American Modern home insurance review: Specialized coverage for high-risk homes nationwide

American Modern offers home insurance coverage for high-risk homes that may have been turned down by other insurers due to age, location, or claims history.

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Jessica OlivoFreelance contributorJessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.

Edited by

Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
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Reviewed by

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

Updated

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American Modern

American Modern logo

Policygenius rating

Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
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4.9

AM Best rating

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A+

Cost

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

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The bottom line

If you’ve had trouble finding a homeowners insurance policy due to the age of your home, its location, condition, or its claims history, American Modern is a good alternative to consider. It specializes in home insurance for high-risk homes, including coverage for mobile homes, vacant homes, and vacation houses — even if they’re not in pristine condition or lack modern amenities. 

With a superior financial strength rating from AM Best and above-average customer service scores when compared to its peers, American Modern is a reliable company for homeowners with a variety of insurance needs. 

Pros

  • Covers high-risk homes that have been rejected by other standard insurers due to age, location, or claims history

  • Offers a slew of policy add-ons and coverages for different types of homes, including mobile, vacation, and vacant homes

  • Received 20% fewer customer complaints than other companies of its size

Cons

  • No online quote tool

  • Can be more expensive than traditional insurers

Basic coverages offered

American Modern’s standard home insurance policies include these six coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:

  • Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.

  • Other structures coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.

  • Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.

  • Loss of use coverage: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.

  • Personal liability coverage: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.

  • Medical payments coverage: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.

The insurer also offers a special named-peril policy in select states for homeowners who have struggled to qualify for coverage due to their home’s age, condition, location, or claims history. 

With American Modern’s named-peril policies, your home and belongings are only covered against causes of damage specifically listed in your policy. Your home and belongings are also only covered for their actual cash value, meaning depreciation will be deducted from your final claim payout.

Additional coverages offered

You can add these additional coverages to your American Modern homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:

  • Scheduled personal property: Higher coverage limits for high-value items you schedule, including fine art, jewelry, or firearms.

  • Water backup: Pays for water damage caused by water backing up and overflowing from your drain or sump pump, which is not traditionally covered by your policy.

  • Home equipment breakdown protection: Pays for repairs to your refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, and other home appliances due to mechanical or electrical breakdown.

  • Home sharing or occasional rental: Protects your home from damage caused by covered perils as well as liability incidents if it’s rented out on a home-sharing site like Airbnb or Vrbo.

  • Ordinance or law: Pays the extra cost of getting your home up to code after a covered loss.

  • Service line failure: Covers the cost of service line excavation, repairs, and damage costs in the event electrical or plumbing lines running under your property are damaged due to an accident or general wear and tear.

  • Identity recovery: This supplemental coverage pays for expenses that come with recovering your identity, as well as credit monitoring services after the loss.

  • Hobby farming: Offers personal property and liability protection for your hobby farm.

  • Earthquake insurance:Pays for earthquake damage caused to your home — not covered under a standard home insurance policy.

  • Mobile home insurance: Insures your manufactured or mobile home with the standard coverages listed in the above section.

  • Vacant home under construction: Covers your home from theft and vandalism while your home is unoccupied during construction.

  • Rental property insurance:Covers your rental property against fire, windstorms, and other covered perils.

  • Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.

Ratings methodology

Price

4.1/5

Our price rating scale looks at home insurance rates for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, as well as the total number of discounts offered. American Modern's average annual rate of $1,765 is 7% below the national average

Customer experience

4.9/5

Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. American Modern has a score of at .80, which means it receives fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size. (The expected number would be 1.0.)

Coverage options

5.0/5

Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. American Modern earns a perfect score thanks to its slew of additional coverage add-ons and willingness to insure high-risk homes.

Financial strength

5.0/5

Our financial strength rating is a weighted combination of three industry-leading metrics to measure a company’s financial health: AM Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s. American Modern has an A+ (superior) rating from AM Best, but is not rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s.

How much does American Modern home insurance cost?

The average cost of home insurance with American Modern is $1,765 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is about $100 cheaper than the national average.

Here’s the average yearly cost of American Modern home insurance for five different levels of dwelling coverage:

Dwelling coverage limit

Average annual cost

$100,000

$718

$200,000

$1,241

$300,000

$1,765

$400,000

$2,289

$500,000

$2,813

Rates are based on our analysis of 2022 sample home insurance quotes from across the country provided by Quadrant Information Services. Actual rates will vary based on location, policy limits, coverages, claims history, and other factors.

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What discounts does American Modern offer?

You may be able to save on the cost of American Modern home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:

  • Bundling: Save up to 5% for bundling your home insurance policy with another insurance policy from American Modern.

  • Low claims: If you haven’t filed a claim in the last three years. 

  • Go paperless: If you sign up for paperless billing and to receive other documents electronically.

  • Annual billing: If you pay your premiums for the year up front instead of monthly.

  • Safety features: If you add security systems like fire and burglar alarms to your home, as well as deadbolts to your doors. 

  • Approved association membership: If you have a membership with a qualified association.

American Modern home insurance state availability

American Modern offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

What to expect with American Modern home insurance

  • How to get a quote: You can get an American Modern home insurance quote by finding an agent through the online search tool or by calling 866-884-6167. 

  • Customer service options: You can get in touch with an American Modern customer service rep by calling 855-469-2644, using the chat feature on its website, or emailing them at servicecenter@amig.com.

  • How to file a claim: You can file an American Modern home insurance claim by calling 800-375-2075 or completing an online claim form on the American Modern website.

  • How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your American Modern home insurance policy by calling your local agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page). You can also download a cancellation form on its website and mail it to American Modern Insurance Group, PO Box 5323, Cincinnati, OH 45201, or fax it to 800-217-5150. American Modern doesn’t accept policy cancellations via email.

American Modern vs. other home insurance companies

Compare American Modern home insurance to other insurers in the industry:

Company

Policygenius rating

AM Best rating

Cost

American Modern

4.9/5

A+

$$$

Orchid Insurance

4.6/5

NA

NA

Foremost

4.2/5

A

$$$$

Assurant

4.1/5

A+

NA

Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies

4.0/5

A+

$$$$$

SageSure

3.9/5

NA

NA

Armed Forces Insurance

3.7/5

NA

$$$

California FAIR Plan

3.6/5

NA

$$$$$

Velocity Risk

3.5/5

A

$$$

Bamboo Insurance

3.4/5

NA

NA

Security First Insurance

3.3/5

NA

$

Texas FAIR Plan

2.3/5

NA

$$$$$

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Frequently asked questions

What does American Modern insurance cover?

American Modern covers houses, mobile homes, vacation homes, cars, classic cars, motorcycles, boats, and ATVs. They often cover homes and vehicles that other insurers won’t.

How do I cancel my American Modern home insurance policy?

You can cancel your American Modern home insurance policy by calling your local agent or downloading a cancellation form on its website and mailing or faxing it to American Modern Insurance Group. American Modern doesn’t accept policy cancellations via email.

How long has American Modern Insurance been around?

Previously known as Midland, the company was founded in 1949 and was one of the first insurers to specialize in mobile home coverage. Midland was purchased by its parent company, Munich Re, in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the Midland name was officially changed to American Modern.

Is American Modern a standard insurance company?

No, American Modern is a specialized insurance company. It often covers properties that standard insurers won’t, including houses that are old, low value, close to the water, or in a high-risk flood zone. The insurer also specializes in coverage for many different types of homes and vehicles, including mobile homes, vacant properties, vacation homes, classic cars, ATVs, and boats.

Author

Jessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.

After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.

Editor

Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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