Methodology
How we score insurers
Insurance reviews are usually written by the people selling it. ClaimsRecord works from the other end: public regulator data first, marketing claims last. This page documents every data source, every rule, and every conflict of interest, so you can check our work.
1. NAIC complaint data — the spine
Every state insurance regulator logs formal complaints against every licensed insurer. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) aggregates them into a complaint index: 1.00 means a company received exactly the complaints its market share predicts; 2.00 means twice as many; 0.50 half. It is the closest thing to an objective, third-party measure of how an insurer treats customers — complaints are filed overwhelmingly by people whose claims went wrong.
Where possible we pull indices directly from the NAIC Consumer Information Source (CIS) and state the company entity, line of business and year. Where we cite an analysis of NAIC data by another publisher (NerdWallet, MoneyGeek), we name them and the period analyzed. Every figure carries a date — complaint indices move year to year, and we show trends where the data exists.
The MGA/broker rule: brands that don't underwrite (Thimble, Coterie, Simply Business) have no complaint index of their own. We say so explicitly, identify who actually holds the paper, and point the complaint analysis at those carriers. Any review site assigning a complaint index to a broker is making a category error.
2. AM Best — can they pay at all?
AM Best's financial strength rating measures claims-paying capacity, not willingness. A++ (Superior) through A- (Excellent) all indicate solid balance sheets; we flag the rating's date and any recent upgrades or affirmations. A strong AM Best rating with a bad complaint index means: they can pay, but customers report friction getting paid.
3. Review-theme analysis
We read Trustpilot and BBB review bodies and complaint records, then paraphrase recurring themes — never copy reviews verbatim. We report what customers love alongside the gripes, and we note the structural bias: star ratings skew toward the buying experience, while regulator complaints skew toward claim failures. Review scores and counts are snapshots, dated to when we captured them; they will drift.
Practitioner sentiment (contractor and small-business forums) is included as paraphrased themes, marked as anecdote — useful texture, weaker evidence than regulator data.
4. What we won't do
- No advice. We're a publisher, not an agent or broker. We don't sell, solicit or negotiate insurance, recommend specific policies, or collect quote details. Quotes happen on insurers' own sites.
- No unsourced accusations. Every negative datapoint names its source and date. Verdicts are framed as what they are: our opinion on the disclosed data.
- No unverifiable numbers. If a dramatic figure circulating online can't be traced to an authoritative source, we leave it out — even when it would make a better headline.
- No pay-for-placement. Affiliate relationships never change a complaint index, a rating, or a verdict, and the data would expose us if they did.
5. How we make money
Some links to insurers are affiliate links: if you get a quote through one, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. We disclose this near every set of insurer links. The insurers with the worst complaint records on this site include some that would pay us the most — read the reviews and you'll see the data wins.
6. Corrections
Insurance data changes constantly. If you spot an outdated figure or an error, email hello@claimsrecord.com — corrections are made and noted. We refresh complaint data as the NAIC publishes new years.