21st Century Insurance

21st Century Insurance understands how complicated finding car insurance can be and have built their reputation and company on making the process easier than ever.

Website: 21stcentury.com
21st Century Insurance Phone #: (800) 487-4500

21st Century Insurance

21st Century Insurance has been in the insurance industry for nearly half a century, and the prominent insurance company has every reason to be proud of its success. Established by insurance agent Louis W. Foster in Los Angeles in 1958, it is now the seventh largest personal auto insurance company in California. 21st Century Insurance also has a strong presence in a number of other states. In addition to its success in the insurance world, 21st Century Insurance is also carrying on the philanthropic tradition started by its founder by raising millions of dollars for various causes and sponsoring programs designed to inspire young people to take on leadership roles in the community.

An insurance holding company registered on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:TW), 21st Century Insurance employs more than 2,500 people. With headquarters in two 11-story buildings in Woodland Hills, California, it also has 14 division service offices and runs nine drive-in claim centers as well as five vehicle inspection centers. The policies of 21st Century Insurance cover more than 1.5 million Californian vehicles, as well as vehicles in eight other states. Highly regarded for its direct-to-the-consumer personal auto insurance, 21st Century Insurance provides this insurance through its subsidiaries, 21st Century Insurance Company of California, 21st Century Insurance Company, 21st Century Casualty Company, and 21st Century of the Southwest.

In the five decades since its formation, 21st Century Insurance has achieved impressive growth in the insurance business. The organization that was to become the large insurance company it is today was set up in 1958 by Louis Foster as an inter-insurance exchange, a group of policyholders who combine to finance and insure each other’s losses, operating in a similar way to a co-operative. The fledgling insurance company started with only one employee, but grew and expanded quickly under the guidance of Mr. Foster, who had 20 years of experience in insurance as an independent agent. By 1966, 21st Century Insurance had passed the landmark figure of $1 million in premiums in one year. In the same year, with staff numbers also growing, the insurance company moved to new offices in Century City. From there it continued to expand and, in 1968, became a capital stock company.

The decision to convert the inter-insurance exchange into a capital stock company was regarded as unique in the Californian insurance business world. As a result of the federal government’s minimization of tax advantages for the exchange, as well as the California Department of Insurance’s decision to raise to $1 million the capital and surplus requirements of reciprocals, it meant the policyholders of the former inter-insurance exchange now became stockholders in the new insurance company. The profits in the exchange would determine the equity these policyholders would have in the 21st Century Insurance. Having bought insurance as a money-saving exercise, policyholders now also had the advantage of being stockholders in an insurance company that wrote $2 million in premiums in 1969, $5 million in 1972, and $10 million in 1975, just seven years after the inter-insurance exchange was converted to a capital stock company. 21st Century Insurance moved to bigger headquarters at Woodland Hills in 1980. By 1993, 21st Century Insurance had passed the landmark of more than $1 billion in premiums and has since expanded into several states.

While prospering as an insurance company, 21st Century Insurance has never forgotten the tradition of philanthropy established and encouraged by its founder. Various community causes and organizations are the annual recipients of millions of dollars raised and donated by the insurance company. The United Way campaigns and the Union Rescue Mission are among those to benefit from the financial support of 21st Century Insurance, while employees of the insurance company provide ongoing voluntary help to various charities throughout the year. A groundbreaking collaboration between 21st Century Insurance, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the LAPD has also resulted in the creation of the Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet School Program, with the aim of encouraging high school students to follow law enforcement careers and to serve their community as outstanding citizens. With the California Missions Foundation, 21st Century Insurance also works to inspire people, especially school children, to help improve the 21 historic Missions in California. Always aware as an insurance company of the importance of safety, 21st Century Insurance has also established an innovative program with the California Highway Patrol to promote awareness of the need for child seat safety.

In these ways, 21st Century Insurance is an insurance company committed both to helping the community and to keeping its prices competitive, while ensuring its customers receive quality insurance policy features and superior service. This service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. At any time, customers can buy insurance, service policies, and report insurance claims, either on the phone with the help of 21st Century Insurance’s licensed insurance staff at 1-800-211-SAVE (English) or 1-888-920-2121 (Spanish), or on the insurance company’s bilingual website at www.21st.com or www.21stcentury.com.