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In 2015, Palomar Specialty Insurance jumped into the challenging and uncertain waters of specialty property insurance for individuals and businesses.

From Palomar’s La Jolla, Calif., headquarters, the carrier offers unique catastrophe insurance products like Residential and Commercial Earthquake, Specialty Homeowners, Commercial All Risk, Residential Flood, Inland Marine, Hawaii Hurricane Coverage, and Real Estate Investor (“REI”). The insurer sells its coverage through a few different channels and across a mix of 23 states.

In a relatively short amount of time, Palomar Specialty’s knowledgeable executive team has already amassed $20 Billion (or 2%) of America’s massive $600 billion property and casualty insurance industry.

Here’s everything you need to know about Palomar Specialty Insurance:

What’s protected with Palomar Specialty Insurance?

Palomar is well-known for its Earthquake Insurance. They offer Earthquake Insurance across 17 states with the following range of coverage and earthquake deductibles, which can vary state to state:

  • Deductibles: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%
  • Maximum coverage: $5 million to $15 million
  • Minimum coverage: $75,000 ($100,000 in TX)
  • Eligible construction: Wood frame, steel frame, stucco, masonry veneer, masonry


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Palomar Specialty Insurance details and reviews

Palomar Specialty stresses its commitment to remaining stable despite the unpredictable classification of the business they write. Palomar has secured plenty of backing from other long-standing, financially secure carriers based in America, Europe, and Bermuda. Palomar discloses they have reinsurance agreements in place with more than 80 reinsurers and all have an AM Best Financial Strength Rating A- (Excellent) or higher.

Palomar themselves hold an A- (Excellent) rating, which has been affirmed by AM Best for the last five years. The insurer is somewhat transparent with their financials by freely sharing audited financial statements of their holding company, GC Palomar Holdings.

Filing a claim with Palomar Specialty Insurance

Palomar customers can notify the carrier of a property loss by either:

Once a claim is submitted, an adjuster and claim number will be assigned. Most clients hear from the claims adjuster within 24 hours. Of course, an insured should also feel free to contact their independent Palomar insurance agent for guidance after a loss.

There is nearly zero client feedback online as to how happy Palomar clients genuinely are, and we have to consider that the carrier’s very low level of recorded complaints means they’re doing something right. Or perhaps the type of business Palomar writes results in less customer interaction than with other coverage types, so there are fewer opportunities for consumers to become upset.

Where is Palomar Specialty Insurance available?

Palomar offers insurance coverage in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

Final thoughts

Mac Armstrong, CEO and founder of Palomar Specialty Insurance, has slowly grown this niche carrier over the last five years by building plenty of financial support. The personal and commercial property insurer relies on modern technology and proprietary data to create customized coverage options. Customers that are seeking catastrophe insurance to protect their homes and business spaces from earthquakes, flooding, and other disasters should feel comfortable buying a Palomar policy.

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Copyright (c) 2023, Credible Insurance, Inc. d/b/a Credible Insurance Agency (CA Lic. # 0M90597). Insurance Services provided through Credible Insurance, Inc., VA: Credible Insurance Agency, Inc., MN SOS: Credible Cover, Inc. Credible Insurance is a subsidiary of Credible Labs Inc. 1700 Market St. Ste. 1005, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
About the author
Credible Staff
Credible Staff

The goal of the Credible editorial writers and staff is to help our readers get up to speed on issues surrounding student loans, mortgage, and personal finance, so you can make informed decisions. We’re here to help you stay on top of the latest news, trends, concepts, and changes in policy and regulations.

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