This review will tell you about the sort of coverage you can expect from The General car insurance and look at the insurer’s discounts, costs, customer satisfaction rates, and more.
The General car insurance targets customers who are high-risk drivers. That means those with infractions on their records or new to driving or people who travel more miles than average per year, considered more of a risk. If that describes you, keep reading.
Although the company offers limited optional coverage for high-risk drivers, it also offers many standard coverage options like most U.S. insurance companies.
Because The General car insurance aims to benefit mostly high-risk customers, it is an excellent fit for young drivers and those with a record of multiple accidents, and those with poor or no credit.
Another benefit of The General is its mobile app and online portal. By using them, customers can actively manage their policy wherever and whenever they like.
The General offers a relatively small number of discounts compared to some other insurance companies. In addition, if you want to take advantage of a multi-policy discount, The General offers limited bundling of policies.
The General’s car insurance discounts include:
As you may know, car insurance prices depend on many factors, including the driver’s age, gender, and marital status. Let’s look at what Savvy research shows are good demographic categories for The General car insurance quotes.
Savvy collects data from consumers’ current policies, including rate information, age, marital status, geographic location, and more. Its statistics offer a representative sample used as a general guide. See more about Savvy’s methodology.
| The General – Average Annual Rates | |||
| Age Group | Gender | Marital Status | Value |
| 18 to 24 | male | single | $2,934 |
| 18 to 24 | female | single | $2,624 |
| 18 to 24 | male | married | $1,910 |
| 18 to 24 | female | married | $1,967 |
| 25 to 34 | male | single | $2,153 |
| 25 to 34 | female | single | $2,207 |
| 25 to 34 | male | married | $1,868 |
| 25 to 34 | female | married | $1,982 |
| 35 to 49 | male | single | $2,121 |
| 35 to 49 | female | single | $1,967 |
| 35 to 49 | male | married | $2,528 |
| 35 to 49 | female | married | $2,256 |
| 50 to 69 | male | single | $2,130 |
| 50 to 69 | female | single | $1,718 |
| 50 to 69 | male | married | $1,913 |
| 50 to 69 | female | married | $1,799 |
Source: Savvy
The level of coverage you decide to get will impact your premium. Savvy data show that the average monthly cost of The General insurance is $189 per month. Liability only would cost you $170.24.
According to Savvy Research, you’ll pay $161 per month with your The General car insurance policy if you drive between 12,000 and 15,000 miles per year. Take a look at the table below.
| Miles Driver Per Year | Average Cost Per Month |
| 12,000 to 14,999 | $161 |
| 15,000 to 19,000 | $173 |
Source: Savvy
When formulating car insurance quotes, insurers might give drivers a different quote based on other factors, too. Those include your geographic location, driving record, and credit history. Let’s take a closer look.
Insurers will calculate higher rates for your insurance premiums if you live near a busy intersection with high accident rates or in a big city with more crime. The state where you live also impacts your quote.
According to Savvy, this is the list of states with the cheapest and most expensive auto insurance rates in general across all insurers.
| Cheapest States | Most Expensive States |
| 1. Maine | 1. New York |
| 2. Hawaii | 2. Rhode Island |
| 3. Idaho | 3. Washington, D.C. |
| 4. Wyoming | 4. Maryland |
| 5. Iowa | 5. Louisiana |
Source: Savvy
Following a DUI citation, you can expect your car insurance rate to increase.
According to The Zebra, drivers in general with DUIs pay $2,556 on average per year. That compares with $1,470 for those with a clean record.
The General has a reputation for being a good insurer to choose if you had an at-fault accident. However, the bad news is that you can still expect your premium to increase, just not as much as other insurers.
While we don’t know the data for how much The General increases rates following an at-fault accident, The Zebra’s data show that insurance rates can increase nearly 50% per year and impact rates for three years on average. Collisions impact your insurance rates by an average of $767 each year.
Some states have made it illegal for car insurance companies to quote a higher premium to customers with poor credit scores. These states are California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Hawaii. Note, however, that The General is not available to Michigan and Hawaii residents as it does not offer auto coverage in those locations.
The Zebra said that, in general, a very poor credit score could result in a premium that is 115% higher or $1,546 more than that of an individual with exceptional credit.
J.D. Power & Associates has yet not rated The General for their claims or customer satisfaction. However, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), The General’s biggest subsidiary received a 4.02 complaint rate, well ahead of the average rate of 1.00. Consequently, the insurer gets four times as many complaints as its competitors on average.
The General, based in Nashville, Tennessee, got its start in 1963. That’s when the company began selling insurance as Permanent General Agency. It operated as The General Automobile Insurance Services Inc. as a licensed insurance agency and subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corp. In 2012, American Family Insurance acquired Permanent General Companies and other subsidiaries of the PGC Holdings Corp.
The General’s insurance is available in 44 states, and policies are open to residents in all but California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Hawaii.
The General auto insurance policyholders should feel confident that they will pay claims because they have financial strength. The A.M. Best Rating Services gave The General an A rating, meaning the insurer can meet its obligations.
In conclusion, The General is a company that is financially stable but poorly reviewed by customers for its claims processing. So, if you are a young or high-risk driver, it’s a good idea to get a quote from The General, as the company will likely offer you relatively low rates. However, if you are not a high-risk driver, you probably won’t find this car insurance highly competitive.
