NJM Insurance homeowners insurance

Overview

NJM Insurance Group is a West Trenton, New Jersey insurer founded in 1913 that sells auto, homeowners, condo, renters and umbrella policies directly to consumers in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It has no stockholders; the company describes itself as operating "in a mutual fashion" for the benefit of its policyholders, and in New Jersey it shares results through policyholder dividends. Policies are issued by NJM Insurance Company, formerly New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, and its subsidiaries.

NJM ranked #39 among U.S. homeowners insurance groups by 2025 direct premiums written, according to NAIC market share data, with $682.7 million in homeowners premiums, or 0.36% of the national market. Almost all of that is at home: NJM was the largest homeowners insurer in New Jersey in 2025, with $622.7 million and 13.49% of the market, ahead of State Farm (10.75%) and Allstate (10.50%).

It is a direct writer: you buy by phone or online rather than through an independent agent, though NJM keeps a small group of its own exclusive agents to support personal policyholders. It is best known for customer and claims satisfaction in auto insurance, an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best, and a century-old link to New Jersey's workers' compensation system.

History

NJM was founded in 1913 as New Jersey Manufacturers Casualty Insurance Company to write workers' compensation, which the company ties to Woodrow Wilson's campaign pledge to give injured workers medical care and partial wage replacement. In 1921 it formed a subsidiary to sell auto and homeowners coverage to the employees of its commercial customers, and for most of its history its personal lines were open only to people with that kind of affiliation. The home office moved to a 100-acre campus in West Trenton in 1966, and the company now employs about 2,500 people.

The modern NJM began in 2018, when it removed its membership restrictions, opened auto, homeowners, renters and umbrella policies to all New Jersey residents and entered Pennsylvania effective January 1, 2018. Connecticut followed in 2020, Ohio in January 2021 and Maryland in September 2021, completing what the company called a five-year regional expansion plan. Business insurance is also sold in Delaware and New York through independent agents. Carol Voorhees, a 29-year NJM employee who had been chief operating officer, became president and CEO in July 2025, the first woman and the 10th chief executive in the company's history, succeeding Mitch Livingston.

Homeowners coverage

NJM writes HO-3 homeowners policies and the broader HO-5 form, plus condo (HO-6) and renters (HO-4) policies. Both homeowners forms cover the dwelling and other structures on an open-perils basis; the HO-5 also covers personal property against all but excluded causes and raises several special limits. NJM publishes the differences: money is limited to $200 on an HO-3 and $500 on an HO-5, jewelry and furs to $1,500 for theft only on an HO-3 versus $2,500 for theft, misplacement and loss on an HO-5, and silverware to $2,500 versus $5,000. Identity fraud expense coverage of up to $15,000 is automatic on HO-5 policies.

The endorsement list is longer than most direct writers publish. It includes water back-up and sump discharge or overflow (including sump pump breakdown), scheduled personal property with no deductible, increased special limits, credit card and forgery coverage up to $50,000, limited fungi and rot coverage, supplemental loss assessment above the built-in $1,000 (HO-3 and HO-5) or $5,000 (HO-6), coverage for a relative in assisted living, higher limits for belongings in self-storage, extra other-structures coverage and earthquake coverage in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Flood is excluded. NJM refers customers to Wright Flood, a FEMA Write Your Own carrier, at 855-617-3532. Along the Jersey Shore, also check the declarations page for a hurricane deductible; New Jersey's insurance department says these are commonly 1%, 2%, 5% or even 10% of the dwelling limit and apply only when hurricane-force winds are measured in the state.

Discounts and savings

NJM's published homeowners discounts are an auto and home bundle discount (not available with its Basic Personal Auto policy), a Safe Home discount for a security system, a discount for smoke alarms or sprinklers, an age 65 and over discount, a backup or portable generator discount, a nonsmoker discount, a storm shutters and hurricane glass discount in Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey, and billing discounts for paying in full, electronic payment (not combinable with paid-in-full) and paperless documents. Paid-in-full and electronic payment discounts do not apply when a mortgage company pays the premium from escrow.

New Jersey policyholders are also eligible for dividends, applied as a credit at renewal and based on a percentage of the prior year's premium. NJM notes that dividends are not guaranteed and are not paid in every state or on every policy form. See mutual insurers that pay policyholder dividends.

Where it sells and recent market moves

NJM sells homeowners insurance to residents of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It has not announced homeowners exits, new-business pauses or nonrenewal programs in any of those states through October 2026. Its growth outside New Jersey is still modest: about $60 million of its 2025 homeowners premium came from the four newer states combined.

The recent changes are internal: the CEO transition in 2025, and continued expansion of business insurance in the Mid-Atlantic. For homeowners, the bigger variable is New Jersey itself, where coastal exposure, hurricane deductibles and rising rebuilding costs drive premiums across the market.

Claims

Report a homeowners claim online or by calling 800-367-6564, available 24 hours a day. Have your policy number, the date, time and location of the loss and a description ready, call police or fire officials if needed, photograph all damage, and keep damaged property and receipts. An adjuster then explains coverage, schedules an inspection and evaluates the damage. NJM lists wind damage to shingles and siding, weather-related leaks and ice damming, interior water damage from plumbing or appliances, and lost or stolen property as its four most common homeowners claims.

Ratings and reputation

AM Best rates NJM Insurance Group A+ (Superior) for financial strength. The company's most recent announcement of an affirmation was in April 2023, when AM Best also affirmed an "aa" issuer credit rating, and its fact sheet still listed the A+ rating in October 2026. NJM says it is one of the few property-casualty insurers that has held an A or better rating for at least 75 years.

Its J.D. Power recognition is in auto insurance: certification for an outstanding auto claims experience nine years running through 2026, and first place for customer satisfaction among Mid-Atlantic auto insurers in 2025. Those studies do not measure homeowners satisfaction.

Who it suits

NJM suits homeowners in its five states who are comfortable buying direct and want a large, policyholder-run insurer with a strong balance sheet and a published menu of endorsements and discounts, especially New Jersey households that can pair it with NJM auto and collect dividends. It suits less well someone who wants an independent agent to shop several companies, or who needs flood coverage from the same company. Compare it with Plymouth Rock Assurance, State Farm and Allstate in New Jersey.

• Strengths: largest home insurer in New Jersey; A+ (Superior) from AM Best; HO-5 option and a detailed endorsement list; New Jersey policyholder dividends; long discount list.
• Weaknesses: only five states, with a small book outside New Jersey; direct-only for personal lines, with no independent agents; no flood coverage of its own; dividends are not guaranteed and are paid only in New Jersey.

How to contact NJM Insurance