How Much Does The General Car Insurance Cost?

Last Updated on June 8, 2023

The General is a well-known car insurance company available throughout the United States.

According to rates provided to our model driver profiles, the average policyholder with The General pays around $1,093 per year for a minimum liability insurance policy. That’s significantly higher than the national average of around $739 per year.

How much does The General car insurance cost? Can you save money by buying car insurance with The General? Is The General the right choice for you? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about The General’s car insurance and how much it costs.

Table of Contents:

About The General

The General is known for offering basic car insurance to high-risk drivers across the United States.

Although The General is not one of America’s top 10 largest insurance companies, The General insures over one million drivers across the country.

The company also had decades of experience: the Nashville-based company has insured drivers nationwide since 1963.

Unlike other car insurance companies, The General focuses specifically on providing basic liability insurance to medium-risk and high-risk drivers.

If you only want minimum car insurance that lets you legally drive on the road, then The General may be able to help. If you want full coverage car insurance that protects every part of your vehicle, then pick another insurer.

The General Contact Information
Address2636 Elm Hill Pike, Suite 100
Nashville, Tennessee 37214
Customer Service Phone Number888-333-2331
Claims Service Phone Number800-280-1466
Website URLhttps://www.thegeneral.com/

The Average Policy from The General Costs Around $1,093 Per Year

The General specializes in providing basic liability insurance to high-risk drivers in 46 states and Washington, D.C.

According to our research, the average The General policyholder pays around $1,093 per year for basic liability coverage.

$1,093 per year is hundreds of dollars higher than the nationwide average of $739 per year for liability insurance. That’s because The General mostly caters to medium-risk and high-risk drivers. If you’ve struggled to buy car insurance from other providers, need an SR-22 form, or if conventional insurers have declined your business, then your best option may be paying higher rates with The General.

To calculate The General’s average premiums, we collected multiple quotes from policyholders across the United States. We also used model driver profiles for low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk drivers. Based on our analysis, the average The General policyholders pays around $1,093 per year for liability insurance.

The General Charges Higher Rates for Higher Risk

Why is The General hundreds of dollars more expensive than competing car insurance companies? It’s all about risk.

When you buy a car insurance policy from The General, you’re paying the company to accept risk. The company charges a fee (your insurance premiums) in exchange for covering any potential damages resulting from your driving.

If you injure someone while driving, for example, then The General will pay for certain medical bills and other expenses via bodily injury liability insurance.

If you damage another person’s car in a parking lot, meanwhile, then The General will cover the cost of repairing this damage via your property damage liability coverage.

The riskier you are to insure, the more The General will charge. If you have a DUI and multiple speeding tickets, then you’ll pay more for car insurance than someone with a clean driving record.

Car Insurance Coverages Available Through The General

The General offers basic liability insurance to meet minimum insurance requirements in your state. The company offers full coverage car insurance as well, although The General is best-known for its minimum liability coverage options.

Car insurance coverages available through The General include:

Liability Coverage: Nearly all states require bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. These coverages protect other drivers from damage you may inflict when driving. If you injure someone else or damage their vehicle when driving, then The General’s bodily injury or property damage liability coverage will protect you.

Other Minimum Required Coverage Options: Some states require uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, and medical payments coverage, among other insurance options. If your state requires these coverages, then you can buy these coverages through The General to meet minimum insurance requirements for your state.

Full Coverage Car Insurance: Most of The General’s customers buy minimum liability insurance, which includes basic coverage for other drivers but no coverage for yourself and your own vehicle. However, The General does offer full coverage car insurance, which includes collision coverage (to repair your own vehicle after a collision you caused) and comprehensive coverage (to cover theft, fire damage, hit and runs, and other incidents). Full coverage car insurance is optional in all states.

Non-Owner Car Insurance: If you frequently drive a vehicle that you do not own, i.e. you often rent or borrow vehicles, you might need non-owners car insurance, which covers drivers without a car of their own. The General offers non-owner insurance policies wherever they offer normal car insurance policies.

The General is available in 46 states and Washington, D.C.

Factors that Impact the Price of Car Insurance with The General

Depending on personal risk factors, location, and driving history, you could pay significantly more or less than $1,093 per year for car insurance with The General.

Here are some of the factors that impact the price of The General’s car insurance premiums:

Driving History: Someone with multiple incidents, DUIs, and other citations on their driving record pays more for car insurance than someone with a clean record. The General checks your driving history before assigning premiums.

ZIP Code: Some ZIP codes have higher insurance premiums than others. If you live in a ZIP code with high rates of accidents, for example, then you’ll pay more for your car insurance policy with The General. In most cases, drivers in urban areas pay more for car insurance than drivers in rural areas because of population density and accident rates.

Coverage Options: The General offers few policy customization options. Generally, The General’s customers buy minimum liability insurance policies. However, if you raise limits or add coverage, you’ll pay more for The General’s car insurance. Some customers even buy full coverage car insurance (including collision and comprehensive coverage) with The General.

Age and Gender: Young men are riskier to insure than young women, and older women are riskier to insure than older men, in most states. The General uses age and gender to calculate insurance premiums in all states.

Credit Score: Unless you live in California, Massachusetts, or Hawaii, The General may use your credit score to calculate car insurance premiums. Drivers with a lower credit score are riskier to insure than drivers with a higher credit score, and The General could charge higher premiums.

State Insurance Laws: Because you’re buying minimum liability insurance with The General, you’re buying a policy that meets minimum insurance liability requirements in your states. Some states have high minimum requirements, requiring you to have over $50,000 in coverage. Other states have low minimum requirements, which means they generally have cheaper car insurance premiums. Some states require insurers to provide certain types of coverage – like glass coverage – while other states favor insurers over policyholders, making it cheaper to do business.

The General Car Insurance Discounts

The General offers basic car insurance with few discounts. However, some of the discounts available through The General include:

  • Homeowners discounts
  • Multi-car discounts
  • Paid-in-full discounts
  • Previous insurance discount
  • Academic achievement and good grade discounts
  • Defensive driving course discounts

The General also offers discounts for passive restraints (like seatbelts or airbags) and to military personnel.

Final Word – The General Insurance Cost

The average The General policyholder pays $1,093 per year for basic liability coverage, which is higher than the national average.

Because The General specializes in medium-risk and high-risk drivers, the company charges higher rates to reflect this higher risk.

However, by taking advantage of discounts and comparing policy options, you can pay as little as possible for car insurance with The General. Request a quote online today for more information.

James Shaffer
James Shaffer James Shaffer is a writer for InsurancePanda.com and a well-seasoned auto insurance industry veteran. He has a deep knowledge of insurance rules and regulations and is passionate about helping drivers save money on auto insurance. He is responsible for researching and writing about anything auto insurance-related. He holds a bachelor's degree from Bentley University and his work has been quoted by NBC News, CNN, and The Washington Post.
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