
Find Your Perfect Policy: 866-843-5386
A complete review of The General’s auto insurance policies, rates, discounts, and more
The General has provided auto insurance in almost every state in the U.S. for nearly 60 years. American Family Insurance, the ninth-largest insurance provider in the country, owns both The General and PGC Holdings Corp. (The General’s parent company). The General offers a variety of coverage options, has several discount opportunities, and boasts an excellent financial strength rating, which we’ll get into below.
If you’re a young, old, or high-risk driver, you will find some of the most competitive rates on the market with The General. The company offers SR-22s to high-risk drivers and flexible payment options for customers who want to customize their payment plans. Its national annual average cost is $2,418, which is above the national average of $1,070.47. However, The General’s average for minimum coverage is $1,394 annually, and high-risk insurance always costs more.
Excellent financial strength rating: AM Best gave The General an Excellent (A) rating, which reflects how well the company can meet its financial obligations.
Option for high-risk drivers: The General offers car insurance to individuals who have SR-22s, low credit scores, a history of accidents, and/or a lapse in auto insurance. For example, drivers ages 16 to 19 have some of the highest rates in the country ($3,751, on average, annually). With The General, drivers under age 20 pay $1,901 annually, on average.
Ample discounts: The General offers various savings opportunities, including good student, defensive driver course, multivehicle, and military discounts.
Seamless mobile app: The General relaunched its mobile app in 2018, providing drivers with several features for a seamless user experience. (We’ll get into these features below.)
Limited availability: The General offers insurance in almost every state, but people in the following states must look elsewhere for their car insurance:
Higher-than-average complaints: According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, The General has a complaint index of 3.28, which is about three times higher than the industry average.1
Whereas some insurance providers don’t accept drivers with SR-22s, The General will go out of its way to file your SR-22 form for you. Just let your agent know that you need an SR-22, and they will include the form with your policy documents after you apply and buy your insurance.
With The General, not all coverage options are available in every state. Rideshare coverage, for example, is not available in California. Be sure to speak with an agent to find out what kind of coverage options are available in your area.
The national annual average cost of The General is $2,418, but your rate will look very different based on your demographics and situation. Factors that affect car insurance rates include your credit score, home address, driving history, age, gender, the car you drive, and more. To give you a better idea of what your premiums might look like with The General, here are a few other averages:
Although The General doesn’t offer an explicit low-mileage discount, you can still save on car insurance premiums by driving less. If you drive fewer than 1,000 miles a month, talk to your agent to see if you’re eligible for lower premiums.
Have a question for The General? You can reach a representative by phone at 844-328-0306, send an email through the company’s contact page (https://www.thegeneral.com/about/contact/), chat live with a representative from The General’s website, or talk to your local agent.
With The General mobile app, you can:
The General mobile app has a 4.7 (out of 5) rating in the Apple App Store and a 4.8 rating in the Google Play store.
The General started its journey in 1963 under the name Permanent General Agency. It wasn’t until 1997 that the company started offering insurance under the name “The General,” and it wasn’t until 2000 that the familiar general mascot was born. In 2013, American Family Insurance bought both PGC (The General’s parent company) and The General, and it has continued running under American Family Insurance since then.
You must call a customer support representative or send a written request by mail to cancel your policy with The General. You can send a written letter request to the headquarters address:
Or, call The General at 1-844-328-0306.
Depending on which state you live in, The General may charge you for early cancellation.
Yes, The General auto insurance is affordable for older Americans. The national annual average for drivers ages 55 to 65 is around $1,300. With The General, drivers in the same age range will pay only $970 per year, on average.
The General covers more than 1 million drivers in the U.S.
Yes, The General is a good insurance provider. It has an A+ BBB rating and strong financial support from American Family Insurance, its parent company. It also provides some of the most affordable rates in the country to young, old, and high-risk drivers.
No. The National General, General Motors, and The General are three separate companies. American Family Insurance owns The General, Allstate owns National General, and General Motors is a publicly held company.
The Gen Automobile Ins Co Inc National Complaint Index Report. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2022).
https://content.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htmTABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=13703&REALM=PROD
The General Auto Insurance. Better Business Bureau. (2022).
https://www.bbb.org/us/tn/nashville/profile/insurance-companies/the-general-auto-insurance-1216-13176429
A.M. Best affirms American Family’s ‘A’ financial strength rating and stable outlook. American Family Insurance. (2022, Jun 23).
https://newsroom.amfam.com/am-best-affirms-american-familys-a-financial-strength-rating-2022/