The General Car Insurance Review
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Rachael Brennan
Licensed Insurance Agent
Rachael Brennan has been working in the insurance industry since 2006 when she began working as a licensed insurance representative for 21st Century Insurance, during which time she earned her Property and Casualty license in all 50 states. After several years she expanded her insurance expertise, earning her license in Health and AD&D insurance as well. She has worked for small health insu...
Licensed Insurance Agent
UPDATED: Apr 19, 2022
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The General’s Patton-like mascot and memorable jingle (“For a great low rate you can get online, go to The General and save some time.”) pretty much sum up what the company has to offer.
A quick look at The General’s online reviews tells you it’s known for offering low down payments, convenient monthly payment plans, and an online application process that makes creating a policy simple, even if you’ve previously filed claims, been involved in an accident, or had a lapse in coverage.
For more than 50 years, PGC Holdings Corp., which is an affiliate of American Family, has written automobile insurance policies under the names of its subsidiaries: Permanent General Assurance Corporation (PGAC), The General Automobile Insurance Company, Inc., and Permanent General Assurance Corporation of Ohio.
Coverage Options Available
Each of these subsidiaries has been recognized by A.M. Best for their excellent financial security and stability, and all of them offer similar coverage options including:
- Liability Coverage: This is legally required in most states. It protects you against any personal injury or property damage claims that may arise from the ownership, maintenance or use of an automobile.
- Medical Payments Coverage: This coverage pays for any medical expenses you, your family, or the people in your vehicle incur as the result of a car accident.
- Comprehensive/Collision Coverage: This covers damage to your vehicle, regardless of who is at fault and how the damage occurred. If your car is financed, most lien holders require you to carry these policies.
- Underinsured Motorist Coverage: If you’re involved in an accident where the other driver is at fault and either doesn’t have enough insurance coverage or doesn’t have car insurance at all, your underinsured motorist coverage is what pays for the medical expenses you incur and the cost of repairing your vehicle.
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Claims Satisfaction
Claims satisfaction is one of the most important things to consider when choosing an automobile insurance company.
While it’s important to look at some of the finer details of The General insurance reviews when it comes to claims satisfaction, we believe there are three indicators that sum up the company’s overall claims process:
- Ease of Service Interaction
- Timeliness
- Communication
Unfortunately, the 2017 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power, doesn’t list PGC Holdings Corp. or any of its subsidiaries individually. It does, however, include rankings for American Family as a whole.
American Family scores about average for its overall claims process and each of the other rating factors, which include criteria such as claim servicing, the repair process, and the settlement. These scores put American Family in the middle of the field, ranking just above Esurance and Progressive and below Nationwide and 21st Century.
Customer Satisfaction
The way an insurance company handles claims is extremely important, but that’s not the only thing you should consider when you’re trying to find the best car insurance company for your family.
Overall customer satisfaction ratings take into consideration the purchase experience, overall customer service, complaint resolution, and communication with customers.
The J.D. Power 2018 Shopping Study doesn’t include The General as an individual company. However, American Family ranked the 4th highest company with a “Better Than Most” score for Overall Satisfaction, Policy Offerings, and Pricing.
The company beat out Amica Mutual and The Hartford and ranked just below Auto-Owners Insurance.
According to The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)’s complaint database, The General (NAIC #13703) has more complaints per year than the current national average.
However, when comparing the company’s complaint ratio for 2016, 2017 and 2018 the company has shown a decrease in the number of complaints filed for each year, which reflects positively on The General.
Pricing
A multitude of variables go into determining the price of an auto insurance policy:
- Year of Vehicle
- Make of Vehicle
- Model of Vehicle
- Where You Live
- How Often You Use The Vehicle
- Your Age
- Your Gender
…just to name a few.
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Financial Strength
When you’re reading The General insurance reviews online, you don’t want to forget to research the company’s financial strength. It’s important to assess an insurance company’s financial strength because, in the event of a natural disaster or a major event that results in a lot of claims, you need to be sure the company is able to pay all the filed claims.
A quick look at The General’s financial ratings tells you that the company is financially secure. A.M. Best gives The General a financial strength rating and a long-term issuer credit rating of “A,” which means “excellent.”
The overall financial outlook for PGC Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries was recently revised from “stable” to “positive.”
Moody’s doesn’t list The General specifically, but it does give an aa3 Insurance Financial Strength rating to American Family. This isn’t the best possible rating, but it’s still a strong one.
If you’re looking for a stable, reliable auto insurance carrier with decades of experience, The General is a good option. Compare auto insurance quotes to find the best company for your needs!