Direct General Corporation is a fairly new company on the insurance scene. It was founded in 1991, and specializes in auto insurance. They are based in Nashville, TN, and they offer insurance policies to customers mainly in the south east of the US. They have around 400 sales offices in various towns and cities, and they generally sell their insurance products through these agents.
Direct General has carved themselves out a bit of a niche as an insurance company that works with high-risk drivers. Direct General has insured many drivers that other insurance companies are afraid to touch.
While they specialize in auto and motorcycle insurance, they also offer some other consumer financial services. Unusually for an insurance company, they have also started offering tax preparation services. Never afraid to diversify their offerings, they also offer roadside assistance to stricken drivers.
Aslo operates under brands Right Choice Insurance, Cash Register Auto and Florida No Fault
Direct General has several different trading names, depending on the locality they are operating in. These include Right Choice Insurance, Cash Register Auto and Florida No Fault.
Direct General was acquired in 2007 by private investment partnerships TPG Capital and Calera.
AM Best has rated Direct General Corporation “B” for financial strength. This is known as a Fair rating, and is pretty mediocre. It comes under AM Best’s “Vulnerable” category, which is quite worrying in terms of their abilities to meet their financial obligations.
Both Moody’s or Standard and Poor’s have not rated Direct General Insurance, but this shouldn’t be taken as a poor indication of their financial strength. It is more likely a reflection of the small size and local reach of Direct General Corporation.
Direct General hasn’t received any official accolades from any national customer satisfaction surveys, but this is because they wouldn’t be included on them as their services are only available in 13 states.
However, they generally have a good customer service record, with very few negative reviews available online. Customers are particularly pleased with Direct General’s willingness to offer coverage to them despite bad credit or a bad accident history. Many customers report good value insurance even though they are a high-risk driver. Customers are also pleased with the fact that Direct General are prepared to offer them insurance despite the fact they don’t have a checking account.
If you feel that you are a high-risk driver, you might be happy with the first quote you get from Direct General. Most people who feel they are high-risk drivers are happy to take what they can get, and feel resigned to paying high insurance costs.
However, insurance companies are more and more becoming open to the idea of insuring people that have traditionally been regarded as high risk, and at an affordable price too. Before you purchase insurance through Direct General, you should always get a car insurance quote from several different insurers before you commit. It’s wise to get prices and coverage details from at least three different insurers before you buy a policy.