The General Car Insurance Review
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The General is an insurance agency that provides auto coverage to high-risk drivers -- individuals who have moving violations, accidents, and even DUIs on their driving records. The company's insurance policies are underwritten by sister companies Permanent General Assurance Corporation, Permanent General Assurance Corporation of Ohio, and The General Automobile Insurance Company, Inc. All of these entities are part of PGC Holdings Corp. (PGC), an affiliate of American Family Insurance.
The General offers auto insurance in Washington, D.C., and all states except Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey.
Related Resource: The General Insurer Profile for Auto.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 1
The General provides auto insurance to high-risk drivers who may have difficulty finding coverage elsewhere due to a poor driving record, bad credit, or an SR-22 filing requirement.
- 2
The General is a good option for drivers who can't get coverage elsewhere but may not be the best choice for those seeking full coverage or premium features. The company also does not offer other lines of coverage such as homeowners or renters insurance.
- 3
The General provides standard coverage options and payment plans on its six- and 12-month policy terms.
History
The General has been selling auto insurance since 1963. Back then, the company operated under the name Permanent General Agency. The name was later changed to Permanent General Assurance Corporation (PGAC). But it wasn't until 1997 that PGAC and its successors began offering insurance as The General. Even after The General brand was launched, Permanent General continued to be a customer-facing name until 2013. At that point, PGC and its affiliated companies were unified under The General as the sole brand name.
American Family Insurance purchased PGC, The General's parent company, in 2013. The General is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
The General Complaint History: Below Average
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners tracks complaints against insurance carriers, by type of coverage. The table below shows the complaint ratings for The General and its affiliated companies from 2018 through 2021. The ratings represent the number of complaints relative to the company's share of premiums. A rating greater than 1 means the company had a higher than expected volume of complaints. A rating lower than 1 means the company had a lower than expected volume of complaints (e.g. 0.5 = half as many complaints as average, while 2.0 = twice as many).
Company | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
The General Automobile Insurance Company | 2.43 | 2.77 | 0.61 | 2.30 |
Permanent General Assurance Corp | 2.4 | 2.36 | 3.74 | 2.63 |
Permanent General Assurance Corp of Ohio | 3.2 | 1.69 | 2.55 | 2.62 |
Table data source: NAIC
You can see that The General and the Permanent General companies have fairly poor complaint records. The only exception is a low volume of complaints in 2019 for The General Automobile Insurance Company, which is the smallest of the three carriers. According to public reviews of the general, issues that customers report include slow claims process, inability to get return phone calls from adjusters, unexpected increases in premiums, issues with autopayments, and high cancellation fees.
Is The General Right For You?
The General's sweet spot is minimum coverage for higher-risk drivers. Customers reviews indicate that The General's rates are affordable with basic coverage levels, but far less competitive when you need broader coverage.1 The company's complaint record is also a factor -- poor service is problematic and extremely frustrating after you've been in an accident. For those reasons, we only recommend The General as an option for drivers who aren't able to get coverage elsewhere.
The General is right if… | The General may not fit if… |
You are a high-risk driver and have been turned down by other carriers.
| You have a good driving record. |
You plan on staying with The General for at least one full policy term (to avoid cancellation fees). | You want full coverage. You should shop other carriers for lower rates.
|
You only want minimum coverage. | You live in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey. The General does not offer auto insurance in these states.
|
What We Think About The General
The General is a well-known brand, thanks to its quirky commercials and endorsement from professional basketball legend Shaquille O'Neill. When you have bad credit, a poor driving record, or need an SR-22 filing, The General may be the right insurance provider for you -- the company has a reputation for offering minimum coverages to risky drivers at low rates. The General can also get your insurance policy initiated quickly, and that holds true even if you need an SR-22. The trade-off is you may have to deal with poor customer service, high cancellation fees, and slow claims.
Coverage options from The General are standard. The General provides liability, medical payments coverage, underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, comprehensive, and collision. In some states, you can also get personal injury protection, custom equipment coverage, towing coverage, rental reimbursement, and income loss coverage. You won't have access to premium options like accident forgiveness or disappearing deductibles, but that's to be expected. Insurance companies that cover high-risk drivers don't typically offer those features. You should know that your auto coverage from The General does not transfer over to cars you rent.2 That means you'll want to accept the insurance provided by the rental car company to avoid driving without insurance.
In addition to competitive rates on minimum coverages, The General offers low down payments and payment plans on its six- and 12-month policy terms. You can also set up automatic debits from your checking account to ensure your coverage stays in force.
The General does not provide other lines of coverage, such as homeowners insurance or renters insurance. That is a drawback if you prefer to bundle your insurance policies with a single carrier.
You can purchase insurance from The General online or through your independent insurance agent. An online quote takes just a few minutes and, if you're prepared to buy the insurance immediately, you can get covered on the same day.
Summary of The General auto coverage:
The General offers basic auto coverages to high-risk drivers in most states but has a reputation for poor customer service. For many drivers, The General is a last-resort insurer -- meaning it's an option to consider when other carriers have denied you coverage.
How The General Car Insurance Works
See the table below for the types of auto coverage available through The General.
Auto Coverage Type | How it Works |
Property Liability and Bodily Injury Liability
| Liability coverage pays for damages you cause, including repairs to another driver's car or property or another person's medical bills. Your policy will specify limits for bodily injury coverage per person, bodily injury coverage per accident (for all people involved), and property damage coverage per accident.
|
Collision | Collision insurance pays for damages to your vehicle that result from a collision with an object or another vehicle, up to stated policy limits. You are responsible for a deductible.
|
Comprehensive | Comprehensive insurance is bundled with collision insurance in all states except California. It pays to repair your vehicle when damages result from something other than a collision -- such as vandalism, weather damage, and theft. You are responsible for a deductible before any claim is paid.
|
Medical Payments | Medical payments coverage supplements your primary health insurance in the event you or your passengers are injured in an accident that you caused.
|
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
| Available in certain states. Also known as no-fault insurance. PIP coverages vary by state, but can include reimbursement for medical costs, lost wages, or funeral expenses that result from an accident -- for the policyholder, passengers, and any pedestrians hit by the insured vehicle. It does not matter who caused the accident. Your PIP insurance will pay out up to a stated cap and you are responsible for a deductible.
|
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage helps pay for damages caused by another driver whose insurance is insufficient. You may also use your uninsured coverage to pay for damages when the at-fault driver is unknown, such as in a hit and run.
|
Income Loss | Available in certain states only. If you or another listed driver on your policy is injured in an accident, your income loss coverage pays you a daily or weekly amount as defined in the policy.
|
Rental Reimbursement/Transportation Expense | Rental Reimbursement coverage repays you, up to a daily limit, for the cost of renting a car after your vehicle is damaged in a covered loss.
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Towing and Labor | The General's towing coverage is only available in certain states. It provides towing services if your car is disabled, up to a stated cap per occurrence.
|
Custom Equipment | Custom equipment coverage is optional and protects any custom wheels, tires, electronics, off-road equipment, etc. Without custom equipment coverage, your standard auto policy only covers original equipment from the manufacturer.
|
Table data source: The General3
More About The General
The General does offer online policy management on its website and through its iOS and Android applications. That's a plus if you prefer to access policy information and even make policy changes independently, without having to call a customer service representative or agent.
Online tools
Your digital experience with The General begins with a fast, online quoting system. The form is intuitive, but if you get stuck along the way, you can email the company or chat online with a service representative. You can also save your quote and come back to it later.
Once you become a customer, you have access to your policy details and ID cards at TheGeneral.com/MyPolicy. After logging in, you can add vehicles, change coverages, change covered drivers, and make payments. You can also submit claims online.
The General app
The General app is available for iOS and Android. Both the iOS and Android apps are rated as 4.7 stars out of 5. Users report the apps are easy to use. Multiple sign-on options give you quick access to your policy details using your Touch ID, email address, policy number, Facebook login, or Google login. The payment features are fairly advanced and include split payments, scheduled payments, and even cash payments. You can also view your ID cards, start a new claim, check the status of an existing claim, and connect to a customer service representative directly from the app.
The General Discounts
The table below shows the discounts offered by The General on its auto coverage. Note that some discounts may only be available in certain states.
Discount | How You Get It |
Defensive Driving | Take a defensive driving class to earn up to 10% off your premium.
|
Driver's Education | This discount is specifically for drivers under the age of 21 who voluntarily complete a driver's education course.
|
Good Student Discount | Full-time students with a B (3.0) average qualify.
|
Safe Driver Discount
| Maintain an accident- and ticket-free record for three years to earn the discount. |
Military Discount | In Louisiana, members of the armed services qualify for the military discount.
|
Homeowners Discount | If you own your home, you qualify for a lower auto insurance rate.
|
Married Discount | Married drivers may qualify for a lower rate than single drivers.
|
Proof of Prior Insurance Discount | You qualify by documenting current coverage from another carrier that was in force for at least six months.
|
Senior Driver Discount | Senior drivers aged 55 and older qualify.
|
Safe Vehicle Discount | Vehicles equipped with specific safety equipment, such as anti-lock brakes, qualify.
|
Full Payment | The General offers payment options, but you'll get a discount if you pay for the entire policy term upfront.
|
Loyalty Discount | This discount rewards you for staying with The General for multiple policy renewals.
|
Table data source: The General4, AutoInsurance.Org5
The General Insurance FAQs
How do I file for an SR-22?
The General can file an SR-22 on your behalf, even if you are a new customer. Simply specify that you need this filling during the quoting process. You'll see a filing fee (normally $25) included in your premium quote. Once you pay for your insurance, The General will provide you with the SR-22 insurance form.
How do I know if I'm a high-risk driver?
If you've had auto insurance revoked, your license suspended, or are required to file an SR-22, you are considered a high-risk driver. Other risk flags include a history of accidents or moving violations, poor credit, and age -- drivers under 20 and over 70 are usually considered high-risk.
Can I change my policy online?
Yes, you can make changes to your auto policy after logging in to MyPolicy at TheGeneral.com.
Whom do I call after an accident?
You can submit an accident report and claim via The General apps or by calling 800-280-1466.
The General Resources
The General has a blog, a Vimeo channel, and YouTube channel with resources that help you improve your driving and make the most of your auto coverage.
How-to videos
See The General's Vimeo channel for how-to videos on reporting claims, getting quotes online, and managing your policy online.
Auto insurance requirements by state
See this page for a detailed review of auto insurance requirements and statistics by state.
Video: What to do after an accident
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc0Jnxm5dSo
Blog post: How to keep rates low with a bad driving record
This blog post shares strategies for reducing your insurance premiums even if you have a poor driving history or other risk flags.
- The General Car Insurance - policy cancellation fees. (2018, December 17). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.complaintsboard.com/the-general-car-insurance-policy-cancellation-fees-c599388
- Car insurance basic information: The General. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.thegeneral.com/car-insurance/basics/
- The General common definitions. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.thegeneral.com/TGRV2/helpfields.html
- New business quoting. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://cdn.thegeneral.com/tgm/content/file/TGQ_Training_Guide-New_Business_Quoting.pdf
- Sims, M. B. (n.d.). What discounts does The General offer? Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.autoinsurance.org/what-discounts-does-the-general-provide/
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