Accredited America Business Insurance Review

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Contributor, Benzinga
August 25, 2022
Accredited America via Simply Business
securely through Accredited America via Simply Business's website

Accredited Powered by Travelers offers various insurance options for businesses, including certificates of deposit, fidelity bonds and commercial property insurance. In addition, the company offers policies for business owners and executives, contractors and subcontractors, construction companies, professional service providers and public entities. It also specializes in providing commercial liability insurance.

Best For
  • Companies seeking specialty insurance lines
  • Businesses that need to protect their assets
Pros
  • Affordable pricing
  • Wide range of policies available
  • In-house experts
Cons
  • Does not have an extensive network of independent agents

Accredited America via Simply Business Ratings at a Glance

Accredited America Product Offering
Customer Service Rating
Customer Pricing
User Benefits
User Experience
Overall

Travelers Insurance, one of the world's largest insurance and financial services organizations, reinsures Accredited. Its staff of experienced professionals provides personalized service and the highest quality products from many leading carriers in the industry. If your company offers a service to the general public, Accredited can help ensure it has coverage in case of a claim against you.

Accredited has been providing risk-management solutions to businesses since 1971. As a result, it is highly professional and knowledgeable about its product offerings, which is essential when making decisions regarding your business insurance needs. The company understands the importance of creating a bond that matches your company's needs and budget. It works with you every step of the way to ensure you get the best product for your money.

Accredited America Product Offering

Accredited America is an insurance provider specializing in commercial property and casualty insurance. It offers coverage for businesses of all sizes, including farms and nonprofits. It provides excellent customer service from knowledgeable representatives ready to assist you with any questions or concerns arising during your policy term.

The company’s website includes a section covering common bonding and liability insurance. Another advantage to Accredited is its online payment system, which allows agents to process payments quickly and easily. Get a quote by calling or emailing the company to speak with an agent. It offers a range of services, including:

  • Surety bonds (claims-paying bonds, performance and payment bonds)
  • Contract bonds (building contracts and construction contracts)
  • Licensing and permit bonds (professional and occupational licenses)
  • License and permit guarantees (professional and occupational licenses)
  • Admitted and nonadmitted program management
  • Legacy acquisition services
  • Specialty insurance, including professional liability, inland marine and commercial surety

Accredited America offers a wide range of surety bonds for businesses in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The company provides high-quality commercial surety bonds, fidelity bonds, errors and omissions insurance (E&O), fiduciary liability coverage, directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance and many other products. The company provides surety bonding services for many industries, including construction, commercial property management and general contractors.

The biggest advantage to working with Accredited Surety is the company is knowledgeable about all types of bonds, including personal, commercial, fidelity, employee theft and other products such as retail crime insurance. The national insurance company provides coverage for a variety of personal and commercial lines of business.

Customer Service Rating

When you contact Accredited America, you’re treated like a person instead of just another customer on the line. Every agent at Accredited Surety has been handpicked for their excellent customer service skills, so you never have to worry about being rushed off the phone or given poor advice. You will always be able to speak with someone who cares about your situation and wants to help resolve it quickly.

You can call the customer service department and speak with a knowledgeable representative about their products and services. They answer your questions and make an appointment for you with one of their agents so they can explain the different types of policies available. The agent can answer your specific questions and suggest what kind of policy best fits your needs.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB)states the company resolves all complaints promptly. The people at Accredited are accommodating and always willing to answer questions. Even if they do not know the answer immediately, they do their best to find someone who knows the answer or direct you to a solution in another department.

In addition, the staff at Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. Inc. is prompt in responding to phone calls and emails and returning messages left on their voicemail system. You typically receive a quick response from the main office, support departments and regional offices around the country.

When you call Accredited to report a claim, an agent walks you through everything. First, you fax or email the company copies of your receipts. Then they will check your deductible. It typically takes less than a week from start to finish.

Customer Pricing

Many factors affect how much your premium will be. Here are nine things you should know about policy pricing:

1.     The longer the term, the more expensive it will be to issue.

2.     Surety bond rates change each month because they are based on market conditions at the time of purchase.

3.     The higher the bond amount, the more expensive it will be to issue.

4.     The type of business (sole proprietorship versus corporation) impacts rates. Sole proprietorships have fewer overhead expenses than corporations, so they typically pay lower premiums.

5.     Your industry type (manufacturing versus construction) has various risk factors that impact premium rates.

6.     There are two types of surety bonds — a financial guarantee and an indemnity agreement, which covers damages. Both types require collateral if something goes wrong, but each has different requirements. For example, in some states, you must have a net worth equal to at least three times your total liability.

7.     Your company's loss history (how many claims have been filed against you in the past few years) affects pricing.

8.     The amount of coverage you want (to cover an individual claim or an entire series of losses) affects pricing.

9.     Your creditworthiness — if you have a bad credit score or history, you will need to pay more for coverage because consider you a higher risk.

While many companies offer surety bonds, most are generalists that sell all types of bonds at prices that are not necessarily competitive in each industry niche. In contrast, Accredited delivers pricing explicitly tailored to each customer's needs.

If you are ready to get a free quote, enter your ZIP code, select a policy type, amount of coverage needed and click "Get a Quote."

User Benefits

Today's complex insurance programs require an experienced partner who can assist in designing, implementing and administering policies. Accredited Powered by Travelers has been writing commercial coverage lines since 1971 and understands the need to deliver a solid solution while maintaining a strong underwriter's presence.

Here is a list of benefits to help you understand why Accredited Surety & Casualty Co. is an excellent option for protecting your business:

  • Flexibility: Accredited Surety & Casualty Co. offers a variety of bond types and insurance options to fit your needs.
  • Dedicated customer service: The staff is dedicated to helping you find the right partners for your business. They work with you to determine what type of insurance is best for your situation and provide fast, friendly service throughout the application process.
  • In-depth knowledge: The company’s agents have decades of industry knowledge to help ensure your application is approved quickly and easily.
  • Industry advice: Agents can help you understand the risks associated with your industry and advise on how to cover them.
  • Financially secure: Accredited is backed by Travelers, one of the largest insurance companies in America.

Because Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. provides insurance products through agency partners, it can give you expert advice about what type of coverage is best for your business needs. It works with multiple companies to get your insurance policy's best possible rate. As a result, you can avoid a lengthy application process that requires you to spend time researching different policies yourself.

The company emphasizes prompt, reliable claims service that avoids unnecessary delays and disputes. Overall, it has the experience, knowledge and resources to help you manage your risks and protect your business. Despite the company's tremendous growth, it still maintains its friendly and caring attitude toward customers.

User Experience

Overall, Accredited Powered by Travelers is a great company for business owners looking for specialty insurance. Its website is simple, but the best part about its simplicity is that it does not sacrifice quality. The company is accommodating and easy to work with. Many customers left positive reviews online.

Online reviewers felt Accredited offered good customer service and helpful agents who work hard to resolve issues during claim processing. However, some customers reported receiving inaccurate information from call center representatives and being put on hold when trying to speak with someone about their policy.

Other BBB reviews said it was difficult to understand what certain policies cover or how specific exclusions apply because enough details were provided by sales agents during initial conversations. Most reviewers thought Accredited Surety & Casualty Co. offered high-quality coverage at reasonable prices, compared to other companies in the same industry.

One of the best aspects of the user experience is that customer service is top-notch, and there are no hidden fees. Agents are always friendly and professional, which makes it easier to work with them. They do their best to ensure you understand everything they are doing, which is essential when dealing with something as complicated as insurance. Plus, when you have questions about your policy or coverage, they always answer promptly.

They understand that you may not know all the details about commercial surety or casualty insurance, so they will explain these complexities in a way that is easy for you to understand. Also, they keep customers informed about what is going on with their policies and claims. For example, the company sends email updates, newsletters and other communications as often as possible so you can stay informed.

Accredited Versus Competitors

Accredited has a few competitors like ACE Property & Casualty Co. and United Casualty & Surety Insurance Co.

ACE and Accredited Surety are two of the largest insurance companies in the United States. Although both are property and casualty companies, they do not provide the same services or coverages. Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. is a surplus lines insurance company. Meanwhile, ACE Property and Casualty Co. is a direct underwriter.

United Casualty & Surety Insurance Company and Accredited are recognized by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which promotes trust between businesses and consumers by encouraging fair business practices. Both companies have been around for many decades and have a history of providing excellent customer service, including prompt claims payment.

Accredited's pricing structure is more competitive than United's in most instances. In addition, Accredited provides more coverage options than its competitors do, so you can tailor your policy to your specific needs.

When you think of a specialty insurance company, you may assume they all offer the same type of coverage. However, there are many differences between the top insurance companies in the United States.

For example, Accredited is similar to United Casualty & Surety Insurance Co. in that they both focus on property and casualty insurance. However, they are also different because Accredited offers additional products and services that can help your business thrive.

The most significant difference between Accredited and competitors is Travelers backs Accredited with its assets. As a result, you can collect your insurance claims if something happens to the insurance agent or agency owner.

Overall

Benzinga gives Accredited Powered by Travelers a rating of 5 out of 5. Accredited is an excellent company for anyone who needs specialty insurance or is looking for a new insurance provider. It has excellent customer service and agents are always available to help you with your claim.

Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. has excellent customer service. It ensures that their agents explain everything to you regarding what your policy covers and how much it will cost per month or year. The company’s representatives are friendly and helpful when you call them with a question.

The premium rates are affordable, especially if you get one of the auto-pay plans, which gives you a discount for paying ahead of time each month or year. It also does not increase your premiums after the first year. Accredited is competitive in pricing, so you do not have to worry about being overcharged just because you are a small-business owner.

Accredited Surety and Casualty Co. has been around for years, so it knows what it’s doing when providing insurance services. It’s also licensed by state insurance departments, so you can be sure of its credibility and expertise in providing this service.

Q

Is Travelers good about paying claims?

A

Yes. Travelers is one of the best companies to deal with for insurance claims. It is thorough and ensures everything is done according to the rules and regulations of the state where you live.

Q

Is Travelers a stable company?

A

Yes. Travelers is a very stable company. Travelers was founded over 165 years ago and has annual revenue of $35 billion.

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About Maurice Draine

Maurice Draine is a former insurance agent, broker, underwriter tech, and agent sales support rep with over 15 years of professional writing experience. Maurice helps insurance, financial, and various online and ad agencies, create the words that drive customers to their websites and keeps them there.