protect against the risks of owning a rental home.

Each of the product brochures lists a basic outline of how the policy works and what is covered, but there is not a lot in the way of actual detail regarding the policy or coverage.

Those who live in the 16 states where auto coverage is also offered can bundle the two for a discounted rate on both. Home insurance policies are available in 48 states; currently, the only locations where coverage is not available are Michigan, Georgia, and the District of Columbia.

Business Insurance

The company offers a Business Owner’s package policy to customers in 23 states. The policies include liability and business property coverage as well as coverage specific to the industry in which the company operates.

Coverage is available for small to medium-sized companies in a variety of industries. Again, detail on the policies is not offered.

Umbrella Insurance

Personal umbrella policies in amounts of either one or two million are offered, which extend coverage above and beyond the limits of the underlying auto and/or home insurance.

The underlying policies do not have to be with Stillwater in order for an umbrella policy to be taken out.

Does the Company Offer Competitive Rates?

Stillwater Insurance Company operates through independent agents, and do not offer an online auto quoting option for customers. Quotes can be obtained by calling or by contacting a local agent directly. The website will also direct visitors to find the nearest local agent.

Companies that operate through insurance agents generally tend to have higher rates than the larger, direct-buy companies, but rates vary so much from driver to driver that it’s always possible a smaller insurer will have a competitive rate.

Can Claims Be Filed Online?

Claims are filed using a toll-free dedicated claims line that is available 24/7. Online claim filing is not an option, but an email address is provided to contact the company electronically. Claims can also be filed by contacting your agent directly.

The information on the claims process is limited, but the website promises fast response and completion of claims.

We were unable to any information regarding the availability of a direct repair network for this company.

Are the Ratings and Consumer Reviews Positive?

At the time of this review, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) file for the Jacksonville location has an A+ rating. There are 36 complaints listed, 12 of which have been closed in the last 12 months.

We were unable to locate other customer reviews in any of the usual locations for this company. As a general rule, no reviews is good news because people tend to head to the internet more frequently to complain than to offer a positive review.

What’s the Bottom Line?

Overall there does not seem to be any red flags for this company, though the information offered is limited, making it difficult to form a solid opinion. Stillwater appears to offer solid but basic personal and business insurance products, and we found nothing of any concern in terms of their reputation.
.