AARP (The Hartford) Car Insurance Review

You can tailor AARP’s insurance policies to your needs, taking advantage of liability to full coverage insurance. However, AARP’s policy did not score well with the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction survey, which suggests it does not meet the standards of customer care that other providers do.

Who It’s Best For

• AARP members who are at least 50 years of age
• Drivers with clean driving records who want the best rates
• Those seeking extra coverage benefits such as new car replacement coverage

Who It’s Not Best For

• Drivers under the age of 50
• Non-AARP members
• Drivers who need SR-22s

Pros

• Extra coverage benefits: You can get extra coverage benefits, such as RecoverCare, that are not available on other car insurance policies. RecoverCare pays for additional expenses you may incur while recovering from a claim.
• Discounted policy: The Hartford discounts policies automatically for AARP members.
• Accident forgiveness: This is a reward for drivers with clean records for five years or longer.

Cons

• Only for AARP members: You must be a paying AARP member ($16 per year) to qualify for coverage.
• Limited insurance options: AARP only works with The Hartford, so if you were hoping to shop around through AARP, you can’t.
• Limited discounts: Only a few discounts are available for AARP with The Hartford.

• Liability coverage: Both bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage are the baselines of your AARP-branded policy. Liability coverage pays for the medical bills and property damage of others when you hit them.
• Uninsured motorist: This coverage pays you for medical bills and property damage when someone who doesn’t have insurance hits your car.
• Collision coverage: Collision coverage is optional coverage for those who want to get full coverage. With this coverage, The Hartford pays to fix your car when damaged in an at-fault accident.
• Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage is another optional coverage option that pays for damages to your car resulting from anything other than collisions.
• Medical payments: Medical payments pay the medical bills for you and your passengers if you’re injured in an at-fault accident.
• Personal injury protection: PIP coverage comes into play in no-fault states. The coverage pays for your medical bills when you are in a collision with another vehicle, regardless of who is at fault.
• Roadside assistance: This coverage provides you with support if your vehicle breaks down and you are stuck on the side of the road.
• Rental car coverage: After a covered accident, rental car coverage pays for you to rent a car so you have transportation while your car is in the shop.
• Disappearing collision deductible: This coverage option reduces your deductible over a period of five years if you demonstrate good driving behaviors during this time.

The average AARP policy is $1,520 annually, but don’t rely on average rates to figure out your costs. Your rate depends on individual factors such as location, age, and driving history. Compare car insurance quotes from multiple providers to see your lowest rate; one car insurance company quote isn’t enough if you’re looking for the best value.

• AARP membership: You get a 10 percent discount just for being an AARP member.
• Auto and home bundle: When you bundle your home insurance and auto policies together, you can get 5 percent off of car insurance and 20 percent off of home insurance premiums.
• SmartDriver course: Get up to 15 percent off your policy when you enroll and complete the SmartDriver course within 60 days of enrolling.

AARP-branded auto insurance from The Hartford is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Once you sign up for AARP-branded auto insurance, you become a client of The Hartford, which underwrites and services the policy. Call customer service at (860) 547-5000 to get help with payments, claims, or administrative support on your policy.

AARP-branded auto insurance scored 829 on the J.D. Power and Associates Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking. This score was below the average of 871, meaning that customers do not feel it meets the level of service that other top providers offer.

While there is no specific AARP auto insurance app, The Hartford has an app for home and auto insurance on both the Google Play and the Apple app stores. The app helps you manage your account, pay a bill, or change an address. You’ll also be able to file a claim directly in the app and include pertinent details such as a map of the location of the accident and photos.

The Google Play app received a 2.8-star rating. Users complain that the app doesn’t function as intended most of the time as they are unable to log in and complete tasks. Also, users say it is laggy and has problems with the system crashing.

The Apple Store version gets a 3.9-star rating, with users saying it is easy to navigate but slow to process information. Some users have trouble using the Face ID feature, making logging in a hassle.

Because The Hartford manages all policies for AARP, we looked at the ratings that The Hartford receives. Here’s what we discovered:

• NAIC: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index for The Hartford is 1.02, which is a bit higher than the national average of 1.00. This score suggests that The Hartford has about as many complaints as expected for its size. It had 14 complaints in 2021.¹
• AM Best: The Hartford received an A+ for financial strength from AM Best, which means that AM Best believes it is financially solvent.²
• Moody’s: The Hartford has an Aa2 rating from Moody’s, which is not the highest rating but means it is still considered a financially solvent company.³
• BBB: The Better Business Bureau does not accredit The Hartford, but the firm does give it an A+. Its profile notes a one-star customer rating, with 105 customer reviews and 188 complaints over the past 12 months.⁴

In 1968, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus started The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), which has grown to 38 million members. AARP helps members live independent lives with dignity and purpose.

The Hartford started writing policies in 1810 and car insurance policies in 1913. It has grown from having an original working capital of $15,000 to being a Fortune 500 company with over $70 billion in assets.

These two major organizations started working together with the first AARP-branded auto insurance policy in 1984.

AARP offers branded insurance policies for cars, home, and life. The Hartford underwrites the home insurance policies as well, allowing members to take advantage of bundling discounts.

New York Life provides life insurance options for AARP members. Members can get term, whole, and guaranteed life insurance from New York Life representatives. AARP does not offer renters insurance.

Once you sign up for AARP-branded insurance, you’ll need to work with The Hartford to service and cancel the policy. There is no fee to cancel your policy before the expiration date, and you’ll receive a refund of any unearned premium for the policy. To cancel, call The Hartford’s service number at (860) 547-5000 and speak to a representative.