American Family Insurance

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, often called AmFam, is a big American insurance company based in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a private mutual company, meaning it is owned by its policyholders rather than shareholders. The company mainly helps people protect their homes, cars, and businesses, offering property, casualty, and auto insurance.

In addition to these, AmFam also provides coverage for life, health, and homeowners, along with services for planning investment and retirement needs. Because of its size and success, the company is one of the largest in the United States and is listed in the Fortune 500. In 2017, it had revenues of over $9.5 billion, showing just how many people trust AmFam to help protect what matters most to them.

History

American Family Insurance started on October 3, 1927, when a man named Herman Wittwer opened Farmers Mutual Insurance Company in Madison, Wisconsin. At first, the company only offered car insurance to farmers because Wittwer thought they were safer drivers who didn’t drive as often or in winter.

A few years later, the company began offering more types of insurance to meet customers’ needs. In 1963, it changed its name to American Family Mutual Insurance Company to show that it served many kinds of people, not just farmers. In 2017, the company started a campaign called DreamFearlessly, encouraging people to share big ideas for a better world. Ambassadors like Kathy Ireland helped spread the message.

Subsidiaries

American Family Insurance has several companies that work together to provide different types of insurance and services. Some of these companies include American Family Mutual Insurance Company, American Family Brokerage, American Family Life Insurance Company, and American Standard Insurance Company.

Other companies in the group include Connect (formerly Ameriprise Auto & Home), HomeGauge which provides home inspection software, Homesite Group Incorporated, Main Street America Insurance, Moonrise, Networked Insights which is an analytics company, and American Family Insurance Claims Services.

Products

American Family Insurance offers many types of protection, including life insurance, car insurance for both personal and business use, home insurance, and special coverage for motorcycles, boats, and motor homes. They also have insurance for farms and ranches, as well as travel insurance.

The company has a reward program called "Dreamkeep Rewards" where customers can earn prizes for completing online tasks.

Operating territory

The American Family Insurance Group is based in Madison, Wisconsin. As of 2011, it has four regional corporate headquarters in Minnetonka/Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Saint Joseph, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; and Columbus, Ohio.

Significant milestones

American Family Mutual Insurance Company started in 1927 in Madison, Wisconsin. Over the years, it grew by offering many types of insurance, such as sickness and accident coverage, homeowners insurance, and farm owners insurance.

The company introduced new services and expanded into many states across the U.S. It joined the Fortune 500 list in 1996 and continued to grow, adding new products and services. In 2021, it became the naming rights sponsor of American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Awards

In 2010, American Family Insurance received an award from the National Safety Council for helping keep teen drivers safe. The company created a program called "Teen Safe Driver Program" where parents could watch videos of their teens driving to learn about safer habits. Scientists found this program helped reduce risky driving by a lot.

Later, in 2015, the company was honored for being very welcoming to all families, especially those with same-sex parents, by giving special discounts to these couples.

Ambassadors

American Family Insurance has a special program with famous people to help inspire, protect, and restore dreams. Some well-known ambassadors include:

• Kathy Ireland, a model, actress, author, and entrepreneur.
• Derek Jeter, a former professional baseball player, businessman, and baseball executive.
• Christian Yelich, a professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball.
• Drew and Jonathan Scott, television talents, authors, designers, and co-founders of Scott Brothers Global.
• Steve Stricker, a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.
• J. J. Watt, a football player for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League. (Former Ambassador)
• Brad Guzan, a soccer player for Atlanta United FC in Major League Soccer, where the company is the main sponsor, and the United States national team.
• Kevin Durant, a professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the National Basketball Association. (Former Ambassador)
• John Legend, a singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and philanthropist. (Former Ambassador)

Charitable contributions

American Family Insurance has supported many important causes. In 2003, they announced a big gift of $10 million to help start the American Family Children’s Hospital at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. The hospital opened its doors in 2007 thanks to extra donations from employees, agents, and the company.

In 2007 and 2008, the company's employees gave nearly $1 million to help United Way.

COVID-19 pandemic support

In April 2020, American Family Insurance decided to return money to its customers. They estimated this would be about $225 million to help keep money flowing during tough times. This helped them earn an extra $200 million from customers who paid for car insurance. The company also gave an extra 10% on car insurance payments to help people during the pandemic.