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Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual sits in fifth place with a 6.5% market share on approximately $720 million of written premiums. Although the company dropped down from fourth place, it has more than maintained its market share, posting a small gain of 0.1% between 2011 and 2013. Given annual market growth of more than 3% overall in New York during the same period, the 0.1% market-share gain corresponds to an increase of $56 million in written premiums.
Allstate
With more than $1.7 billion in written premiums and 15.5% of the market, Allstate comes in as the second biggest auto insurer in New York. While the company is still a giant in the market, it has lost ground. Allstate's annual written premiums fell about $162 million between 2011 and 2013, a period during which its market share declined by 2.6%. Combined with Geico's gains in this period, the market-share gap between the top two companies has widened from 8.1% in 2011 to 13.5% in 2013.
State Farm
State Farm comes in behind Allstate with nearly $1.4 billion in written premiums and about 12.5% of the market. State Farm has shown stability, maintaining its 12.5% market share from 2011 to 2013, even as the overall size of the market grew more than 3% annually. Although the company places third in the state of New York, State Farm is the largest auto insurer in the country with a national market share of about 18.5%. It is also mentioned among the best-rated auto insurers nationally.
Geico
Geico, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A), is the top car insurance company in New York with more than $3.2 billion in written premiums. The company controls just less than 29% of the market, nearly twice as much as the second-ranking insurer, Allstate. Geico has improved its position in the market, posting market-share gains of 3% between 2011 and 2013, the best performance among the state's top providers. No other provider in this list has gained more than 1% market share over the same period.
Mercury Insurance Group
Mercury Insurance Group is the fourth-largest California auto insurance company, with a market share of 6.5%. The company is known for selling reasonably priced auto insurance. It has great customer service, proven through its track record of very few justified complaints. Mercury's justified complaint ratio is the lowest among California auto insurance companies, making it the best California auto insurance company in terms of customer service.
State Farm Insurance
State Farm Insurance is the second-largest auto insurance company in California, with a 14.4% market share in the state. In addition to basic insurance coverage, State Farm also offers antique and classic car insurance coverage quotes through its agents. Overall, State Farm has a low complaint ratio and is large enough to provide insurance options to fit almost any driver's needs.
Mid-Century Insurance Company
Mid-Century Insurance Company is a subsidiary of the Farmers Insurance Exchange. With a market share of 5.7%, Mid-Century is the fifth-largest auto insurance company in California. However, the company operates as a non-standard high-risk insurance company. Mid-Century specializes in insuring people who have more than one at-fault accident or too many speeding tickets.
While Mid-Century Insurance might be a good option for people who qualify for high-risk insurance, its premiums are fairly high. However, with a safe driving discount of up to 9% and a good driver discount of as much as 20%, even drivers who are looking for standard insurance should consider Mid-Century.
Allstate Insurance
Allstate Insurance is the third-largest auto insurance company in California, with a market share of 6.7%. While the company offers a range of policies, Your Choice Auto is the most popular policy that Allstate issues. In addition, the company offers special insurance for expensive and luxury cars, such as Porsches.
Access Insurance Company
Access Insurance Company is a specialty auto insurance company with a 2% market share in California. The company offers cheap auto insurance for basic cars as well as comparatively cheap auto insurance for more expensive cars, such as BMWs.