Kemper vs The General Car Insurance
Two pure non-standard specialists moving in opposite directions. Kemper (NYSE: KMPR) exited preferred business in August 2023 and is now a specialty-only writer concentrated in California, Florida, and Texas; both Moody's and AM Best moved Kemper to a Negative outlook in September 2026 citing California regulatory pressure. The General was acquired by Sentry on December 31, 2024 and upgraded to AM Best A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 — the trajectory is upward. For SR-22 shoppers, the counterparty-direction difference matters.
Kemper reviewed 2026-10-02; The General reviewed 2026-10-02; this comparison reviewed 2026-10-02.
Inherited freshness: The General's AM Best affirmation is 20 months old. The referenced provider reviews should be reconfirmed before publish; this comparison inherits that staleness context.
At a glance
| Dimension | Kemper | The General |
|---|---|---|
| Parent / entity | Kemper Corporation (NYSE: KMPR, publicly traded; Delaware-incorporated). Infinity Property & Casualty acquired July 2, 2018 for ~$1.4B. | Sentry Insurance Group (acquired The General from American Family Insurance; sale closed December 31, 2024; announced September 12, 2024; ~$1.0-1.1B cash, ~$1.7B total transaction value). Sentry's sibling non-standard brand is Dairyland (independent-agent). |
| Category | Non-standard specialist | Non-standard specialist |
| Distribution | Independent agent | Direct-to-consumer |
| Footprint | Super-regional (12 states) | National except AK, HI, MI |
| AM Best FSR | A- (Excellent); outlook NegativeTIER 1 | A+ (Superior); outlook StableTIER 1 |
| AM Best affirmation | 2026-09-01 | 2025-02-20 |
| Market share (NAIC) | 0.93% (rank 17, 2024) | 0.3% (rank 25, 2024) |
| Telematics program | Kemper Co-Pilot — discount-only | None |
Where these two actually differ
Kemper Negative outlook (Sept 2026) vs The General A+ Superior upgrade (Feb 2025)
In September 2026 both Moody's and AM Best revised Kemper's outlook to Negative, citing California regulatory pressure — minimum-liability BI doubled and PD tripled in early 2025 — and the resulting pricing / loss-ratio stress on Kemper's California book. The General was upgraded to AM Best A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 following Sentry Insurance Group's December 31, 2024 acquisition from American Family. The direction-of-travel difference is the single most important fact for a non-standard shopper comparing the two carriers: Kemper's counterparty posture is weakening while The General's is strengthening.
CA + FL + TX concentration vs 47-state DTC footprint
Kemper's specialty book is heavily concentrated: California, Florida, and Texas together represent approximately 90% of Specialty P&C premium per the Kemper 10-K. The California regulatory pressure that drove the Negative outlook therefore affects a disproportionate share of Kemper's book. The General writes in approximately 47 states (not Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan) through its direct-to-consumer flow. Shoppers in states where Kemper does not actively write for the specialty segment have only The General from this pair; shoppers in CA/FL/TX who want a non-standard specialist have both available but should weigh the Kemper outlook.
Co-Pilot (AZ/GA/FL/TX) vs no telematics
Kemper operates Co-Pilot — a smartphone-based telematics program — in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. The General does not publish a telematics / UBI program. For a non-standard shopper in Co-Pilot's four states who wants to earn rate forgiveness through monitored safe driving after a DUI or at-fault accident, Kemper is the only option in this pair. Outside those four states, neither carrier provides a telematics lever and the comparison collapses to acceptance posture plus counterparty direction.
Infinity Spanish-language channel vs 2-minute DTC bind
Kemper's Infinity brand (2018 acquisition) is a Spanish-language non-standard distribution channel — this is a specific channel strength for Hispanic non-standard shoppers that no other non-standard specialist on this site publishes an equivalent to. The General's distinctive is DTC bind-today speed: 2-minute online quote-and-bind flow, SR-22 delivered in minutes. For time-pressured SR-22 shoppers, The General's operational posture is purpose-built; for Spanish-language shoppers specifically, Kemper's Infinity channel is the fit.
Both pure non-standard specialists
Kemper exited preferred business on August 7, 2023 — non-renewing approximately $500M in preferred-business premium across 8 companies — and is now pure specialty / non-standard. The General has been a pure DTC non-standard specialist for over 60 years under American Family and now Sentry. Both carriers are purpose-built for the shopper mainstream carriers decline. The acceptance ceiling differences at the margin are state-specific; the carrier-level posture is comparable.
Telematics side by side
Kemper
Program Kemper Co-Pilot
Tracks hard_braking, speed, phone_use, time_of_day, mileage
Can raise rate? No
Enrollment max up to 10% for sharing driving data via mobile app
Renewal max score-based; discount availability varies by state
Kemper Co-Pilot launched March 2024 as a discount-only program. State availability at launch: Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Texas, with "more states coming soon." Pay-per-mile is not offered; Kemper leadership stated PPM would require a new rating basis.TIER 1
The General
No telematics program documented.
Financial strength
Kemper
AM Best FSR A- (Excellent)
Long-Term ICR a- (Excellent)
Outlook Negative
Affirmed 2026-09-01
AM Best REVISED outlooks to Negative for Kemper Corporation, its affiliates, and subsidiaries in 2026 (around September) citing earnings deterioration late-2025 to early-2026, concentrated business profile, California auto exposure, and California minimum-liability doubling of bodily injury and tripling of property damage effective early 2025. Florida statutory refunds of $35M in Q4 2025 added 3.8 points to the Specialty auto combined ratio. Moody's also moved Kemper outlook to Negative on weak personal-auto profitability (reported September 1, 2026).TIER 1
The General
AM Best FSR A+ (Superior)
Long-Term ICR aa- (Superior)
Outlook Stable
Affirmed 2025-02-20
AM Best UPGRADED The General from FSR A (Excellent) / Long-Term ICR a+ to FSR A+ (Superior) / Long-Term ICR aa- on February 20, 2025 with Stable outlook, covering Permanent General Assurance Corporation, Permanent General Assurance Corporation of Ohio, and General Automobile Insurance Company. Rationale: balance-sheet strength assessed "strongest" post-Sentry integration, inter-company quota-share agreement, and operational/financial support from Sentry.TIER 1
Coverage differences
| Coverage | Kemper | The General |
|---|---|---|
| Gap insurance | — | Offered |
| Rental reimbursement | — | Offered |
| Roadside assistance | — | Offered |
| Collision | Offered | Offered |
| Comprehensive | Offered | Offered |
| Bodily injury and property damage liability | Offered | Offered |
| Medical payments | Offered | Offered |
| Personal injury protection | OfferedWhere state requires. | OfferedWhere state requires. |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist | Offered | Offered |
Dated events that specifically move this matchup
Affects KemperKemper outlook revised to Negative by AM Best and Moody's (September 2026)2026-09-01
Both AM Best and Moody's moved Kemper to a Negative outlook in September 2026, citing California regulatory pressure. California minimum-liability BI doubled and PD tripled in early 2025, affecting the ~90% of Kemper Specialty P&C premium concentrated in CA, FL, and TX. Rating letter unchanged; forward-looking stress signal.TIER 1
Affects The GeneralThe General AM Best upgrade to A+ (Superior) post-Sentry acquisition2025-02-20
Rating action followed Sentry's December 31, 2024 acquisition from American Family. Moves The General to Sentry Group's long-held A+ Superior rating. Direction opposite to Kemper's September 2026 Negative outlook.TIER 1
Affects KemperKemper preferred-business exit announcement (August 7, 2023)2023-08-07
Kemper announced the non-renewal of approximately $500M in preferred-business premium across 8 companies, becoming a pure specialty / non-standard writer. The exit focused Kemper's book on specialty / non-standard and set up the current CA/FL/TX concentration.TIER 1
Who should quote each
Kemper — Hispanic non-standard shoppers and CA/FL/TX Co-Pilot users
- You are a Spanish-language shopper looking for a non-standard specialist with a Spanish-language channel — Kemper's Infinity brand is the fit.
- You live in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, or Texas and want a non-standard specialist with telematics-based rate-forgiveness — Co-Pilot is the only option in this pair.
- You are an existing Kemper customer unaffected by the September 2026 outlook revision — the Negative outlook is forward-looking; existing policies continue to be honored.
- You want a publicly-traded non-standard specialist (NYSE: KMPR) with 10-K-level disclosures rather than a private-company specialist.
The General — DTC bind-today shoppers and ascending-trajectory counterparty
- You need SR-22 bound TODAY — The General's 2-minute online flow is purpose-built; Kemper's DTC flow is less emphasized.
- You want ascending counterparty direction — The General's February 2025 A+ (Superior) upgrade reversed its pre-Sentry rating; Kemper's September 2026 Negative outlook is the opposite direction.
- You live in a state outside Kemper's active specialty footprint (not CA/FL/TX/AZ/GA) — The General's 47-state footprint is broader for shoppers in states Kemper deprioritizes.
- You want Sentry Group counterparty strength backing a non-standard specialist (The General plus sibling Dairyland).
Quote both — Non-standard shoppers in CA/FL/TX weighing direction-of-travel
- SR-22 shoppers in California, Florida, or Texas — both write; the counterparty-direction difference (Kemper Negative outlook vs The General ascending upgrade) is the deciding factor.
- Shoppers in Arizona or Georgia considering Co-Pilot telematics; parallel-quote The General for the bind-today speed benchmark.
- Hispanic SR-22 shoppers evaluating Infinity's Spanish-language channel against The General's English-only DTC flow — the service-language question matters.
- Non-standard shoppers who want a specialist carrier (not a mainstream SR-22 writer like Progressive) and are weighing the two most-visible specialists against each other.
Get real quotes from Kemper and The General on your own profile.
Compare car insurance quotesCommon questions
Why did Kemper get a Negative outlook?
Both Moody's and AM Best revised Kemper's outlook to Negative in September 2026, citing California regulatory pressure. California's minimum-liability bodily injury limits doubled and property damage limits tripled in early 2025, pressuring Kemper's California specialty book — which, combined with Florida and Texas, represents approximately 90% of Specialty P&C premium per Kemper's 10-K. A Negative outlook is a forward-looking signal; the rating letter has not changed.
Is The General really A+ (Superior) now?
Yes. AM Best upgraded The General to A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 following Sentry Insurance Group's December 31, 2024 acquisition from American Family. The upgrade reflects The General joining Sentry's long-held A+ Superior group rating (Sentry has been A+ Superior every year since 1992).
Does Kemper have telematics?
Yes — Co-Pilot is Kemper's smartphone-based telematics program available in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. The General does not publish a telematics / UBI program. For non-standard shoppers in Co-Pilot's four states, Kemper is the only option in this pair for rate forgiveness through monitored driving.
What is Infinity Insurance?
Infinity Insurance Group was acquired by Kemper in 2018 and is Kemper's Spanish-language-channel non-standard brand. For Spanish-language SR-22 and non-standard shoppers, Infinity's channel is a specific operational strength no other non-standard specialist on this site publishes an equivalent to.
Does Kemper write outside CA/FL/TX?
Yes, but California, Florida, and Texas together represent approximately 90% of Kemper's Specialty P&C premium. The remaining ~10% is spread across other states where Kemper writes non-standard; the specialty-channel breadth is narrower outside the big three. The General's 47-state footprint is broader for shoppers in states Kemper deprioritizes.
Should I quote both?
If you are in California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, or Georgia — yes. Elsewhere, The General is typically the primary non-standard specialist option in this pair; parallel-quoting Dairyland (The General's Sentry sibling, IA-channel) is the next step.
Sources & methodology
- TIER 1KemperAM Best revises outlooks to Negative for Kemper Corporation and subsidiaries (AM Best)
- TIER 1KemperKemper Corporation FY2025 10-K (SEC EDGAR CIK 860748) (SEC / Kemper)
- TIER 1KemperKemper 8-K and press release: exit from preferred home and auto business (August 7, 2023) (Kemper IR)
- TIER 1KemperKemper Direct consumer help center (discounts; coverages) (Kemper)
- TIER 1KemperKemper Co-Pilot telematics (terms of service) (Kemper)
- TIER 2SharedJ.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (J.D. Power)
- TIER 1SharedNAIC Consumer Information Source (Infinity 2024 complaint index 2.83) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
- TIER 1The GeneralAM Best upgrades The General to A+ (Superior) / aa- (February 20, 2025) (Insurance Journal (AM Best reporting))
- TIER 1The GeneralSentry Insurance: AM Best rates The General A+ post-acquisition (December 31, 2024 close) (Sentry Insurance)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: Homepage (2-minute online quote; app) (The General)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: SR-22 filing page (The General)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: High-risk auto insurance ("Yes when others say No") (The General)
- TIER 3The GeneralWalletHub: The General discounts summary (WalletHub)
Every pivot and matrix cell on this page traces to a source listed above, with the provider tag identifying which ProviderReviewFacts record authored the claim. Shared sources (e.g. NAIC Consumer Information Source, J.D. Power press-release landing pages) are attributed to both providers and anchor against the alphabetically-first provider's slug.