State Farm to Return Nearly $900 Million to Auto Insurance Customers
8 June 1998
State Farm to Return Nearly $900 Million to Auto Insurance CustomersBLOOMINGTON, Ill., June 8 -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company announced today that auto insurance policyholders in 35 states and the District of Columbia will receive dividends totaling nearly $900 million. The return of premiums, approved today by the State Farm Mutual board of directors, will be paid by check or a credit to current customers' accounts over the next renewal cycle beginning today. The $891.6 million in dividends to policyholders brings to about $2.4 billion the total amount of dividends State Farm has paid to auto insurance policyholders since 1991. Dividends are a one-time return of premium based on recent claims experience. When State Farm's frequency and costs of claims are less than anticipated and business conditions permit, dividends allow State Farm to quickly return money to customers. Today's announcement comes on the heels of State Farm Mutual's previous record high policyholder dividend, a $651 million program reaching customers in 29 states and the District of Columbia over a six-month period beginning last November. State Farm also lowered auto insurance premiums in 34 states in 1997 and in 21 states so far in 1998. Favorable claims trends allowed the company to lower its overall average rates by 1.6 percent companywide in 1997 -- the first such reduction in auto insurance premiums since 1974. The size of each customer's dividend will vary from one state to another. The percent of semiannual premium to be returned by State Farm Mutual, the estimated total dollar amount that will be returned in each state and the District of Columbia, and the number of policies affected are: State Percent Amount Policies Alabama 9.0 $18.5 million 703,100 Alaska 18.6 $6.2 million 100,800 California 15.4 $172 million 2,951,200 Colorado 15.5 $38.9 million 727,200 Connecticut 6.2 $1.2 million 43,600 D.C. 9.6 $1.6 million 38,000 Florida 7.4 $62.9 million 2,104,500 Georgia 3.6 $14.4 million 1,276,200 Hawaii 20.0 $11.3 million 119,000 Idaho 8.1 $3.3 million 176,900 Illinois 15.5 $112.1 million 2,231,100 Indiana 6.8 $17.6 million 926,400 Iowa 3.6 $3.5 million 441,900 Kansas 5.9 $6.7 million 464,700 Kentucky 2.3 $3.4 million 498,700 Louisiana 2.1 $7.3 million 862,200 Massachusetts* 10.0 $1.2 million 13,200 Michigan 4.9 $22.0 million 1,223,300 Minnesota 4.2 $11.2 million 907,200 Mississippi 9.9 $12.6 million 412,500 Missouri 14.0 $35.9 million 907,600 Montana 5.8 $2.4 million 176,200 Nebraska 5.7 $4.5 million 335,800 New Hampshire 13.0 $3.8 million 96,000 New Mexico 11.8 $10.4 million 261,600 Oklahoma 7.5 $10.8 million 498,700 Oregon 4.8 $7.3 million 557,900 Rhode Island 20.0 $300,000 4,800 South Dakota 20.0 $4.9 million 107,300 Tennessee 9.9 $23.3 million 841,200 Texas** 16.9 $178.6 million 1,895,200 Utah 20.0 $17.4 million 292,800 Virginia 3.5 $8.7 million 632,200 Washington 19.1 $37.6 million 620,800 Wisconsin 12.4 $14.4 million 474,500 Wyoming 12.6 $3.4 million 122,400 * Massachusetts policies are annual, and dividend percent shown applies to the policyholders' annual premium for the expiring term. ** Texas dividends are subject to approval by the state Department of Insurance.