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7+ years writing insurance and personal finance content
Contributor to top media, including USA Today
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
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Media relations director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
Impartial, independent expert
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7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Updated
The General is a Nashville-based insurance company. Although it’s captured less than 1% of the car insurance market, it works with high-risk drivers, making it an ideal option for some policyholders.
With solid financial strength and strong claims tools, high-risk drivers might be willing to pay slightly above-average premiums with The General.
Here’s how The General car insurance stacks up when it comes to cost, claims, and customer satisfaction.
Average monthly premium: $212 per month for a full-coverage policy
The General user rating: 3.4/5 from 1,361+ verified Insurify reviews
Insurify Quality (IQ) Score: 7.1/10
Best for: High-risk drivers
Here's our honest review about The General for auto insurance in a few paragraphs:
The General has earned an impressive 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot, signalling that many drivers have a positive experience with the company.[1] When combined with a top-tier financial strength rating from AM Best, this insurer could be the right fit for some drivers.
The General offers a reasonable insurance option to high-risk drivers. But for people with clean driving records and low-risk profiles, the company’s higher premiums might not be worth it. Notably, The General is available in 47 states. But drivers in Alaska, Hawaii, and Michigan won’t find coverage through this company.
If you need to file a claim with this insurer, the highly rated mobile app makes the process straightforward.
| User Reviews | 3.4 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 7.1 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $85/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $212/mo |
The General's score | Industry average | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage options | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| Customer service | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| Discounts | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Policy transparency | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Value | 3.0 | 2.9 |
Customers appreciate the ease of payment and availability of ID cards but are dissatisfied with the high premiums and poor customer service. They also report issues with claims handling and unexpected rate increases.
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Mallory Mooney
Licensed P&C Insurance Agent and Director of Sales and Client Services, Insurify
The General has great rates, low down payments, and flexible payments. It’s geared toward customers who have less-than-stellar driving records or no current insurance. Customers with The General seem to like the [company].
Real reviews from The General customers can help you gauge your potential experience with the company. The table below highlights the 1,361+ reviews we’ve collected for The General.
Category  | Average Score |
|---|---|
| Overall experience rating | 3.4/5 |
| Customer service | 3.1/5 |
| Value | 3.0/5 |
| Claims handling | 3.1/5 |
| Coverage options | 3.0/5 |
| Discounts | 3.0/5 |
| Policy transparency | 3.2/5 |
| Policy flexibility | 3.3/5 |
Compare rates from the nation’s leading insurance companies
You’ll find reviews from verified drivers who are switching to a new insurance company below. Reviews from real people can help you find the right insurance company for your situation.
Understanding how The General’s industry ratings can give you a better idea of how the company stacks up against other insurers. For example, spotting a higher-than-expected National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index score could be a red flag for your general experience.
The table below highlights The General’s industry ratings.
Rating | Score | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| IQ Score | 7.1/10 | On par with similar competitors |
| AM Best | A+ (Superior) | Strong financial stability |
| J.D. Power | 628 out of 1000 | Below-average customer satisfaction |
| NAIC Complaint Index | 9.22 | Much higher than expected |
| BBB customer reviews | 2.42 out of 5 stars | Below-average customer ratings |
Drivers with The General pay an average of $212 per month for a full-coverage policy and $85 per month for a liability-only policy, Insurify data shows.
While it’s possible to find more affordable rates through other insurance companies, these aren’t the most expensive rates on the market.
Although its rates are middle of the road, The General tends to work with high-risk drivers who might struggle to find affordable coverage elsewhere.
Drivers with a clean record pay lower rates than drivers with an incident in their past.[2] The table below highlights average rates across driving records and several of The General’s competitors.
Driving Record | The General | Nationwide | Mercury | Erie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $212 | $188 | $165 | $126 |
| One speeding ticket | $302 | $252 | $250 | $175 |
| At-fault accident | $304 | $259 | $277 | $171 |
| DUI | $285 | $271 | $266 | $182 |
When comparing rates, insurers often charge young drivers higher rates than older drivers. But some insurance companies consistently offer more affordable rates to younger drivers. You can compare rates across insurers in the table below.
Age | The General | Nationwide | Mercury | Erie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teen drivers | $377 | $393 | $304 | $236 |
| Adult drivers | $194 | $165 | $158 | $112 |
| Senior drivers | $179 | $125 | $120 | $84 |
The General offers several car insurance discounts that can help you save money on your auto insurance.[3] But it offers fewer discounts than many of its competitors.
Here are the discounts that The General advertises on its website, though availability may vary by state:
Defensive driver
Good student
Multi-vehicle
Recent auto insurance
Safety features
The General offers several types of auto insurance. You can purchase liability insurance that meets your state’s minimum coverage requirements or purchase a full-coverage policy that includes collision and comprehensive insurance.
The General offers fewer coverage options than its competitors. Here are a few of the add-ons available:
If you have a car accident or collide with another object, collision insurance can cover the damage done to your car.
Comprehensive insurance can pay to repair or replace your vehicle after damage from non-collision incidents, like severe weather, theft, and vandalism.
If you total your leased or financed car, gap insurance will pay the difference between the car’s actual cash value and the amount you still owe the lender.
If you need to file an SR-22 form to reinstate your driver’s license, The General can file it on your behalf.
The General offers roadside assistance through Nation Safe Drivers. It covers services like towing, tire services, battery services, jump-starting, and rental car reimbursement.
The General offers a good selection of insurance products, which makes bundling a great option. The company sells some insurance policies through partner companies.
In addition to auto insurance, The General sells the following types of coverage:
Homeowners insurance: Home insurance covers the physical structure of your home and your personal belongings. It also covers third-party liability claims, guest medical expenses, and loss of use.
Life insurance: Life insurance provides financial support for your loved ones if you pass away. Some life insurance policies also include a cash value or investment component.
Boat insurance: The General sells boat insurance through Progressive. It covers third-party property damage, theft, and accidents involving boats and other personal watercraft.
Motorcycle insurance: Motorcycle insurance provides similar coverage to personal car insurance, like collision coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, and liability coverage, but it’s specifically for motorcycles.
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If you need to file a claim with The General, follow these steps:
Gather key information. Take pictures of any damage to your vehicle or other vehicles involved. Additionally, gather your policy details, any police reports, and information about the other driver.
Call The General or start a claim within The General app. You can call The General to start a claim anytime at 1 (800) 280-1466. If using the mobile app, you can opt to start a new claim.
Share details. The General will ask for details about the incident, like what type of damage occurred.
Track your claim. You can track your claim’s progress within The General app.
If you’re thinking about purchasing car insurance from The General, the following information can help you decide if it’s a good choice for your coverage needs.
Yes. The General is a legitimate car insurance company. It’s a subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corp., which is an affiliate of Sentry Insurance. The General hasn’t had fraudulent business practices, and its customer reviews are mostly positive.
The average cost of car insurance from The General is $212 per month for full-coverage insurance and $85 for liability coverage, according to Insurify data.
Compared to many other car insurance companies, The General doesn’t have cheap rates. But The General specializes in insuring high-risk drivers, who typically pay higher rates than low-risk drivers. The General might have competitive rates or even cheaper rates than other insurers for drivers who need non-standard auto insurance.
Yes. The General is good at paying claims. The General has an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent), which means it has an excellent ability to meet its financial obligations and settle auto insurance claim payments.
To cancel a high-risk car insurance policy with The General, call customer service at 1 (844) 328-0306. In some states, you may have to pay a penalty fee equal to 10% of the unused premiums if you request to cancel before the policy period is over.
The General is owned by PGC Holdings Corp., which is an affiliate of Sentry Insurance.
The General is generally a good insurance company for high-risk drivers seeking reliable coverage.
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 190 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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7+ years writing insurance and personal finance content
Contributor to top media, including USA Today
Featured in
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Featured in
Media relations director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
Impartial, independent expert
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
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|---|---|---|---|
Average price Prices based on average across state-minimum and full coverage car insurance $149/mo* | Average price $141/mo* | Average price $128/mo* | Average price $98/mo* |
Overall rating | Overall rating | Overall rating | Overall rating |
Value for money | Value for money | Value for money | Value for money |
Customer service | Customer service | Customer service | Customer service |
Claims handling | Claims handling | Claims handling | Claims handling |
Special highlight High-risk driversAI-generated from 1361 user reviews | Special highlight Usage-based savingsAI-generated from 986 user reviews | Special highlight Competitive ratesAI-generated from 661 user reviews | Special highlight High customer satisfactionAI-generated from 523 user reviews |