First Chicago Insurance Company Review

First Chicago Insurance is a regional insurance carrier in the Midwest and offers personal auto, commercial auto and artisan liability insurance. It is a subsidiary company of J & P Holdings, Inc. In business since 1920, First Chicago Insurance originally provided coverage to Chicago’s District Ice Association’s horses and wagons and was named Chicago Ice Producers Mutual Liability Company. It has since expanded to write personal commercial coverage in the Midwest in the states of Illinois, Indiana and personal auto in Wisconsin. Policies are written through independent insurance agents.

Originally, First Chicago Insurance was a mutual company but converted to a stock company in 2006. The corporate headquarters is located in Bedford Park, Illinois. First Chicago Insurance has a partnership with insurance comparison website, Compare.com. Over the course of its 100-year history, only five presidents have headed the company. The current president is Michael Rosenstein.

Financial Strength Ratings

First Chicago Insurance received an upgraded "B" rating from insurance rating organization AM Best. This rating was given in November 2021. The company's credit rating was also upgraded to “bb” from “bb-” at the same time. AM Best listed the rating upgrade reason as "adequate operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management (ERM)."

Better Business Bureau Rating

First Chicago Insurance has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau for 30 years and has an “A+” rating. The company has a composite score of 1.02 out of 5 stars. There are a total of 50 customer reviews listed. There are 108 total customer complaints listed, 54 of which were closed within the last year. All complaints are closed.

Insurance Products

Personal Auto (Offered in IL, IN, WI)

First Chicago Insurance has been writing auto insurance for more than 85 years. For auto insurance customers in the Midwest, it is a great option to consider and has several auto insurance discounts available including: advanced quote discount, anti-lock brake discount, anti-theft discount, driving record discount, good student discount, homeowners discount, mature driver discount, multi-car discount, occasional operator discount, paid-in-full discount, renewal discount and transfer discount.

Coverage options include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, uninsured motorist coverage, medical payments, underinsured motorist coverage, uninsured motorist property damage, comprehensive, collision, towing and labor, extended transportation, and rental reimbursement.

Commercial Auto Liability (Offered in IL, IN)

Customers in Illinois and Indiana can purchase a commercial auto policy for owned or leased vehicles, hired autos, non-owned vehicles, temporary substitute autos, newly acquired autos or light trailers. First Chicago offers coverage for fleet and non-fleet risks with physical damage deductible options up to $5,000.

Artisan General Liability (Offered in IL, IN)

First Chicago has become known as a reliable insurer in the niche area of general liability for artisan contractors in Illinois and Indiana. Limits of coverage are for $100,000, $300,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000. Optional coverage includes tool floater, power tools, equipment floater and more. Several discounts such as workforce stability, multiple policy discount, and successful business operation are available.

Pros and Cons

For residents of the Midwest who need a reliable carrier, First Chicago Insurance is a good option when looking for the best value on an insurance policy. The company has been in business since 1920 and has an “A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. Claims services are available 24/7 and a wide range of discounts are offered to help auto policyholders save money.

You can choose to pay your bill online or through the Prism mobile app. Policy premiums can be paid online with VISA, MasterCard or Discover Card. One downside is that no homeowners insurance is offered, so you may miss out on a multi-policy discount offered by some other insurance companies. AM Best gave the company a "B" rating; however, the outlook was listed as positive.

Contact Information

To find out more about what insurance products are offered, to get a quote or to find a local agent, you can visit the First Chicago Insurance Website.