The General Auto Insurance Review for 2024

For many drivers, The General probably seems like a fairly young auto insurance company. But the truth is that they’ve been offering non-standard insurance to drivers like you since the 1960’s. Specifically, they aim their marketing at younger drivers, who are usually charged much higher rates even for basic insurance, and drivers who have imperfect accident records. Recently, the famous (but now retired) pro-basketball player, Shaq, has teamed up with The General for their advertising campaigns.

PGAC (Permanent General Assurance Corporation) is the large parent company which manages The General and its affiliates. In some areas, the company may also be known as PGC (Permanent General Corporation), or simply Permanent General.

The General Insurance Review

The General’s ratings are a little bit mixed. Their financial strength looks pretty solid – AM Best has given them a high rating of A-, meaning that they should have the finances available to pay out on claims filed. Whether they are willing to do so, however, is a different story entirely. Many customer complaints on independent ratings websites like Consumer Affairs express disapproval with how difficult The General’s claims settlement process can be. Despite all of this, though, they still have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Ratings Agency	Rating
A.M. Best (2016)	A–
BBB (2016)	A+
Consumer Affairs (2016)	1 out of 5 stars
Credit Karma (2016)	1 out of 5 stars

The General Insurance Discounts

Because The General is a non-standard insurance provider, you might find a lack of offerings when it comes to discounts. On the company’s website, they are reluctant to divulge detailed information about specific discounts; on the other hand, this may have something to do with how laws and regulations on insurance policies vary by state:

Discount	Maximum % Savings
Homeowners	5%
Multi-Car	18%
Paid-in-Full	5%
Quarterly Payment	3%
Accident Prevention Course	10%
Daytime Running Lamp	3%
VIN Etching	5%
Anti-Lock Brake	5%
Passive Restraint Discount	5%
Anti-Theft	5%

The General Auto Insurance Options

In keeping with the fact that The General offers affordable policies to non-standard drivers, most of the policies they issue will be closer to the minimalist side of the spectrum than the full-coverage side. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get comprehensive protection from The General if you ask for it. You may even be able to find a policy for a leased vehicle (which generally require higher and more comprehensive coverage options). At the very least, you can look forward to:

• “Liability Only” (state minimum mandatory) Coverage
• SR-22 Insurance
• Collision
• Comprehensive

Comparing The General Insurance Quotes

When comparing insurance quotes, analyzing data from different demographics within the same company can help you figure out what to expect from them, cost-wise:

Married Homeowner
Senior Driver
Young Male Driver < 25
Young Female Driver < 25
Imperfect Driving Record


25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225



$91

$75

$171

$135

$229

It still appears as though The General, like a mainstream insurance provider, likes to give their lowest rates to drivers who have the lowest risk profile (such as experienced drivers and/or homeowners). However, looking at the total numbers shows that for young female drivers, the price hike might not be quite so high. Surprisingly, despite The General’s advertising claims, drivers with accidents on their record are still charged some of the highest rates.

Pros and Cons of The General Insurance

Pros	Cons
Non-standard insurance provider with decades of experience in the market	Might not be the cheapest non-standard insurance provider in your area
Strong financial stability rating and A+ from the BBB	Several negative customer service reviews from independent ratings websites like Consumer Affairs and Credit Karma
Comparably affordable rates for young drivers (whom are often charged more)

If you have to shop around for non-standard insurance due to circumstances in your life, shopping for an affordable auto policy is even more difficult than it would be for the average driver. While The General is an experienced and financially strong provider of non-standard insurance, certain drivers in specific areas might not be in for the low rate The General’s commercials promise. And even if they are lucky enough to get a low premium, when it comes time to file a claim, you might need to work a little harder than most to make sure The General comes through for you.

Regardless, the non-standard market is limited when it comes to having a variety of providers to choose from. If The General operates in your area, and you are in specific need of a non-standard policy, it might be beneficial to include them on your short list of companies for comparison shopping. You can learn more about getting fast, free insurance quotes online by putting your zip code into our quote generator.

Corporate Headquarters
P.O. Box 305054
Nashville, TN 37230-5054
www.thegeneral.com
Phone: 615-242-1961
Fax: 615-366-1718