Pros Explained

• Deductible rewards program: The DriveDown program lets customers save on deductibles as a reward for driving safely. 
• Competitive prices: Compared to its competitors, Southern Farm Bureau offers some of the lowest rates. 
• Text messaging updates for claims: Southern Farm Bureau’s system will message updates throughout the claims process.

Cons Explained

• Only available in six states: Southern Farm Bureau only operates in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
• Can’t apply online: There is no option to apply for coverage online. Interested buyers will have to purchase over the phone or inperson with a local agent. 
• Few customer reviews: Southern Farm Bureau isn’t ranked by industry expert J.D. Power. 1

Introduction

Southern Farm Bureau is headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, with six state offices in the Southeast. It offers quite a few different types of auto insurance coverage, including the basics like collision and comprehensive, along with others like antique/classic car coverage.

Southern Farm’s service has several interesting features, such as a mobile app, called MobileAgent, with 24/7 access to account information. There’s also NOTIFYME, an online text messaging service that will send updates throughout the claims process. With 12 discounts, including DriveDown, customers have many opportunities to save on their auto insurance bills. 

Company Overview

The Southern Farm Bureau insurance company was formed in 1947. Although it’s headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, it offers insurance throughout six states. Southern Farm Bureau provides free no-risk quotes for car, motorcycle, RV, and ATV insurance. 

The types of vehicles covered include private passenger cars, pickup trucks, farm vehicles, light business vehicles, motorhomes and camper trailers, utility trailers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles (ATVs, four-wheelers, golf carts, etc.), and pickup and camper shells. 

Types of Coverage

Take note that some coverage types and levels may vary by state.

Collision Coverage

This type of coverage will provide funds if your vehicle is damaged by a collision. 

Comprehensive Coverage

If your vehicle is damaged in a non-collision accident, collision coverage won’t kick in. Instead, comprehensive coverage helps pay to repair or replace a vehicle from those types of damages, which include fire, theft, and vandalism. It also covers natural disasters such as windstorms, tornados, hail, and even animal collisions.

Liability Coverage

This type of coverage pays for the cost of injuries or damage caused to another party during an accident. Car repairs, medical expenses, and property damage are covered. 

Rental and Travel Expense Reimbursement Coverage

If you get in an accident and can’t drive your vehicle due to a covered loss, you may need to pay for a replacement car, travel, lodging, or meals. This is the coverage you’ll need to get reimbursed in that situation.

Personal Injury Protection

This type of coverage pays medical and funeral costs if you, your family, or your passengers are injured or killed as a result of an accident. This coverage can also offer disability income to surviving beneficiaries.  

Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage

This coverage pays out if you get injured in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance, or if you’re injured by a hit-and-run.

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage

This coverage pays out if your vehicle is damaged in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance, or by a hit-and-run.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Similar to uninsured coverage, this plan helps pay if you’re in an accident with someone who doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your costs.

Antique/Classic Car Coverage

This type of coverage can cover older vehicles with special value considerations. Antique/classic car coverage allows customers to customize their comprehensive or collision coverage to fit their needs.

Roadside Assistance Coverage 

This coverage provides towing and other emergency roadside assistance services for private passenger vehicles, motorhomes, and farm trucks that have collision coverage. The limit for private passenger autos is $75 and the limit for motorhomes and farm trucks is $500.

Discounts

Southern Farm Bureau has several auto insurance discounts, including: 

Payment and Loyalty Discounts

• Companion Policy Discount: Gives customers a credit if they insure their private passenger autos and homes with Southern Farm Bureau.
• Customer Loyalty Discount: Applies when a customer has been insured with Southern Farm Bureau for over two years.
• Financial Responsibility Discount: Available if a customer hasn’t missed a funds payment in the past three years.
• Continuous Coverage Discount: For customers that have had no lapses in coverage in the past three years.

Driving Habits and History Discounts

• Driver Training Discount: Qualified drivers under 22 can get a discount on premiums.
• Defensive Driving Discount: Available with the completion of a defensive driving course certified by the customer’s state department of motor vehicles. 
• Claims Experience Discount: Will lower premiums if the driver has no chargeable accidents.
• Insurance Score Discount: Can earn this discount by maintaining a favorable insurance score.

Other Discounts

• Good Student Discounts: Full-time students who are 16 or older may qualify for a premium reduction.
• Post-Graduate Discounts: Available to graduates of a four-year college or university. Applicants must be under age 25 and have a cumulative grade of “B” or better.
• Farm Discount: Can qualify for this discount if you use a private passenger vehicle for farm work.
• DriveDown: Safe drivers can save even more money on deductibles by signing up for DriveDown through Southern Farm Bureau’s MobileAgent app. Once registered it will prompt you to download the Routely app, which will record trips in your vehicle. Customers can earn 5% after their first trip. 

Payment Options

Southern Farm Bureau has several different ways to pay a bill.

Loss Ratio

Southern Farm Bureau has a loss ratio of 70.32%2. The loss ratio of an insurance company compares the losses of the company to the premiums earned; this percentage can indicate whether or not a company is in financial distress. An insurance company in financial distress may be less likely to pay claims. Southern Farm Bureau’s loss ratio is about standard for the industry, indicating that the company is doing well.

Other Features

Southern Farm Bureau offers several other features worth mentioning, including:

• MobileAgent app: On-the-go 24/7 access to account information. Features include reviewing policies, filing a claim, contacting a local agent, and requesting emergency roadside assistance.
• Online quotes: Submit some personal information to get a free online insurance quote.
• NOTIFYME: Southern Farm Bureau’s text messaging system updates customers regularly throughout the claims process. 

Customer Service

Southern Farm Bureau has a hotline available to file a claim or request roadside assistance: 1-866-275-7322. It also has a “Contact Us” form to ask questions, make comments, or get information on products.

Each branch also has its own contact information.

Customer Satisfaction

Southern Farm Bureau has positive customer reviews as well as strong financial ratings, resulting in consumer confidence and satisfaction with the company. 

Satisfaction Ratings

Southern Farm Bureau is not ranked by J.D. Power but it does have an AM Best rating of A+ (Superior).13 AM Best gives insurance companies letter grade ratings based on how strong they are financially, helping customers feel confident that their claims will be fulfilled. An A+ rating is only one step down from the highest score of A++.

Complaint Index

Customer complaints about insurers are collected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). It sets the industry average at 1.0; Southern Farm Bureau has a complaint index of 0.311.4 This means Southern Farm Bureau has far fewer complaints than the average insurance company of its size 

Account Management

Southern Farm Bureau offers the MobileAgent app, which allows customers to access their account information 24/7. Features of the app include reviewing policies, making a claim, contacting a local agent, and requesting roadside assistance. Account management can also be done by contacting the company via phone or email, or logging in to your account online. 

How Southern Farm Bureau Compares to Other Auto Insurance Companies

Southern Farm Bureau has attractive prices compared to its competition. When compared to 10 other companies that also offer coverage in the six states it operates in, Southern Farm Bureau had the fourth lowest rates for South Carolina and Mississippi, second lowest for Arizona, and the lowest for Louisiana.

Southern Farm Bureau has an average annual premium of $1,640, the fourth cheapest out of 25 companies compared. However, since it only operates in a handful of states, most people will be unable to take advantage of those low rates.

Methodology

Investopedia is committed to providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of auto insurance companies. All of our reviews are based on extensive research and analysis of each company’s coverage, customer service, pricing, years in business, accreditation, and more. To rate providers, we developed an auto insurance review methodology that compares the auto insurance coverage types, additional features, discounts, account management, and other features.