2023 The General Insurance Review

Yes, The General's insurance rates are competitive for high-risk drivers, including those with a history of moving violations and/or at-fault accidents. The General car insurance costs an average of $1,186 per year, or $99 per month.

The General's car insurance rates are based on your driving record and experience, along with factors like the type of car you drive, your ZIP code, your insurance history, and more. Your coverage and deductible choices also impact your final quote, as do your eligibility for discounts.

Sample The General Car Insurance Rates

Note: These rates are approximations based on sample quotes from The General. Actual rates will vary.

To learn more about how we obtained these sample quotes, check out the methodology section of our complete The General car insurance review. 

The General is rated 1.9 out of 5 by WalletHub's editors, based on factors such as customer reviews and watchdog-group ratings. For example, The General has a rating of 5.96 from he National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), meaning it has more customer complaints than the average insurer its size.

The General Insurance Ratings

• WalletHub Editors: 1.9
• A.M. Best: A
• NAIC: 5.96
• BBB: A+
• Average User Rating on WalletHub: 4.2/5

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete The General car insurance review.

The General is cheap because the company sells directly to consumers and keeps overhead costs low. Not having agents means there are no commissions to pay, and the company lowers operating costs by offering basic coverage options and limited customer support online. The General ranked 4th overall in WalletHub's cheap car insurance review, partly because it offers discounts for good students and military service members. Plus, The General rewards customer loyalty with discounts for insuring more than one car or bundling multiple policies, such as home and auto.

The General is especially cheap for high-risk drivers in particular. That's because The General has special savings opportunities for drivers in this category, such as discounts for taking a driver training course or being continuously insured. But even though The General is among the cheapest car insurance companies, the only way to confirm you've found the lowest price is to compare quotes from multiple companies. Your final premium is based on a variety of factors, like your driving record, insurance history, the type of car you drive, and more, and all insurance companies can't offer the same rate.

To get a personalized quote from The General, you can speak to a representative by calling 1 (866) 519-7422.

To file a complaint about The General, go online and submit your issue to the Better Business Bureau as well as your state's insurance regulator, then write a review of The General on WalletHub. This will either allow The General to fix their mistake or it will warn other consumers of potential problems with The General's service.

How to File a Complaint About The General

1. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Use the Bureau's online claim submission process to file your claim. The Better Business Bureau forwards complaints within two days, and customers will be notified of any response from The General or if they fail to respond.
2. Submit a formal complain to your state's insurance regulator. Click here to find the database of the state insurance departments. Select your state and complete the online consumer complaint form.
3. Write a review on WalletHub. The General customers can voice their opinion by going to The General's profile on WalletHub and clicking “Write a Review.” At the very least, this will help other consumers thinking about doing business with the company.
4. Complain on social media. Use whatever social media platforms you have to your advantage. This can help build awareness for your issue, including from The General. If you have the ability to contact the company directly via social media, that's a good idea too.

What You Need to File a Complaint About The General With Regulators

• Your name, address, and phone number
• The name of any specific agent/broker
• Your policy number
• Any relevant claim number
• The details of your complaint/concern

So, if you're disappointed with any element of The General's service, you can rest easy knowing that you have several options for filing a complaint.

The General's main NAIC number is 13703. The General's NAIC number is the five-digit code given by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which assigns numbers to authorized insurance providers in order to track customer complaints and ethics violations across state lines.

With The General's NAIC number, anyone can learn more about the company's financial data, the kinds of complaints that have been filed by customers, and any enforcement actions taken against the company. Customers will need The General's NAIC number to report fraud or file an insurance claim, as well.

Although The General's main NAIC number is 13703, the NAIC has assigned a separate code for each of The General's affiliate companies, which are listed below. You can find the number that applies to your particular policy on your insurance card from The General.

The General NAIC Numbers

The General's NAIC number is not the same thing as the three-digit code assigned by each state's department of motor vehicles. These numbers, issued by state insurance commissioners, are given to the companies that have been authorized to sell insurance policies in a particular state. However, they are not standardized across state lines, like NAIC numbers are.

Yes, The General has a grace period of 10-20 days for payments, with specific timeframes varying by state law. During the grace period, policyholders can pay their past-due premium in order to avoid a lapse in coverage. If the grace period ends without the necessary payment being made, The General will cancel the policy. Even if the policyholder pays the balance within the grace period, The General will still charge them a fee up to $10.

If you miss a car insurance payment, The General will usually send you a notice of cancellation that includes the final date that they will accept payment before your coverage lapses. Since almost every state requires you to have car insurance, a lapse in coverage could lead to serious consequences, including fines and even a license suspension if you're caught driving. Additionally, going without insurance designates you as a high-risk driver and can make car insurance more expensive in the future, so it's important that you pay your car insurance premium prior to the final cancellation date.

The General insurance rates go up by an average of 32% after an accident. Even though an accident will cause The General to raise your car insurance premium when you renew your policy, the added cost will only be temporary. An accident will usually affect your The General premium for just 3-5 years.

The exact amount that The General premiums go up after an accident depends on a few factors, including who was at fault, how much damage was caused, the policyholder's driving and claims history. In general, at-fault accidents or severe accidents that lead to expensive insurance claims increase rates more than minor or not-at-fault wrecks. Additionally, premiums increase more for drivers who have had previous accidents or moving violations.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete review of The General car insurance, as well as our guide to how much insurance goes up after an accident.

The General Insurance is a subsidiary of PGC Holdings Corp., which is owned by American Family. PGC Holdings Corp., which stands for Permanent General Companies, was purchased by American Family in 2012 for $239 million. However, The General is still maintained as a separate brand. The General specializes in insuring drivers who are considered high risk.

American Family Insurance was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. It operates as a private mutual holding company owned by its policyholders.

To cancel an insurance policy with The General, send a letter requesting cancellation to: The General, 2636 Elm Hill Pike, Suite 100, Nashville, TN 37214. It's also acceptable to submit a written request to a local agent. The General's auto policies cannot be cancelled by phone or online, only in writing. In most states, The General will charge a cancellation fee of 10% of the premiums that remain unpaid for the policy period. If premiums have been paid in advance, a refund will be issued.

Your written notice of cancellation to The General should include your:

• Name, address and phone number
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Driver's license number
• Policy number
• Preferred date for policy cancellation
• Signature

It's good to regularly shop around for lower cost auto insurance coverage. Rates change over time, and the company that was the cheapest for you yesterday may not be the cheapest today. With The General's cancellation fee, however, you need to make sure you don't lose more in fees by switching policies than you'll gain through lower premiums. Timing your policy cancellation is important, and it may be worth waiting until the end of your policy period to do so.

Be sure to have your new policy in place when you cancel your old one. It's against the law to drive without car insurance for any period of time.

The General is so expensive because it specializes in covering high-risk drivers, who are more likely to file a claim than the average person. At $1,186 per year, the average policy from The General is much more expensive than the national average of $671 per yearfor a policy with minimum coverage.

Because The General is a nonstandard insurance company, it has to offset the cost of potential claims with higher premiums. Insurance from The General is the most expensive for drivers with certain characteristics, though, like drivers who have recently caused an accident or been convicted of a moving violation. For example, The General raises rates by an average of 32% for drivers who get into an at-fault accident. On the other hand, drivers with a DUI pay an average of 15% more for coverage than drivers with a clean record.

Factors That Can Make The General Insurance More Expensive

• Being a young or inexperienced driver
• Purchasing a full coverage policy versus minimum coverage
• Causing an accident or being convicted of a moving violation
• Living in a high-risk ZIP code
• Driving an expensive vehicle
• Having a poor credit-based insurance score

If you're struggling to afford your policy with The General, there are ways for you to lower your rate. For example, you can take advantage of The General's discounts or reduce your coverage. In some cases, it might be better to switch insurers altogether. It's usually a good idea to compare quotes from at least three different insurers to see if you can find a better deal elsewhere. Each insurer uses their own algorithm to calculate premiums, so even if The General is charging you a high premium, you may be able to find a cheaper policy with another insurer.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's review of The General insurance.