COUNTRY Financial business insurance

Overview

COUNTRY Financial is a farmer-founded insurance and financial services group based in Bloomington, Illinois. It is mostly known for auto, home and life insurance, but it is also a meaningful farm and small business insurer in its territory. It was ranked No. 93 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $691.8 million, based on NAIC market share data, or about 0.14% of the national commercial market. That commercial book is about a fifth of the group's $3.63 billion in total direct premiums. COUNTRY ranks No. 7 nationally in farmowners insurance, its largest commercial line at $270.3 million, followed by small business packages (commercial multiple peril), commercial auto and liability.

The NAIC group has three property-casualty companies. COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company is policyholder-owned and issues the business, farm and workers' compensation policies. COUNTRY Casualty Insurance Company and COUNTRY Preferred Insurance Company write mainly personal auto and home, and can also issue some commercial quotes. The wider family includes COUNTRY Life Insurance Company, COUNTRY Investors Life Assurance Company, COUNTRY Trust Bank and the broker-dealer COUNTRY Capital Management Company. The group is closely tied to the Illinois Agricultural Association, better known as Illinois Farm Bureau. Its general counsel serves both organizations, and the headquarters sits in the Illinois Agricultural Association building.

COUNTRY sells only through its own representatives: more than 2,000 licensed reps in 19 states, backed by more than 3,000 employees.

History

The Illinois Agricultural Association chartered Farmers Mutual Reinsurance Company in 1925 to reinsure county Farm Bureau mutuals. In 1925, COUNTRY Mutual began selling fire and lightning insurance to farmers. Milestones from the company's history:

• 1926–1929: added crop hail and farm equipment cover in 1926 and auto insurance in 1927. COUNTRY Life followed in 1929, launched with $100 pledges from farmer members.
• 1953: COUNTRY Preferred Insurance Company incorporated.
• 1961: home office moved from downtown Chicago to Bloomington.
• 1964: bought Mid-America Fire and Marine, adding Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
• 1998–2006: formed alliances with Middlesex Mutual Assurance (Connecticut, 1998), Cotton States Insurance Group (Georgia, 2005) and Holyoke Mutual (Massachusetts, 2006, marketed as MiddleOak). Mutual Service Insurance (MSI) joined in 2001, creating a Central Region.
• 2010: formed a dedicated catastrophe Storm Team.
• 2025: marked its 100th anniversary.

Today COUNTRY reports operations in 19 states. The New England alliances and Florida, once part of the Cotton States territory, are not among them, so a business there cannot buy from COUNTRY.

Business insurance products

Farm and ranch. Farm personal property comes in three tiers: standard, standard plus machinery protection, and standard plus machinery and livestock protection. Farm buildings and irrigation equipment have standard, broad and "premier" (open perils) forms. Farm liability limits go up to $1 million, with medical payments up to $25,000 and optional cover for custom farming, roadside stands, in-home businesses and rental dwellings. A farm umbrella is available above that. Livestock, workers' comp and pollution are written separately. COUNTRY has sold crop insurance since 1926 and has "Farm Certified" reps (see Farm and ranch insurance).

Business owner's policy. The BOP has specialized packages for retail and food shops, professional offices and services, and contractors such as electricians, HVAC, plumbers, painters and Landscaping business insurance. General liability limits run from $300,000 to $2 million. Options include professional liability for a list of classes, employment-related practices liability, D&O, data breach and employers stop gap. What is a business owner's policy (BOP)? covers the basics.

Commercial package policy. For businesses that outgrow a BOP, the commercial package policy serves contractors, auto service and repair shops, churches, commercial rental property, equipment dealers, light manufacturing, local trucking and janitorial firms. It offers basic, broad or special causes of loss, actual cash value or replacement cost, and GL limits of $500,000 or $1 million.

Other lines. Business auto, business umbrella (limits of $5 million or more), crime, inland marine, workers' compensation, garagekeepers coverage and auto services E&O for repair shops, spoilage coverage for food businesses, and liquor liability (not offered in Alaska, Alabama or Iowa). In some states, workers' comp may be placed through COUNTRY's agency, CC Services, Inc., with an unaffiliated insurer. COUNTRY Trust Bank also offers 401(k) and other retirement plans for business owners.

Who it insures

COUNTRY's own business pages name its focus: Auto repair shop insurance, Retail store insurance and food businesses, professional offices and services, and contractors. The farm book is the largest part of its commercial premium. The best fit is a family farm, a small-town shop or a trade contractor in one of its 19 states who wants the same rep for the business, the house, the trucks and life insurance. It is not built for large or multi-state accounts. Its liability limits and packages are aimed at small operations.

How to buy

You buy through a COUNTRY Financial representative. These are captive agents who sell only COUNTRY products and its affiliates' placements. Independent agents and brokers cannot quote it. The online commercial quote form collects business details and a rep follows up to finish the quote. You can also call 866-268-6879 or use the rep finder. Existing clients can log in to an online account for policy information, claims and secure chat. Before you bundle, ask the rep how much of your program COUNTRY itself issues. Workers' comp in some states, individual health and some other products are placed with outside insurers through CC Services.

Claims

Business, farm and auto claims can be reported and tracked in your online account, through your rep, or by phone at 866-268-6879 (866-COUNTRY), available around the clock. COUNTRY says a claim representative will call by the end of the next business day. For workers' compensation, the employer reports the injury the same way. Questions on open comp claims go to 888-545-4947, and both employers and injured employees can check claim status and adjuster details online. Crop claims have their own process. The company keeps a catastrophe Storm Team for regional weather events.

Financial strength and ratings

On August 12, 2026, COUNTRY announced that AM Best had affirmed A+ (Superior) financial strength ratings, with stable outlooks, for the COUNTRY Financial property/casualty group and COUNTRY Life. AM Best cited profitable operating earnings, strong risk-adjusted capitalization and favorable geographic and product line diversification. COUNTRY says its P&C group and life company have been rated A or higher for more than 90 consecutive years, and A+ or higher since 1976. The company's site says the COUNTRY family ranked No. 675 on the 2025 Fortune 1000, with $4.954 billion in revenue. See AM Best rating.

Strengths and weaknesses

COUNTRY is a strong, farm-rooted mutual with a local rep model that suits farm and main-street accounts. It is limited by geography and by its captive distribution.

• Strengths: A+ (Superior) from AM Best, affirmed August 2026. No. 7 nationally in farmowners, with Farm Certified reps and a century of farm underwriting. Real small business packages, including garage coverage for auto shops, contractor BOPs and professional liability for small professional classes. One rep for business, farm, personal and life insurance and business retirement plans.
• Weaknesses: Writes in only 19 states, none of them in the Northeast and not Florida. Sold only through captive reps, so a broker cannot market your account to it. GL limits top out at $1 million to $2 million per occurrence before umbrella, and the appetite favors small accounts. Workers' comp is not issued by COUNTRY in every state.

How to contact COUNTRY Financial