J.D. Power and Associates Ranks Auto Club's Insurance Company Among Top Insurers for Customer Satisfaction

    LOS ANGELES--Sept. 19, 2002--The Automobile Club of Southern California's insurance company (the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club) has been ranked second in the nation for overall customer satisfaction by the J.D. Power and Associates 2002 National Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study(TM).
    "Service to our members is our primary focus," said Thomas V. McKernan Jr., Auto Club president and CEO. "We believe it's that dedication to high-quality service and competitive pricing that sets us apart from our competitors. Auto Club members know they can trust us to protect their interests."
    The Auto Club's insurance company ranked substantially higher than the industry average in overall customer satisfaction components in the J.D. Power and Associates study, including financial soundness, tailoring policies to meet customer needs, competitive pricing, value received for price paid and service.
    The study shows that nearly 80% of Auto Club members, who bought insurance through the club, did so because of the organization's reputation.
    The Auto Club's insurance affiliate generated a total of $1.4 billion in direct premiums written in 2001, a 9.3% increase over the previous year. Between 1991 and 2001, the total number of policies written by the Auto Club's insurance company increased nearly 114% and the number of cars insured by 95%.
    The Auto Club's Interinsurance Exchange has an A+ rating from A.M. Best. Best also ranked the company among the 20 largest insurers of private passenger autos in the nation and among the most efficiently run insurance companies in the nation.
    The A+ rating, which recognizes superior performance, is awarded after a comprehensive evaluation of a company's balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile.
    The 2002 Ward's 50 Benchmark Group recently chose the Auto Club's insurance company as a top industry performer for the ninth year in a row. The Benchmark Group recognizes insurance companies who have excelled at balancing safety, consistency and performance over a five-year period and benchmarks their performance with the industry as a whole.