Frequently Asked Questions

Please submit a become an agent form here.

The Independent Agents representing Cumberland Mutual are committed to meeting your needs and expectations in the most professional manner possible. Currently the number of Independent Agents representing Cumberland Mutual totals over 400 in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Independent Agents are experts in their field. They are supported by a variety of professional associations that provide them with information on industry changes, educational seminars and the training necessary to help them serve you better. Your Independent Agent is your neighbor, available to answer your insurance questions and stand by you in your time of need. They can also assist you through the claims process by completing forms and working with adjusters. In their role as our representative, they present you with individualized service at a fair price, tailoring your insurance coverage to your needs. They provide a local presence offering the expertise to assist you in minimizing the risks which may threaten your financial security. Talk to your agent about your insurance needs and take the mystery out of insurance. Unlike agents who represent only one insurance company, your Independent Agent can select an insurance company who can provide you with the best coverage at a reasonable price.

All direct bill policies are currently eligible for recurring automatic payments. Mortgagee bill or premium finance bill policies are not eligible for recurring automatic payments.

If your policy is eligible for our automatic payment program, you may enroll at any time.

We offer four payment plan options for the automatic payments program:
Annual: Premium Withdrawn in One Annual Installment
Semi-Annual: Premium Withdrawn in Two Semi-Annual Installments
Quarterly: Premium Withdrawn in Four Quarterly Installments
Twelve Pay Monthly: Premium Withdrawn in Twelve Monthly Installments

After your enrollment is processed, you will receive one notice explaining future payment amounts and dates. If you select either the semi-annual or quarterly payment plan options, you will receive a withdrawal reminder prior to each installment being withdrawn. You will receive an email confirmation after each successful installment withdrawal. Please note that if you are enrolled in Automatic Payments 12 pay you will not receive a monthly invoice, unless there is a change to the installment amount (endorsement or other premium-altering transaction). For policies ending in P2018 or later, you will receive a paper notification prior to each withdraw.

The withdrawal date is determined by the effective date of your policy. For policies ending in P2018 or later, changes to the withdraw date can be completed via the Customer Portal. These changes are restricted to twice in a twelve month period. For all other policies the withdrawal date cannot be changed. For example, a policy that is effective on January 5th will have each installment withdrawn on the 5th day of each month according to your selected payment plan. For all policies; if your withdrawal date falls on a weekend or holiday, your payment will be withdrawn on the next business day. If your withdrawal date falls on the 29th, 30th, or 31st of the month, your payment will be withdrawn on the first business day of the following month.

A reduced installment fee of $1/installment will apply to each installment after the first one of each policy term. There are no other participation fees associated with the automatic payments program.

Earned premium generated on an expired or cancelled policy term will be automatically withdrawn within 30 days of the expiration/cancellation date. A notice will be mailed prior to withdrawal.

If your payment is returned due to insufficient funds, a $15 insufficient funds charge will be applied to your account. You must replace the returned payment (including the insufficient funds charge) prior to the next scheduled withdrawal. Failure to replace the payment will result in removal from automatic payments program. If two or more of your payments are returned due to insufficient funds within a twelve month period, you will be ineligible to continue participating in the automatic payments program. You will only be eligible to re-enroll after twelve additional months have elapsed and your policy is within the enrollment window timeframe mentioned above.

Audit premium generated on auditable commercial lines policies will be automatically withdrawn within 30 days of the completion of the audit process. A notice will be mailed prior to withdrawal. If the audit premium generated is more than $15,000, the audit premium will not be automatically withdrawn. An invoice will be mailed within 30 days of the completion of the audit process.

To update your checking account information, please go to Make a Payment and log into the Customer Portal. Once you have logged in, click My Wallet. On this page you can edit, remove, or add payment methods.

To terminate your participation in the automatic payments program, please go to Make a Payment and log into the Customer Portal. On the Policies screen, find the policy you wish to remove automatic payments from and click the Yes/No button under Automatic payments. A confirmation box will appear, review the policy number to ensure you selected the correct policy and then click confirm.

Your enrollment termination must be received at least 5 business days prior to your scheduled withdrawal in order to be effective for that installment. Once your enrollment termination is processed, your policy will be endorsed to direct bill and you will begin to receive invoices for each installment due. Your payment plan will be assigned according to the direct bill payment option that most resembles your previous automatic payment plan, which may result in an increase in your scheduled payments. Please note that a 12 pay plan is not offered for direct bill, if you were enrolled in the automatic 12 pay plan you will be assigned to the direct bill 10 pay plan.

To enroll in the automatic payments program, you will need your policy number, billing zip code, bank routing number, account number, and name on the account from which you would like the payments withdrawn.

To enroll in automatic payments policyholders must follow these steps:
• Go to ‘Make a Payment’ on www.cumberlandmutual.com
• Select ‘Register Now’
• Complete the mandatory fields to create their unique customer account, password needs to be 10 digits long and can contain alphanumeric and special characters.
• Once the account is created, from the menu located on the left, select ‘Automatic Payments’
• Select ‘Add Schedule’
• Select ‘Add New’
• Enter the policy information and the mailing zip code
• Enter your checking information
• Select payment frequency
• Agree to terms/condition and confirm schedule

The agent’s telephone number is located on your policy declaration and invoices.

Your policy number is located on the top of your policy declaration and invoices.

The policy term dates can be found on your policy declaration page as well as your invoice. You can contact your agent for more details.

Unless otherwise directed, Cumberland will send the refund to the insured.

Payment must be received by Cumberland no later than the date stated on the cancellation notice.

Your bill amount may be different due to several reasons. Some of the more common reasons are as follows:
a. Endorsement premium charge or credit
b. Cancellation of policy
c. Overpayment or underpayment of a previous invoice
d. Audit charge or credit (commercial only)

Your payment must be received by the due date.

Changes to your payment plan can be made through the customer portal, directly through your agent, or with a Cumberland customer service representative.

We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and most major debit cards.

If your policy number ends with P2018 or later, your payment is posted the day it is processed including weekends and holidays. For all other policy numbers, payments made before 7:45 pm EST Sunday through Thursday will post to your account that night. Payments processed after 7:45 pm EST Sunday through Thursday are delayed one day. Payments made Friday and Saturday will post to your account on Sunday night. Payments are not processed on holidays.

No, the full balance or entire installment amount must be paid when paying electronically.

Check payments not honored by the financial institution will not be redeposited. An insufficient fund fee of $15 will apply for all checks not honored due to insufficient funds.

To Report a Claim Online: Fill out this form

To Report a Claim by Phone: Please contact Cumberland Mutual directly at 856-451-4050. You may also report your claim to your Independent Insurance Agent who will be able to assist you. If you do not know the name or number for your agent, you may contact our home office at 856-451-4050 for assistance.

For Emergency Claims Requiring Immediate Attention after Hours: Please contact Cumberland Mutual directly at 856-451-4050.

The best way to get information on your claim is to contact the Claim Adjuster or Analyst assigned to your claim. If you do not know the name of your adjuster, you may contact our home office at 856-451-4050 for assistance. When calling, please have your policy number available.

Every claim is unique, and there are many different factors that could affect how long it takes to resolve your claim. Keep in mind that even though filing a claim is probably a rare event for you, our claims team is made up of experienced professionals who work with issues similar to yours day in and day out. We’ll always do our best to resolve your claim efficiently.

Your deductible is the amount you’ve agreed to pay out of your pocket before Cumberland pays for any covered claim. Here’s an example: Assume you have $2,000 worth of covered damage and you chose a $500 deductible applicable to that coverage when you bought the policy. In this scenario, you pay the first $500, and Cumberland Mutual pays the rest.

Regardless of who was at fault, you’ll pay a deductible for certain coverages. However, during the claim investigation, if the facts indicate there’s a chance to recover payment from the person responsible for the damage, we’ll attempt to recover the costs, including your deductible. If we aren’t successful, you have the option of trying to recover the deductible on your own.

You should report the claim immediately and provide a copy of any documents you have received notifying you of the claim. You should not discuss the circumstances surrounding the claim with anyone other than your attorney or a representative of your insurance company.

Every policyholder’s claim, claim history, and situation is unique, so depending on your circumstances, your premium may be affected. If you are concerned, don’t hesitate to discuss with your agent.

Your policy determines whether and to what extent an incident is covered. If you are not sure, we recommend you report the claim to us. Our claims representative will discuss your coverage with you.

For emergency repairs, like when a water line breaks in your home, please take care of the problem immediately so you and your family are safe. You should also undertake all reasonable and necessary measures to protect your property from further damage. Save all receipts and invoices for this work and take multiple photographs throughout the process. For Emergency Claims Requiring Immediate Attention, please contact a Cumberland Claims Representative at 856-451-4050.

If you are involved in an accident or are the victim of a crime, you will need to file a police report at the time of the incident. This is particularly helpful for claims involving injury, when multiple parties are involved, or when fault is unclear.

Please contact Safelite at 1-888-843-2830.

AM Best’s Financial Strength Rating is an independent opinion of an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. It is based on a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile.

Policyholders of mutual insurance companies are members of the organization. One of the most important objectives of a mutual insurance company is to create a financially strong organization that is able to serve its members into the future. Mutual policyholders benefit from the mutual’s ability to retain sufficient surplus to create stability in premiums and reduce the impact of underwriting losses.

The Minerva is a very important part of Cumberland’s history. Organized fire protection in the City of Bridgeton started in 1819. Sometime around 1840, the City’s original volunteer fire brigade was replaced by the Minerva Volunteer Fire Company. These volunteers used a horse drawn hand pumper fire wagon they called the Minerva. After the formation of the Cumberland Mutual Fire Insurance Company, we worked closely with the organized fire brigades in the area. This cooperation ranged from fire inspection services to outright ownership of fire apparatus such as the Minerva. The Minerva Fire Company disbanded sometime in the 1850s, and unfortunately, the original apparatus was lost. However, the Minerva continued to live on as it became a part of our Company logo. In January 2010, the Company unveiled a full size steel replica of the Minerva at the main lobby circle of the New Jersey corporate offices.