National General Car Insurance Review

The company has been in operation since 1939 – now, that’s longevity. It also has an excellent “A-” rating with A.M. Best with a stable outlook as well. Now that’s solid backing for any auto insurance company but definitely for National General Insurance!

The North Carolina-based company also offers some of the best discounts in the auto insurance industry, including:

• low mileage drivers
• bundled auto and RV policy
• OnStar subscribers
• owners of GM vehicles

and many others!

National General is one of the largest automobile insurers in the country, offering property and casualty insurance products, including personal and commercial auto, RV, motorcycle, among others.

Previously, the company was GMAC but in 2013 it changed its brand name to National General Insurance.

The company retained its deep discounts offered to GM vehicle owners and GM employees and their families. National General is also the underwriter for Metromile, an Insurtech company that offers pay-as-you-go (telematics) online insurance plans.

Decision-Making Table | Pros, and Cons of National General

The following table can be used as a quick reference guide on the pros and cons of going with National General.

We hope this helps in your decision process!

Coverage & Discounts

National General offers customizable and comprehensive coverage plans as well as basic ones that meet state-mandated insurance requirements.

Policies can include:

• bodily injury
• property damage
• collision
• medical payments
• personal injury
• uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Basic Coverage

Pricing on auto insurance basic plans will differ based on each consumer’s personal and vehicle information and by carrier and state of residence.

Each state has its own automobile insurance regulations. In this article, we provide basic coverage scenarios for drivers in California and Texas, two of the most populated states.

Basic Coverage - California

The state of California requires drivers to carry the following minimum auto insurance coverage:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 (per person/per accident)
• Property Damage Liability: $5,000

Scenario One: Annual premiums for a single female, driving for 9 to 15 years, resides in Escondido, drives a Toyota Camry*, and drives 12,600 to 15,000 miles annually and has one speeding ticket:

• National General/Integon = $793
• Liberty Mutual = $1,078
• Allstate = $963

Scenario Two: Annual premiums for a married couple, driving for 13 years/10 years to 15 years, resides in Escondido, drives a Toyota Camry* and Honda CR-V*, and drives 12,600 to 15,000 miles annually with no traffic violations:

• National General/Integon = $1,210
• Liberty Mutual = $1,556
• Allstate = $1,431

* State of California Department of Insurance’s 2018 Automobile Insurance comparison tool auto-filled the make/model of vehicle with Toyota Camry (single person) and Honda CR-V (married couple).

Basic Coverage – Texas

In the state of Texas, drivers are required to carry the following minimum auto insurance coverage:

• Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000/$60,000 (per person/per accident)
• Property Damage Liability: $25,000

Scenario One: Single female, age 25-64, lives in Plano, drives to & from work with one speeding ticket:

• National General = $1,187
• Liberty Mutual = $1,508
• State Farm = $850

Scenario Two: Married female, age 25-64, good credit, lives in Plano, drives to & from work with one speeding ticket:

• National General = $775
• Liberty Mutual = $959
• State Farm = $700

Discounts

National General offers customized savings to its customers, including:

• affinity
• paid-in-full (premium)
• multi-vehicle (on same policy)
• GM loyalty
• OnStar subscriber
• low-mileage driver
• safe driver
• motorcycle
• bundled RV and auto policies
• GM family
• GM supplier discounts

Note: you can save an average of $442 per year on your car insurance premiums by going with National General and its SmartDiscounts™!

Discounts in Detail

• GMAC Discounts: available to those who drive GM vehicles have a GMAC mortgage or auto financing
• GM Loyalty: available if all vehicles are GM vehicles
• Paid-in-Full: pay your premium in full at the beginning of the policy period
• Safe-Driver Discount: complete a defensive driving course (or have OnStar)
• Low Mileage Discount: the less you drive the more you save, up to 50% for very low miles but discounts start at less than 15,000 miles annually
• GM Family First: available GM, GMAC and any subsidiaries employees (active or retired) as well as their extended family members
• OnStar Subscriber: save 10% to 20% on certain coverage with an active OnStar subscription
• Multi-Vehicle Discount
• RV Bundle with Automobile: up to 20%

Specialty Coverages

National General really excels special coverages available under its SmartServices™ program, including:

• Lifetime Guarantee: covers all collision repairs when you take your care to one of its Gold Medal repair shops
• SmartInspect™: after a car repair, the company will re-inspect your car upon your request to make sure it is in top condition
• Guaranteed Claims Service Satisfaction: if not satisfied, the company waives your deductible, up to $250 (not available in Texas)
• 24-hour Claims Reporting: minor claims paid within 48 hours
• Emergency Expense Allowance: provides up to $500 in temporary living expenses if needed, after a claim has been filed

Qualification Requirements

Similar to other auto insurance companies, National General uses actuarial math to determine risk and pricing.

During the qualification process, you provide personal information about yourself/family and the vehicle to be insured.

The following are the most common qualification criteria used by most carriers:

• Age
• Gender
• Marital Status
• Address
• Credit History
• Driving Record
• Prior Coverage
• Make, Model, Year of Vehicle

Current (Insurer) Costs

Pricing can be the biggest deciding factor in determining which auto insurance company you go with. We get that. However, we encourage you to also look at the discounts an auto insurance company offers that can help offset a higher quoted price from a financial solid insurance provider.

For instance, National General does have great discount options if you qualify for any or all of them.

Again, price and risk determination by auto insurance company is accomplished by using a risk assessment methodology based on the information you provide. The following are standard policy quote comparisons of National General and two other competitors in the state of Texas.

Standard coverage for the state of Texas is: 50/100/50.

Scenario One: single female, ages 25-64, good credit, resides in McKinney, drives a car to & from work and has no traffic violations:  

• National General: $729
• Safeco: $688
• Esurance: $838

Scenario Two: married male, ages 25-64, average credit, resides in McKinney, drives a truck to & from work, has no traffic violations:

• National General: $853
• Safeco: $838
• Esurance: $978

Consumer Satisfaction

National General has been an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 1960 and holds an “A+” rating with the organization. The company does have numerous customer complaints, but most have been resolved.

Keep in mind that more established car insurance companies may have a higher number of complaints, and when compared to other large companies National General’s BBB complaint totals are on par with similar-sized insurance providers.

National General does have a higher-than-average 2017 complaint ratio listed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) at 6.08 while the national median average is 1.00.  

The company does offer 24/7/365 claims processing, customized savings, and first-class specialty services like valet services, guaranteed repairs, and guaranteed claims service satisfaction.

Nitty Gritty

If you can take advantage of National General’s deep discounts, then this company may be right for you. It’s SmartServices™ also make it an attractive choice. If you combine these factors with the company’s exceptional financial rating and outlook, you are on solid ground.

However, the company’s disappointing complaint ratio is negative and may make the difference for you on whether you go with this company or not. We understand.

Phone Number & Additional Details

• Homepage URL: https://www.nationalgeneral.com/
• Company Phone: (800) 462-2123
• Headquarters Address: 500 West 5th St., Winston-Salem, NC 27102-3199