Look up your carrier's admitted status, A.M. Best rating, and NAIC complaint index. See your exposure if your carrier fails.
Admitted vs Surplus Lines: Admitted carriers are licensed by your state's insurance commissioner, subject to state regulations, and contribute to the state guaranty association. If they fail, the guaranty association steps in (up to caps). Surplus lines carriers are not licensed by your state — claims aren't protected by guaranty association if they fail.
A.M. Best Rating: Independent rating of insurer financial strength. A++ is highest (Superior); A+ and A are Excellent; A- is Excellent (lower tier). B++ and below indicate increasing solvency risk. "Not Rated" usually applies to state-created carriers like Citizens (Florida) and FAIR Plans.
NAIC Complaint Index: Industry median is 1.0 (median number of complaints per market share). Below 0.5 is excellent. 0.5-1.0 is above average. 1.0-2.0 is below average. Above 2.0 indicates significant claim handling issues. Florida-focused carriers tend to run higher due to market dynamics.
Guaranty Association Cap: If your admitted carrier fails, your state's guaranty association pays claims up to this cap. Coverage above the cap is at risk. For high-value homes ($500K+), specifically diversify across multiple carriers or use only A+/A++ rated admitted carriers in states with $500K+ caps (CA, LA, NJ, OR, UT, WA, WY).
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