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The General insurance review 2024

Updated Mar 14, 2024
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At a glance

3.4
Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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Auto

Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5

3.4

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Cost & ratings

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

3.0

Coverage

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

3.5

Support

Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5

4.1

About Bankrate Score

Bankrate's take

The General may be a good fit for high-risk drivers who have trouble finding coverage elsewhere. However, The General has a high number of complaints from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), indicating that customers may have issues with the company’s customer service, billing or claim handling.

Who The General may be good for: Drivers in the high-risk category due to their driving record, credit history, age or other rating factors may choose The General for coverage.

 

Who The General may not be good for: Drivers who qualify for standard coverage or want to bundle their auto coverage with other policies may not be satisfied with The General.

Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers
 

The General car insurance

The General offers standard coverage types, several discounts and an online chat option for more convenient customer service, but the carrier falls short when it comes to endorsements. Additionally, The General is not included in J.D. Power customer satisfaction studies and the carrier has a high National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index, indicating that some customers are not satisfied with the service.

The General may be a good provider for some high-risk drivers as it advertises competitive coverage options for drivers with bad credit, a lapse in coverage or a poor driving record. 

The General offers the most common car insurance coverage types as well as SR-22 insurance. The carrier also offers roadside assistance in select states through Nation Safe Driver. However, The General offers few endorsements, which means it may not be the best option for drivers who want to customize their policy for more protection.

Pros and cons of The General car insurance

Comparing pros and cons for various auto insurance companies you're considering may help you narrow down your choices. Here are some of the key perks and drawbacks we identified with The General auto insurance:

Pros
  • Insurance options for high-risk drivers

  • Good selection of discounts

  • Available in all states and Washington, D.C.

Cons
  • Few endorsements available

  • Not rated in J.D. Power customer satisfaction or claims satisfaction studies

  • Many customer complaints per the NAIC

The General car insurance cost

Based on data provided by Quadrant Information Services, the average full coverage car insurance premium from The General is $1,864 per year. For a minimum coverage policy, the average premium is $1,067 per year. The General’s average full coverage rate is lower than the U.S. national average, which is $2,014 per year, but its minimum coverage rate is higher than the national average of $622 per year.

The General car insurance rates by driving history

The cost of car insurance varies from person to person based on individual rating factors, including your driving record. Insurance companies typically charge higher premiums for drivers with speeding ticket convictions and at-fault accidents on their record. Note that not all insurance companies will underwrite policies for drivers with a DUI. To get a quote for car insurance with a DUI, you could contact a local agent.

The General full coverage premium National full coverage premium
Clean driving history $1,864 $2,014
Speeding ticket conviction $2,380 $2,427
At-fault accident $2,769 $2,854
DUI conviction $2,566 $3,091

*All rates displayed are average annual rates.

The General car insurance quotes by age

Another factor that impacts your car insurance rate in most states is your age. Young and newly-licensed drivers typically pay higher rates as they have less experience behind the wheel. In the table below, you can see the average cost of car insurance for a teen on their parents' policy, as well as average rates by age for drivers with their own policy.

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their parents’ policy
The General full coverage premium National full coverage premium
Age 16 $4,407 $4,392
Age 17 $4,236 $4,102
Age 18 $4,077 $3,837
Age 19 $3,928 $3,345
Age 20 $3,771 $3,149

*All rates displayed are average annual rates.

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their own policy 
The General full coverage premium National full coverage premium
Age 18 $4,144 $6,110
Age 25 $2,667 $2,473
Age 30 $2,225 $2,125
Age 40 $1,864 $2,014
Age 60 $1,768 $1,824

*All rates displayed are average annual rates.

The General car insurance discounts

The General offers a handful of discounts that may help you save money on car insurance. Here are some of the discounts available, keeping in mind that some discounts are not offered in all states.

In eligible states, drivers may earn a discount for completing an approved defensive driving course.
The General may extend a discount to students who maintain a high GPA.
If you insure more than one vehicle on a policy with The General, you might earn a discount.
If you own your home, you may earn a discount on your insurance policy.
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The General home insurance

The General does not underwrite its own home insurance policies. However, you may be able to purchase home insurance from several partner companies through The General Labs program. After submitting some information about yourself and your home, you’ll be matched with several home insurance providers in your area. You can also get personalized quotes to see how much you might pay for home insurance with a partner company.

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Insurance Disclosure

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

Quick Facts
Moneybag
$382/year
average savings through Bankrate
Two Thirds
2 out of 3 homes
are underinsured
Insurance Home
1 out of every 20
insured homes makes a claim each year
Circle Check
100% of homes
need insurance before getting a mortgage
Mortgage

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Compare The General with other insurers

While The General could be a good insurance provider for some people, it will not be the best car insurance company for everyone. If you're not sure The General is right for your insurance needs, you could consider quotes from these companies:

The General vs. Good2Go

Like The General, Good2Go specializes in auto insurance for high-risk drivers. Good2Go offers a wide selection of discounts and advertises low minimum coverage rates, but the carrier doesn't write policies in every state. Like The General, Good2Go refers customers interested in homeowners insurance to a third party partner.

Learn more: Good2Go Insurance review

The General vs. SafeAuto

SafeAuto may be another good option for high-risk drivers, but the carrier only offers coverage in 20 states. SafeAuto offers homeowners insurance underwritten by Hippo Insurance as well as motorcycle, renters, watercraft and business insurance through other underwriting partners. While SafeAuto does not offer the most robust coverage options, it does have many discounts that could help you save money on your auto insurance.

Learn more: SafeAuto Insurance review

The General vs. DirectAuto

If you're a high-risk driver looking for policy customization, DirectAuto may be a good option. The carrier offers several endorsements including collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, towing coverage, rental reimbursement and roadside assistance. Compared to The General, DirectAuto offers more discounts as well as an app-based safe driver rewards program, called DynamicDrive, which uses telematics to track your driving habits for potential savings. DirectAuto is only available in 14 states, and like The General, has a high NAIC Complaint Index.

Learn more: DirectAuto Insurance review

Is The General a good insurance company?

Based on our Bankrate insurance team's in-depth analysis, The General may be a good auto insurance provider for high-risk drivers looking for comprehensive digital tools and a variety of discounts. However, if you have a clean driving record, other car insurance companies may offer better customer service ratings and more options for policy customization.

The General customer satisfaction

When comparing insurance companies, looking at third-party ratings may help you learn more about a carrier's customer service, claims satisfaction and financial strength. Some of the most notable organizations that issue third-party ratings include AM Best for financial strength and J.D. Power for customer, claims and digital tools satisfaction. Due in part to The General’s small customer base, it does not receive as many ratings as some larger insurance companies with a bigger market share.

Study or Rating agency The General Industry average
2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service Not scored 702/1,000
2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping Not scored 521/1,000
AM Best rating A+ N/A

The General customer complaints

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks complaints against insurance companies and assigns each carrier complaint indexes by product type based on its size. The baseline for these indexes is 1.0. Companies that index higher than 1.0 receive more complaints than expected for their size, while companies with an index under 1.0 have fewer complaints than expected.

The General auto complaints 

The General has more complaints than expected lodged with the NAIC for its private passenger auto insurance product. Based on this and the lack of J.D. Power scores, you may want to speak with existing policyholders before purchasing a policy from The General.

Other The General tools and benefits

In addition to auto and home insurance, The General also offers some unique perks and other insurance products:

  • Mobile app: The General has a highly-rated mobile app which customers can use to start a new claim, download their ID cards, make payments, get a new insurance quote and more. The app receives 4.7 out of 5 stars from iOS users and 4.8 out of 5 stars from Google Play users.
  • The General Labs: The General Labs tests out new insurance products and services and relies on customer feedback to improve its offerings. For example, health, renters, mobile phone and pet insurance are currently being tested through The General Labs programs.
  • Motorcycle insurance: The General sells motorcycle insurance policies that are underwritten by Dairyland. There are a handful of coverages to choose from, as well as several discounts for potential savings.

Frequently asked questions about The General

Clock Wait
46
years of industry expertise
Search
122
carriers reviewed
Location
20.7K
ZIP codes examined
Dollar Coin
1.2M
quotes analyzed

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Auto insurance rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region.

Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
  • $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
  • $50,000 property damage liability per accident
  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
  • $500 collision deductible
  • $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2023 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

  • Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best and the NAIC, were analyzed.
  • Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
  • Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

Written by
Lara Vukelich
Insurance Contributor

Lara Vukelich is a freelance writer who has written for Bankrate, Huffington Post and Quiet Revolution to Expedia, Travelocity, and MyMove. She is based in San Diego, California.

Edited by Editor, Insurance