Armed forces insurance review: Ideal for military families
Armed Forces Insurance offers military members and their families a slew of home insurance coverages that are 23% cheaper than the national average.
By
Jessica OlivoJessica 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 at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Expert reviewedExpert reviewedThis article has been reviewed by a member of ourFinancial Review Council to ensure all sources, statistics, and claims meet the highest standard for accurate and unbiased advice.Learn more about oureditorial review process.
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.
3.7
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).
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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
Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) offers home insurance policies to veterans, active military members, and their families. It’s a good pick if you’re looking for affordable rates and a slew of extra coverage add-ons, including protection against floods and earthquakes.
However, despite Armed Forces Insurance’s commitment to the community they serve, the insurer scored poorly in what should be their best category: customer service. While AFI's intentions may be good, it receive more customer complaints than other companies of its size.
Cheap rates that are 23% below the national average
Several valuable coverage add-ons, including water backup, valuable items, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, and more
Gives back to the military community by supporting local food banks and providing resources for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder
Cons
Only available to members of the military, veterans, and their families
Poor customer service and financial strength ratings
Doesn’t offer an app
Basic coverages offered
Armed Forces Insurance home insurance policies include these six standard 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.
Additional coverages offered
You can add these additional coverages to your Armed Forces Insurance policy for even more protection:
Water damage: Pays for water damage not covered in your base policy, such as water backup in your drains and sump pump overflow.
Animal liability: Pays for injuries caused by your dog or other pets that you’re found legally responsible for.
Identity theft: If your identity is stolen, AFI will help cover the cost of legal fees, lost wages, and other expenses you incur during the recovery process.
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.
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. Armed Forces Insurance’s average annual rate of $1,513 is around 23% below the national average.
Customer experience
3.8/5
Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. Armed Forces Insurance has a score of at 3.76, which means it receives nearly four times more complaints than expected for a company of its size. (The expected number would be 1.0.)
Coverage options
4.3/5
Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. Armed Forces Insurance scores above-average compared to other regional home insurance companies.
How much does Armed Forces Insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance with Armed Forces Insurance is $1,513 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is around 20% cheaper than the national average of $1,754 per year.
Here’s the average cost of AFI home insurance for five different levels of dwelling coverage:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$1,088
$200,000
$1,294
$300,000
$1,513
$400,000
$1,712
$500,000
$1,897
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.
Compare home insurance quotes with top insurers in minutes
What discounts does Armed Forces Insurance offer?
You can save on the cost of AFI home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:
Home security: If you have a central security system or fire alarms in your home.
Gated or guarded community: If your house is in a gated community or one with a security guard.
New home: If your home is under a certain number of years old.
New roof: If your home has a roof that’s under a certain number of years old.
Windstorm mitigation: If you install wind-resistant features in your home to prevent damage during tropical storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other powerful windstorms.
Good building code grading: If your home has a good building code grading, which means it's less likely to get damaged in a natural disaster.
Armed Forces Insurance state availability
Armed Forces Insurance offers home insurance policies in all 50 states.
What to expect with Armed Forces Insurance
How to get a quote: You can get an AFI home insurance quote online or by calling 800-495-8234.
Customer service options: You can get in touch with an Armed Forces Insurance customer service rep by calling 800-225-6792, emailing service@afi.org, using the chat-feature on its website, or by logging in to your online account.
How to file a claim: You can file an AFI home insurance claim by calling 800-225-0187, emailing claims@afi.org, or by logging in to your online account.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your Armed Forces Insurance policy by calling your local agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page) or member services at 800-225-6792.
Armed Forces Insurance in the news
In December 2022, AFI supported the opening of the Stronghold Community Food Pantry in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. (Fort Leavenworth Lamp)
Armed Forces Insurance vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Armed Forces Insurance to other home insurance companies in the industry:
No, Armed Forces Insurance and USAA are not the same companies, though they both serve the military community and made our list of the best home insurance companies for veterans.
Does Armed Forces Insurance offer car insurance?
Yes, AFI offers a wide range of insurance including home, auto, renters, business, flood, and more.
Is Armed Forces Insurance only for the military?
Yes, Armed Forces Insurance is only available to active members of the military, veterans, military spouses, children, and their parents.
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.
Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
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.
