Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
GEICO vs The General
GEICO is built for drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app. The General is built for drivers who need an SR-22, had a lapse, or are new to insurance. On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and Permanent General Assurance Corp. drew 3.86, against an industry median of 1.00. AM Best rates GEICO A++ and The General A. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Kevin Lee, licensed insurance agent · NPN 19669698
The short answer
GEICO has written auto since 1936 and writes through GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway. GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, 536 complaints on $12.8 billion of private-passenger premium. AM Best rates it A++, the highest grade it issues. It writes five lines: auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. DriveEasy adjusts the price to recorded driving. The tradeoff: it writes in all 50 states against The General's 46 states and Washington, D.C.
The General has written auto since 1963 and writes through Permanent General Assurance Corp., part of American Family. The tradeoffs: it drew 3.86 on the 2025 complaint index against GEICO's 0.88, AM Best rates it A against GEICO's A++, it writes one line against GEICO's five, and it runs no program.
Both companies state by state, and their filed rates trade the lead by address. A national average will not predict which one wins for you. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
GEICO vs The General: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
GEICO | The General | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who buy direct and manage the policy in the app | Drivers who need an SR-22, had a lapse, or are new to insurance |
| Who underwrites it | GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway | Permanent General Assurance Corp., part of American Family |
| Complaints per policyGEICO, by a wide margin | 0.88 536 complaints on $12.8B written | 3.86 151 complaints on $822M written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · GEICO General Ins. Co. vs Permanent General Assurance Corp. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; GEICO a step higher | A++ Superior | A Excellent |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyGEICO, if you want to bundle | 5 lines auto, motorcycle, renters, home, rv | 1 line auto |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| Mobile appEffectively tied | 4.80 4,753,999 ratings | 4.69 227,464 ratings |
Apple App Store, August 2026 | ||
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | DriveEasy | None |
| Availability | All 50 states | 46 states and Washington, D.C. |
| Known for | Direct sales, fast quotes, multi-policy discounts | Low down payments, quotes in minutes, no prior insurance accepted |
In practice
Where they differ
The complaint records
On the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, GEICO General Ins. Co. drew 0.88 and Permanent General Assurance Corp. drew 3.86, against an industry median of 1.00. The index weighs a company's complaint count against the volume expected for its size, so 1.00 is the industry median and a lower number is fewer complaints than expected.
Financial strength
AM Best rates GEICO A++ and The General A. A++ is the highest grade AM Best issues. The grade measures the company's ability to pay claims, not its service or its price.
Who underwrites each one
GEICO policies are written by GEICO group companies, part of Berkshire Hathaway. The General policies are written by Permanent General Assurance Corp., part of American Family. The brand on the advertising and the company on the policy are often different entities, and the complaint figures on this page belong to the named companies.
What each one covers
GEICO writes five lines and The General writes one line. GEICO writes auto, motorcycle, renters, home, and RV. The General writes auto. If auto is all you need, the difference costs you nothing.
Price
Which is cheaper: GEICO or The General?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The record sets the range. A ticket, an at-fault accident, or a moves the two prices by different amounts, and the direction is not consistent between states. A quote on the real record is what separates them.
Availability decides some matchups. GEICO writes in all 50 states. The General writes in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Where only one of them writes in your state, the comparison answers itself.
Telematics moves the number. GEICO runs DriveEasy, a telematics program; the CMS records none for The General. A telematics program measures driving through an app or a plug-in device and adjusts the price on the result. The size of that adjustment is filed per state.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.