State Farm is a major United States financial services company founded in 1922 by George Mecherle, and headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. Today, the company has operations in the United States and Canada, and specializes in automobile insurance. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent company of all of its subsidiaries. These include State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm Life Insurance Company, State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company, and dozens more.

The operations of State Farm’s 65,000 employees are currently overseen by Edward Rust, company chairman and CEO.

State Farm has more than 18,000 agents offering insurance, banking, and investment services from hundreds of claim offices and dozens of operations centers throughout North America. Seems like everywhere you go, there’s a State Farm office. Thus, the slogan: Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There.

Unfortunately, State Farm is not always there. Nor were they such a good neighbor if you lived in Louisiana back in 2005. Following Hurricane Katrina, criminal investigations by the states of Louisiana and Mississippi caused a State Farm attorney to plead guilty of offering a $50,000 bribe to a Mississippi judge for a favorable ruling in a case involving a $26.5 million settlement for Katrina victims. However, incidents such as these to not damage the major insurance companies very much.

On a list containing the top ten best auto insurance companies in the U.S. based on affordability, value of services, and quality of customer service, State Farm ranks third, with still some customers complaining of long wait times for reimbursement, and others reporting strong-arm tactics by agents trying to evade payouts.

State Farm places 44th on the Fortune 500 list, which ranks companies by their revenue. In 2013, the company made more than 68 billion dollars in revenue, with total assets exceeding 224 billion dollars.

Serving more than 75 million policy holders buying all types of insurance, State Farm ranks first among American insurance companies, holding nearly 20 percent of the total market share.

State Farm offers a tempting discount program, which you can research on their user-friendly website. The refreshingly uncomplicated home page simply features a box with the words, “Start Saving,” followed by a space to type your zip code. Below that is a toll-free phone number displayed in large font, for those who wish to speak with an agent. State Farm policy holders can qualify for discounts of up to 40 percent on annual premiums. Among these discounts are the usual offerings – Safe Driver discounts, Good Student discounts, Safety Feature discounts, multiple policy discounts, and more. Check the website or call a State Farm agent to see which discounts you qualify for.

State Farm has the usual range of car insurance types, from Collision to Comprehensive and beyond. For an additional fee, optional coverages include roadside assistance, glass replacement, and rental reimbursement, among others.

The average annual car insurance premium in the United States was $907.38 in 2014, according to a study commissioned by Quadrant Information Services. State Farm offers very competitive rates, in accordance with national expectations.

In terms of premiums written, State Farm is competitive with Allstate, Progressive, Geico, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, USAA, American Family, and Zurich Financial Services. State Farm had more than 33 million dollars of premiums written in 2013 alone. More than half of them were for auto insurance.