National General Insurance Company Review

Is National General a good insurance company?
Written by Rene Todd Fields
Written by Rene Todd Fields

Environmental and natural resource advocate and business owner, Rene Todd Fields, has more than 10 years of experience working within both private and public sectors and enjoys helping individuals understand their options and make solid coverage decisions.

Updated

National General Insurance Company at a Glance

  • Founded in 1920
  • File and track an online claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Free online quotes
  • Coverage available in all 50 states
  • “A-” (excellent) rating by A.M. Best
  • “A+” (excellent) rating by Better Business Bureau (BBB)

National General pros: Well-established carrier with a century of experience in the insurance industry. Highly rated by A.M. Best and the BBB. 24/7 claims reporting via phone or online. Strong financial stability. National General sells car and motorcycle insurance in 49 states and Washington, D.C., and homeowners and renters insurance in 16 states.

National General cons: Business hours not provided on website. Not much information about claims process provided on official website.

What Types of Insurance Does National General Offer?

National General is a specialized insurance company, with a focus on coverage for auto, RV, and homeowners insurance. Some of the insurance products they offer are as follows.

  • Auto insurance
  • RV insurance
  • Homeowners insurance
  • Small business auto
  • Health insurance
  • Motorcycle insurance
  • Renters insurance

Your independent insurance agent can help you find more information about the coverage offered by National General, and can help you decide if this insurance company is right for you.

Using our insurance company directory can help you find the best insurance companies that specialize in your specific coverage needs. The company directory can also help you get connected to an agent near you.

What to Know about National General

National General was founded in 1920, giving the carrier a century of experience in the insurance industry. National General specializes in providing customizable coverage paired with the expert advice of independent agents.

National General sells car and motorcycle insurance in 49 states and Washington, D.C., and homeowners and renters insurance in 16 states. The insurance company's LinkedIn profile states that National General has between 5,001 and 10,000 employees, with nearly 4,700 of them found on the social media platform. As far as financial size, A.M. Best places the carrier in the $2 billion or greater category.

Thanks to its productive history, wide reach, and financial strength, National General has earned a reputation as a stable insurance company with a positive outlook for the future. A.M. Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry, gives National General an “A-” rating, indicating the carrier is an excellent choice for insurance customers. High ratings from A.M. Best assure customers that National General can offer guaranteed, secure coverage from a financially sound insurance company.

Established in 1899, A.M. Best is one of the oldest rating companies in the world. Reviews from A.M. Best indicate an insurance company’s financial strength and creditworthiness and are based on comprehensive assessments of the company’s operating performance, business profile, and annual report. For customers who are not familiar with insurance companies’ reputations, A.M. Best’s rating system allows them to make an educated decision about who they can trust to meet their insurance needs.

What Discounts Does National General Offer?

National General provides quite a few discounts on their coverage options, including the following.

  • Smart driver discounts: Offers a wide variety of discounts to help lower auto insurance premiums.
  • Paid-in-full discounts: Reduce your premium when you pay up front and in full.
  • Multi-vehicle discount: Save money when you insure more than one vehicle with National General.
  • Low mileage discounts: Save on select coverages just by using electronics that track your mileage.
  • Anti-theft discounts: If your automobile manufacturer built anti-theft features into your vehicle, or if you had them installed after you purchased your vehicle, you may earn a discount on your premium.
  • Safe driver discounts: You can qualify for this discount for completing an auto, RV, or motorcycle defensive driving course (in certain states). You can also save money if you are a professional driver or are military/EMS.

An independent insurance agent can provide more precise discount information and premium quotes for coverage through National General. When it comes to coverage, independent insurance agents work hard to help to get you the most for your money.

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National General Customer Service

National General offers 24/7 phone claims reporting for its policyholders. The carrier also provides the following customer service options.

  • Online pay portal
  • Online, mail, and chat claims reporting
  • 24/7 toll-free hotline for claims
  • Customer service availability - Customer service hours are 24/7 by phone, chat, or email. 


Hours (Eastern)


Monday-Friday 24/7


Saturday 24/7


Sunday 24/7

The most reliable way to guarantee an effortless customer service experience is to work with an independent insurance agent. These agents can help handle claims and other concerns for you, so you can relax and enjoy your coverage.

National General FAQ

What is National General's average claims response time frame?

National General offers claims reporting through a few mediums. However, the insurance company does not provide an official claims response time frame promise. National General does encourage customers to file claims within 24 hours of an accident.

What is National General's customer service availability?

National General allows customers to file claims 24/7 by phone, chat, or email, or by snail mail. Business hours for their hotline for customer service inquiries are not specified on the carrier’s official website or social media pages. The carrier’s social media presence extends across Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which makes them a little more available to customers.

What is National General's claims process?

National General offers a couple of options for claims reporting. However, the insurance company does not detail their claims process on their official website or social media platforms. If customers have questions about filing or the claims process itself, they can contact the carrier via phone, chat, or email or get in touch with their independent insurance agent.

Does National General's create a user-friendly experience for customers?

National General’s official website is quite expansive, which can make it harder to find the correct information. The carrier does not provide much information about their claims process or detail a claims response time frame. Online bill pay is available, as is 24/7 claims reporting via phone, chat, or email, which are nice, modern customer service features. National General is pretty good in terms of user-friendliness.

National General Customer Reviews

consumeraffairs.com
5 Stars
“I got home insurance through National General. I've had them for a little while. I called them with whatever my issues were, probably about my payment or something with my insurance, and they were always very courteous, kind, and polite. They were very efficient as far as that goes. I feel secure because I'm covered and safe. I'd recommend!” —Maurice of Youngstown, OH
consumeraffairs.com
5 Stars
“My National General insurance plan's coverage has a lot of flexibility. The rep I interacted with was very friendly, helpful and he went above and beyond. When we started talking, it was past his work time and he ended up staying late to work through it. I would recommend National General.” —Richard of Bridgeport, CT
clearsurance.com
“So far, I have had no problems with this company. I've had auto insurance with them for a couple of months and I've been making my payments online. Their website is easy to navigate and it's easy to make a payment.”
consumeraffairs.com
“National General sent a notice of cancellation based on the incorrect assumption that my house was vacant. They could have easily verified that I live in the house. Instead I had to prove that I reside on the property. There was no explanation, no apology for my stress and inconvenience. I won’t be renewing this policy.”
consumeraffairs.com
“Everyone has a situation, so not going to bore you with the details of that. Just know, I tried to cancel my daughter's car insurance with National General because my daughter has been deemed incompetent due to her mental illness and granted me guardianship over her. I received guardianship papers in May 2018 and I felt due to her illness, driving would not be a option for her anymore. Fast forward, sold her car, turned her tags into the DMV. Called her agent with NG as a courtesy to let them know all measurements were done, cancel insurance. NG agent wanted a copy of the guardianship papers with good right to cancel insurance. No problem, scanned over.” —Tomika of Zebulon, NC

TrustedChoice.com's Final Review

We award National General Insurance Company a final rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars. The insurance company has been around for a century now, which is noteworthy within the industry. And it seems the carrier has used this time to their advantage. National General has received high ratings through A.M. Best and the BBB, and they are accredited through the latter organization. They have had several customer complaints filed against them in recent years. The insurance company provides 24/7 claims reporting via phone, email, chat, or mail and they have an online pay portal, yet does not list its business hours for the customer service department anywhere. There is not much information about a claims response time frame promise or an outline of their claims process. However, it is really easy to say many positive things about this carrier. So, our recommendation is that if you are in the market for auto, RV, home, or motorcycle coverage, review your options for trusted carriers with your independent insurance agent, and look further into National General.

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