According to a recent study by J.D. Power and Associates, the disparity in satisfaction levels between homeowners and auto insurance policyholders continues to widen. The findings of the 2008 Homeowners Insurance Study indicate that consumers' contentment with auto policies is on the rise, whereas homeowners' satisfaction ratings remain stagnant.

Now in its eighth year, the J.D. Power and Associates study examines customer satisfaction with homeowners' insurance policies by analyzing five key factors: policy offerings; price; billing and payment; interaction; and claims. Factored in this year's results were responses collected between May and June 2008 from more than 12,900 homeowners' insurance policyholders. Amica Mutual ranks highest for a seventh consecutive year among homeowners' insurance providers. Following Amica in the rankings are Auto Club of Southern California, Cincinnati Insurance, Erie Insurance, and Shelter, respectively.

The gap in customer satisfaction levels between homeowners and auto insurance providers has steadily widened since 2004, with homeowners' insurance customer satisfaction remaining essentially flat during the past five years. As cited by the study, satisfaction with homeowners' insurance during the past five years shifted only one index point — from an average score of 753 on a 1,000-point scale in 2004 to 752 in 2008. Although some improvements have been noted in the policy offering factor, the lack of overall improvement can be attributed to lagging scores for claims and pricing factors.