National General auto insurance

Overview

National General is the brand Allstate uses to sell auto, home and specialty insurance through independent agents. Its roots are in the business once sold as GMAC Insurance, and it is known for nonstandard auto insurance for drivers with violations, accidents or coverage gaps, alongside standard auto policies for lower-risk drivers. The company says it works with more than 55,000 independent agents and also sells direct to consumers. Its operations are based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Allstate Corporation bought National General Holdings Corp. for $4 billion in cash, closing on January 4, 2021. National General's premiums are therefore counted in Allstate Insurance Group, which ranked #4 among U.S. private passenger auto insurers by 2025 direct premiums written according to NAIC market share data. Allstate does not publish a separate auto premium figure for the brand. In its 2025 annual report, Allstate says it serves customers through exclusive agents, independent agents and direct channels "primarily under the Allstate and National General (including Direct Auto) brands," and that it reaches about 58,700 independent agent locations.

History

National General traces its insurance roots to 1920, the year Integon was founded in Winston-Salem as a life insurer. Integon later became a writer of nonstandard personal auto insurance. General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) bought Integon on October 17, 1997, for $523 million plus $250 million of assumed debt, and the business became part of GMAC Insurance's personal lines.

In 2009 Michael Karfunkel formed American Capital Acquisition Corporation to buy GMAC's U.S. consumer property and casualty insurance business. The purchase closed on March 1, 2010, and the holding company was later renamed National General Holdings Corp. Because the company did not extend its license to the GMAC name, policies began to be marketed as National General Insurance on July 1, 2013. The company was publicly traded on Nasdaq under the ticker NGHC, and by 2016 it was led by chief executive Barry Karfunkel.

National General grew through acquisitions. On November 1, 2016, it closed the purchase of Nashville-based Direct General, the nonstandard auto insurer sold through storefronts as Direct Auto Insurance, for $162 million. Allstate announced its purchase of National General in July 2020 and closed it on January 4, 2021, saying the deal added about one point of personal lines market share and a large independent-agent business. Allstate bought another nonstandard auto insurer, SafeAuto, on October 1, 2021; Direct Auto says it has since joined forces with SafeAuto.

Auto insurance coverage

National General's auto policy offers bodily injury and property damage liability, collision, comprehensive, medical payments, personal injury protection, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, accidental death and dismemberment, roadside assistance and an auto protection plan. Its auto page also describes an emergency expense allowance of up to $500 for food, lodging and travel after a covered claim.

For standard and preferred drivers, National General sells Custom360, a product for independent agents in two tiers, Signature and Elite. Options include accident forgiveness, auto replacement and ride share coverage. Custom360 auto and home were available in 41 states as of the second quarter of 2026, up from 36 states at the end of 2025.

National General also insures motorcycles, RVs, commercial vehicles, homes, condos and rental properties, and offers umbrella, flood and individual health products, so many customers can bundle through one agent. Allstate says it is expanding National General's commercial auto lines.

Discounts and programs

DynamicDrive is National General's usage-based telematics app. Customers who download it get a lower rate, and good drivers can earn a bigger discount at renewal. The app scores braking, speeding, phone handling and time of day, and gives feedback on each trip. Allstate's 2025 annual report says DynamicDrive was available in 44 states at the end of 2025, through the independent agency and direct channels.

Other discounts listed on National General's auto page include bundling with a home policy, paying in full, low mileage, security devices, multi-vehicle, safe driver and paperless. Availability varies by state and product.

Claims

You can report a claim online at claims.nationalgeneral.com after logging in, or by phone. National General's contact page lists 800-468-3466 to start a claim or discuss an existing one; its claims page lists 888-325-1190, available 24/7. Your independent agent is notified when you file.

MyClaimPics lets eligible customers with drivable cars photograph the damage on a smartphone and typically receive an initial estimate within 24 hours, without an appointment. Minor claims can be handled by phone, and repairs at Gold Medal Repair Shops come with a lifetime guarantee.

Ratings and reputation

Financial strength. National General's website says its companies carry an A+ rating from AM Best. In its rating action of September 2, 2026, AM Best affirmed A+ (Superior) for the members of Allstate Insurance Group, A (Excellent) for National General Insurance Ltd. of Bermuda and an "a-" issuer credit rating for National General Holdings Corp., all with stable outlooks, citing support from The Allstate Corporation.

Customer satisfaction. National General scores near the bottom of J.D. Power's auto studies. In the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study it scored 605, last of 20 insurers, against an average of 700. In the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study it finished last in three of the four regions where it was ranked: the Mid-Atlantic (585), North Central (544) and Southeast (603). In California it scored 552, 13th of 16.

Legal. On July 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice sued National General Holdings Corp., National General Insurance Company and two affiliates in federal court in western Pennsylvania. The suit alleges that services National General provided to a large national bank's collateral protection insurance program violated the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, and seeks civil penalties. National General Insurance Company is also a defendant in a putative class action filed in February 2024 alleging that total-loss claims were underpaid. Allstate is defending both.

Who it suits

National General suits drivers who prefer to buy through an independent agent, including drivers with tickets, accidents or a lapse in coverage whom standard carriers may turn down, and households that want auto, home, motorcycle or RV policies together. Drivers who put claims service first should weigh its J.D. Power results.

• Strengths: Sold through a large independent-agent network as well as direct; covers both nonstandard and standard drivers, with Custom360 in 41 states; DynamicDrive telematics in 44 states; backed by Allstate.
• Weaknesses: Last of 20 in J.D. Power's 2025 claims study and last in three of four ranked regions in 2026; its site lists two different claims numbers; federal lawsuit over its collateral protection insurance work.

How to contact National General