By Lisa Green
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Has far fewer than the median number of complaints to state regulators for home and auto insurance.
Has a lot of policy and coverage options.
Ranked high in our analysis of the best auto insurance companies.
The Citizens/Hanover Insurance Group packs a long list of extras into its auto and home insurance policies, with options to add even more. The company offers home and auto coverage through independent agents in 19 states. The Hanover also sells a wide range of insurance for small and midsized businesses.
People who like an insurance policy with built-in perks and features may find The Hanover to be a good fit.
Citizens Auto Insurance
While The Hanover offers the usual coverages, including liability, comprehensive and collision, it focuses on packages that come with extra features.
The Platinum Auto Essential package includes the following additional features in most states the company serves:
A deductible waiver means you have only one deductible if an incident damages more than one insured item. For example, if a falling tree crushed two of your insured cars, you’d be responsible for only one deductible. And if the tree demolished your garage as well, you’d still have only one deductible as long as both your home and auto coverage came from The Hanover.
Custom equipment coverage helps replace extra items installed in your car, like a stereo system or custom wheels, if they are damaged or stolen.
Child car seat replacement will pay up to $300 with no deductible to replace a car seat that’s damaged in a covered accident.
Original equipment manufacturer parts coverage provides replacement parts from your car’s manufacturer if you’re in a covered wreck, rather than less expensive aftermarket parts. Your car must be no more than 3 model years old.
Mechanical parts replacement pays out after a covered accident to replace parts like tires and batteries with new ones rather than reducing the payout for wear and tear.
Key replacement coverage pays up to $250 if your car keys are lost, damaged or stolen.
Upgraded rental car coverage pays a daily amount toward a rental car until yours is repaired or replaced after an accident. The total payout is capped at $3,000, but there’s no cap on the number of days.
The list of features is even longer in higher-level packages. The Hanover offers these optional coverages in most states it serves, either as part of a package or as individual add-ons.
The Citizens Platinum Auto Advantage package includes:
New car replacement coverage. If your brand-new car is totaled when you’ve owned it less than a year and put fewer than 15,000 miles on it, new car replacement insurance will pay to replace it with a new one. Without this coverage, you’d get only the car’s current value, likely less than you paid for it.
Newer car replacement coverage. For a car that’s totaled when it isn’t brand-new, this coverage will pay the value of an equivalent car one model year newer. Your payout can be up to 20% more than your totaled car was worth.
Accident forgiveness. Having a wreck typically leads to higher insurance premiums at policy renewal time. With accident forgiveness, your first crash in any 36-month period won’t hike your rates.
Deductible dividends. This option reduces the deductible on your collision coverage by $100 for each year you don’t have a wreck. The benefit can grow to $500, although your deductible will never go below $100.
The Citizens Platinum Auto Elite package includes:
Pet injury coverage. This pays up to $500 for veterinary care if your dog or cat is hurt in an accident and up to $500 toward burial or disposal if a pet dies.
Rental car coverage. While a regular collision policy typically pays to fix a rental car if you wreck it, this option gives you extra coverage. It pays for the rental company’s loss of income while it’s unable to rent the damaged car and compensates the company for the wrecked car’s decreased value. It also pays fees the rental company may charge you because of the accident.
Trip interruption. If you have a wreck more than 100 miles from home, this coverage will reimburse up to $1,000 for food, lodging, travel, and the cost to get your car home if it isn’t totaled.
Rental coverage upgrade. With this upgrade, you can choose a luxury rental car or large SUV while your car is being repaired after a covered wreck.
Accidental air bag deployment. This pays to reinstall an air bag, with no deductible, as long as there’s no related collision or comprehensive claim.
Home care services. If you’re injured in a wreck and can’t manage tasks like cooking, cleaning and lawn care, this coverage will pay up to $500 a month, capped at $2,500, for services to help you.
Accidental death benefit. This coverage pays $10,000 for each person in your family who dies because of a covered wreck, as long as they were wearing seat belts.
Citizens top-tier Prestige package, geared toward customers with higher-value homes and automobiles, offers higher coverage amounts for some of these options.
Auto insurance discounts from Citizens Insurance
Depending on your state, you may be offered discounts for:
Insuring both your home and auto with The Hanover.
Insuring more than one vehicle.
Paying your premium in full, upfront.
Driving a car with an anti-theft device.
Taking an accident prevention course.
Having good grades or leaving the car at home while attending school, if you or someone insured on the policy is a student.
Families with a teen driver can also qualify for discounts if the teen completes a driver safety course or uses the SmartPath mobile app, which monitors driving habits.
Citizens homeowner insurance
Like its auto insurance, Citizens homeowner coverage can come in packages that include lots of extras in addition to standard protections for your home.
Citizens Platinum Select package, in most states the company serves, includes:
A deductible waiver, like the one included with The Hanover’s auto packages. You’ll have just one deductible if a storm damages both your home and car, for example, as long as they’re both insured by The Hanover.
Extended dwelling replacement. If the amount of insurance on your house isn’t enough to cover the cost of rebuilding, this option helps make up the difference — up to an additional 25%.
Personal property replacement cost. When your belongings are damaged, destroyed or stolen, The Hanover will pay the cost of brand-new replacements instead of the value of your old stuff.
Siding and roof restoration. If repairs wouldn’t match your existing roof or siding because the right materials aren’t available, this coverage will pay up to $20,000 in some cases to replace undamaged areas as well.
Mortgage extra expense coverage. If you replace a destroyed home, get a new mortgage and end up with a higher interest rate, this option covers the extra interest for a year. It also pays $1,000 toward loan costs.
Lock replacement, which pays for new locks if your keys are stolen.
Fire extinguisher coverage that pays to recharge or replace an extinguisher you used against a fire in your home.
Food coverage that reimburses you if a power outage spoils the food in your refrigerator or freezer.
Higher-level packages add more features, and you can also buy extras as stand-alone options.
The Platinum Select Plus package includes all of the options above, plus:
Even more extended dwelling coverage of 50% over the policy limit to replace your home if it’s destroyed.
Water backup coverage that pays up to $25,000 to repair damage if water gets into your house through a backed-up sewer or drain or an overflowing sump pump.
Personal injury protection, which helps cover costs associated with issues like invasion of privacy, wrongful eviction or wrongful entry.
Identity protection, which reimburses you for legal fees and other expenses if your identity is stolen.
The Platinum Select Premium package adds more features beyond those in the Plus package:
Special personal property broadens the limits of standard property coverage, which pays out if valuables like jewelry or electronics are stolen or destroyed by a covered event. This upgraded version also pays to replace your belongings due to misplacing or breaking, which most policies don’t.
Your deductible drops to zero if damage to your home is more than $50,000.
If you purchase any of the Platinum packages from Citizens Insurance, you may also add on the following coverages:
Equipment breakdown coverage pays for sudden failure of things like your air conditioner, refrigerator or washing machine, and comes in coverage amounts of $25,000 or $50,000.
Assisted living care expands property and liability coverage for family members in a nursing home or assisted living facility who are covered by your policy.
Guaranteed replacement cost pays whatever is necessary to replace your home if your policy’s limit is too low to cover the full cost.
Other homeowners policy options from Citizens Insurance include:
The Prestige package. Homeowners of higher-value properties can add even more options and higher coverage amounts with The Hanover’s top-tier package.
Service line coverage. This option pays to repair or replace damaged power lines, water pipes and other utility lines on your property.
Homeowners insurance discounts from Citizens Insurance
Depending on your state, you may be offered discounts for:
Insuring both your home and auto with The Hanover.
Buying a home.
Insuring a relatively new home.
Having devices such as smoke detectors or an alarm system.
Not smoking.
Membership in certain organizations.
Citizens Insurance at a glance
COMPLAINTS
The Hanover had far fewer than the median number of complaints to state regulators in 2021 relative to its size for auto and home insurance, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Other insurance types: In addition to auto and homeowners coverage, The Hanover offers several other types of insurance, sometimes through third parties. You can get these types of insurance through The Hanover:
Condo & Apartment Insurance
Manufactured Homes*
Renters
Landlord*
ATV & Off-Road Vehicle
Motorcycle*
Motor Home, RV, & Trailer
Antique & Classic Car
Boat & Personal Watercraft
Identity Theft
Umbrella
Business & Commercial Auto
* Policies written by American Modern Insurance Company
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