How is Empire Fire and Marine Insurance Company rated?

An insurance company is rated based upon several factors, including financial stability and the manner in which claims are handled. Both of these factors are regulated by the states in which the company does business.

Good, unbiased information on insurers can be found by going to the website of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). You may also want to consult the two major financial rating agencies, A.M. Best and Fitch's.

You can also contact the office of the Insurance Commissioner (by whatever name called) in your State to get an idea of the company's "complaint ratio". That is a measure of complaints by policyholders or other claimants as to the manner in which they were treated, and also inquire about how, overall, the complaints were resolved. The office within the Insurance Commissioner's office that you will probably want to start with may be called "Consumer Services". If they are not the ones with the info that you need, ask to be referred, perpahs to an office called "Insurer Services".

Keep in mind that from time to time every insurer will have people unhappy with it. In general, you want an insurer that is financially stable and has a general reputation of timely and fairly paying claims.