The General

A longstanding insurance company that has been helping those with a harder time acquiring insurance for as long as they’ve existed.

Overview

The General insurance company was founded in 1963, and is currently based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Its original name was the Permanent General Agency, and was officially changed to The General in 1997. The name change came with their official mascot, which is represented by an animated military general. Having over 50 years of experience in the insurance realm has helped to maintain The General’s credibility as being worthwhile enough to last. One boon that The General is known for offering, is that you can get an auto-insurance quote in 2 minutes or less. You are allowed to save this quote and come back to it at any time. Their online platform, title MyPolicy, is available for you to manage your policy from home, which also gives users immediate online support, and offers a section for FAQ (frequently asked questions). The General also offers the use of a fully online mobile app which gives users access to their policy, insurance cards, support, and bill paying capabilities. You are able to maintain your insurance from on the go, anywhere you go. This is an insurance company that works very well with high-risk drivers.

Shaq aligned himself with The General at one point, and has done a number of promotional advertisements for the company. The conjecture over this is that his alignment with them had a lot to do with the fact that they help athletes, and youth, that might not have the best records, still obtain insurance coverage. Whether this is true or not, only Shaq truly knows, but it does make a semblance of sense as to why he would partner with this auto insurance company.

The General Pros And Cons

Pros

• Makes SR-22 filing easy for at risk drivers
• Deductible waivers for glass
• Affordable insurance for high-risk drivers

Cons

• No safe driver programs or discounts
• Prices are often higher than competitors

The General Coverage

Due to The General’s vast amount of experience as an automotive insurance company, they offer a decent range of optional coverage for their policy holders.

• Rental Reimbursement Coverage will pay for your rental car expenses if your car is damaged and needing repairs. This is covered under your collision and comprehensive damage coverage.
• Custom Equipment Coverage will cover additions and add-ons to your car that aren’t typically standard with your vehicle. For those more inclined to modify their car, this is a great addition to your insurance in case your mods are damaged in an accident.
• 24/7 Roadside Assistance covers emergency towing, fuel, delivery, locked-out service, and battery service as well. These services fall under comprehensive and collision coverage.

Standard Coverage

• Liability Coverage which pays for any damages that the driver does to someone else in an accident, up to their coverage amount.
• Collision Coverage covers any damage done to the driver’s automobile.
• Comprehensive coverage is for any physical damage that doesn’t derive from a collision, such as having your car stolen, or vandalism.
• PIP(Personal Injury Protection) covers the driver and passengers, or pedestrians, that are injured by a collision, even if it’s the driver’s fault.
• Uninsured And Underinsured coverage is for if an uninsured driver causes an accident, that way the driver and passengers in the insured car will be covered.
• Medical Payment will cover all of your medical expenses up to your coverage, for you or your passengers

Car Insurance Rates

The General auto insurance rates will depend on many different markers to determine your rates. These factors vary from driving record, location, age, vehicle, what your vehicle is used for, mileage, credit score, and other pieces of information that vary from state to state. How much coverage you want will also make the rates vary, and though it might seem like the best idea to pay the lease, remember that you might need more bills covered than you thought after an accident has occurred. It’s a common mistake that people make to think that the least amount of coverage is all they need, but unfortunately, that will not cover many of the expenses that could occur. Here are a couple of average quotes as an example of The General’s rates:

If it’s a 45-year-old female, with a good driving record, driving a basic SUV with All-Wheel Drive, then liability insurance $30,000/$60,000/$10,000, uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury $25,000/$50,000, PIP with $100 deductible, would all come to $1,542 a year. If it was a 24-year-old male that’s a high-risk driver, with a poor driving record, covering a basic SUV with All-Wheel Drive, would be able to have all of the same insurance for $4,910 a year.

As a note to remember, The General does not allow for options such as transgender, or non-binary, when picking your gender, which will play a part in how your premium may vary.

Car Insurance Discounts

The General offers a number of discounts, but some are only available in varying states.

• Payment Discounts includes a discount for paying your yearly premium in full.
• Double Deductible Discount which doubles the deductible of your comprehensive collision damage for the first 45 days.
• Military is only available in Louisiana
• Homeowner applies to anyone that owns their own home.
• Uninterrupted Liability Coverage for those that never let their coverage lapse.
• Good Student discount for students that maintain a “B” average or better.
• Anti-theft And Safety Device discount for additional safety measures added to a driver’s car.
• Multi-vehicle discount for having multiple vehicles on one policy.

The General Car Insurance Vs. Competitors

The General makes it much easier for those with poor driving records to get the coverage they need, but in the end, they’re insurance rates are much higher than most of the other mainstream insurance companies out there. If you need an SR-22, due to a DUI, accidents, and/or traffic violations, then The General will make it an easy thing to acquire. If you’re just looking for coverage as newcomer to driving and/or you have a perfect driving record, then there are going to be some much more affordable rates out there. All of this isn’t to say that The General isn’t worth your time, it’s just geared more towards those that are having a harder time getting insurance coverage to begin with. If you’ve ended up with a poor driving record, The General might be your best bet in getting coverage. As a company, The General is known for helping those in need of coverage, when other companies either claim them to be uninsurable, or want to charge them overly exorbitant premiums.

In short, The General has been around for over 50 years, and that in itself is representative of staying power due to good services. The General has multiple positive reviews from its clientele, and has a number of customers that have stayed with them for many years.

Here is a list of annual rates for 9 of the most well-known auto insurance companies, from lowest to highest average annual rates:

• USAA $885
• Travelers $1,267
• Progressive $1,373
• American Family $1,391
• Farmers $1,682
• Nationwide $1,864
• Allstate $1,880