The Personal review
A group insurer offering exclusive rates through employers and associations (Desjardins group).
Our rating · #6 of 10 for car insurance
Customer sentiment
3,225 real reviews
At a glance
The bottom line
The Personal is the pick for Canadians who can actually get it — if your employer, union, professional association or alumni group has an agreement, you unlock group-negotiated home and auto rates, a genuinely well-liked app (4.1/5 across roughly 3,000 App Store ratings) and Desjardins-scale backing, and Quebec members in particular are buying from the insurer J.D. Power ranked #1 in the province in 2019. The first trade-off is eligibility itself: you can’t shop for it on the open market. The harder one shows up at renewal and claim time — across InsurEye (1.6/5), BBB (1.47/5) and Trustpilot, customers report sharp post-claim and year-over-year premium increases, undervalued settlements and quiet adjusters, and Ajusto can penalise you for a passenger’s phone use. Choose it if you qualify, drive cleanly and expect few claims; look elsewhere if you’re claim-prone, dislike telematics, or simply aren’t affiliated with a partner organisation.
- Group & affinity members
- Competitive group rates
- Strong app experience
- Post-claim premium spikes
- Renewal increases without claims
- Only available if your employer/association is an affiliated group
The expert assessment
How our analysts score The Personal’s car insurance — 80/100 across six weighted pillars.
No standalone P&C-entity rating; backed by Desjardins Group (DBRS AA). Presented as a group rating.
Source: Morningstar DBRS — Desjardins Group AA
What experts like
- Highest-ranked insurer in Quebec in the 2019 J.D. Power study (836)
- Exclusive group rates through employers and associations
- Backed by Desjardins Group (DBRS AA)
- Ajusto telematics
Watch-outs
- Only available if your employer/association is an affiliated group
- No standalone P&C financial rating (group rating only)
What the regulators' filings say about The Personal
Not ratings or reviews: the numbers The Personal's underwriting companies file with OSFI and the provincial rate regulators, read straight from the public record.
Personal kept 13.0% of premiums after claims and expenses in 2025. Its MCT ratio is above OSFI's 150% supervisory target, though lower than a year earlier. All p&c insurers →
Approved car insurance rate changes
| Province | Latest approved change | Renewals from | Last 12 months | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OntarioFSRA · Personal | -5.30% | Nov 28, 2026 | -5.30% | 1 / 17 |
| AlbertaAIRB · Personal | 0.00% | Nov 1, 2026 | +12.22% | 7 / 11 |
| Newfoundland and LabradorPUB · Personal | +12.00% | Jan 28, 2025 | — | 0 / 3 |
Approved change is the insurer's overall average for the province; your renewal can differ. Each tracker has a renewal calculator and every filing since the regulator's records begin.
What customers actually say
We aggregated 3,225 real reviews and ratings of The Personal from independent sites to see what its customers report — this is our Customer Satisfaction signal, drawn from real user experiences rather than a marketing claim.
Above-average when the group rate and app are the experience; materially below at claim time. Members get negotiated rates, a well-liked app (4.1/5, ~3,000 ratings) and Desjardins backing — but reviews consistently flag sharp post-claim and renewal premium hikes.
What people praise
- Competitive group rates. Reviewers who qualify report affordable premiums versus the open market — the whole point of the affinity model.
- Strong app experience. 4.1/5 across ~3,000 App Store ratings, with home and auto managed in one place.
- Desjardins financial backing. Reviewers cite confidence in the parent group’s scale and stability.
What people complain about
- Post-claim premium spikes. The most repeated complaint — “rates are competitive until you make a claim,” with even minor claims triggering big hikes.
- Renewal increases without claims. Mid-policy hikes of 50–100% cited without clear justification.
- Quiet adjusters at claim time. Unreachable adjusters and coverage decisions learned via third parties.
- Ajusto telematics friction. The app can log a passenger’s phone use as driver distraction, lowering scores and raising premiums.
Reading these fairly: Its structural differentiator is the group/affinity model — you buy through an employer or association, so satisfaction tracks whether you land a good group deal. Low complaint-platform scores (InsurEye 1.6, BBB 1.47) are industry-typical; the standout positives are a 4.1/5 app (~3,000 ratings) and a J.D. Power #1 finish in Quebec (2019, region-specific and dated).
Customer-sentiment analysis based on public reviews · July 2026
The Personal by product: what it's good for — and what it's not
The Personal sells several lines of insurance. Here's a candid overview of each — what it does well and where to look elsewhere. Car insurance is the line we fully rate with The Expert Score.
The Personal car insurance
80/100 · #6Standard Canadian auto (liability, accident benefits, collision, comprehensive) sold ONLY to members/employees of 650+ partner organisations at negotiated group rates unavailable to the general public, with the Ajusto usage-based telematics program. In market since 1974, backed by the Desjardins group.
Members of a partner organisation who want group-negotiated rates and single-app management of home + auto; safe, low-mileage drivers who benefit from Ajusto; Quebec drivers (J.D. Power #1 region, 2019).
Anyone without an eligible employer/association affiliation (you simply can’t buy it), drivers who dislike telematics, and households likely to file claims — reviews cite steep post-claim and renewal increases.
What customers say InsurEye auto 1.6/5 (198 reviews); dominant complaints are post-claim/renewal spikes and Ajusto scoring passenger phone use as distraction. Offsetting positives: J.D. Power #1 Quebec (2019) and a 4.1/5 app.
Read the full car insurance review ↓The Personal home insurance
OverviewHome, condo and tenant coverage (dwelling, contents, liability, additional living expenses) sold through the same group-eligibility model at preferred member rates, frequently bundled with auto in one policy and one app.
Eligible group members bundling home + auto for a combined discount who value a single digital dashboard and Desjardins backing.
Non-affiliated consumers (ineligible), and customers with larger property claims — reviews cite undervalued settlements and slow, poorly communicated claims.
What customers say BBB customer rating 1.47/5 (15 reviews); home feedback centres on settlement adequacy and adjuster communication.
Where you can buy The Personal car insurance
The Personal sells car insurance in 7 of the 7 private-market provinces. In British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, mandatory auto insurance is government-run (ICBC, MPI, SGI), so no private insurer sells it there.
How The Personal compares to other Canadian insurers
The Personal scores 80/100 on The Expert Score. Here's how it stacks up against the insurers people most often cross-shop it with — what each is good for, and where each falls short.
| Insurer | Expert Score | Financial strength | Good for | Not ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Personal This review Direct / online | 80/100 · #6 | AA (parent group) | Group & affinity members | Only available if your employer/association is an affiliated group |
| Intact Insurance Broker | 86.2/100 · #1 | A+ (Superior) | Overall strength & claims reliability | Broker pricing isn’t always the cheapest |
| Belairdirect Direct / online | 83.9/100 · #2 | AA (FSR) | Digital-first direct buyers | Not available in MB, SK or the territories |
| Sonnet Insurance Direct / online | 80/100 · #5 | A (Excellent) | A fully online experience | Online-only — no agent or broker support |
| Desjardins Insurance Direct / online | 80.8/100 · #4 | AA (group) | Bundling & telematics (Ajusto) | Auto availability concentrated in ON/QC/AB |
All scored on coverage & terms, financial strength, value, digital experience and availability. See all 10 insurers ranked →
The Personal car insurance in detail
The line we score with the full Expert Score methodology.
At a glance
- Telematics
- Ajusto (Desjardins) — safe-driving discounts
- How to buy
- Group insurer — direct to employer/association members
- Availability
- Members of affiliated groups nationwide
- Parent company
- Desjardins General Insurance Group
- Founded
- 1974
- Head office
- Lévis, QC
The Personal home insurance in detail
Scored on our home insurance Expert Score — see the full home insurance ranking.
Ranked #6 of 10 home insurance providers we rate
4.0Good for group-rate members who bundle
The Personal is the pick for homeowners who can get it — if your employer, union or association partners with it, you unlock negotiated group rates on a solid home policy, managed alongside auto in one well-liked app and backed by the Desjardins group. The catch is eligibility: you can’t buy it on the open market. As with its auto book, the softest spot is claim-time satisfaction and post-claim renewal increases.
- Group-negotiated home rates for eligible members
- One app and one policy for home and auto, backed by Desjardins
- Bundling convenience and group-scale financial strength
- Only available if your group is a partner — not open retail
- Post-claim and renewal premium increases are a recurring complaint
The Personal: frequently asked questions
How do I get car insurance from The Personal?
The Personal is a group insurer — you can only buy if your employer, union or professional association partners with it. Check with your HR or association first; if you’re eligible, the group rates are often hard to beat.
Can I bundle home and car insurance with The Personal?
Yes — The Personal sells home insurance as well as car, so you can put both on one account and take the multi-policy discount. Bundling home and auto is usually one of the biggest savings a Canadian insurer offers, so it’s worth asking for a combined quote.
Is The Personal’s Ajusto (Desjardins) usage-based program worth it?
The Personal offers Ajusto (Desjardins) (safe-driving discounts). It uses an app or device to measure how you actually drive. If you’re a calm, mostly-daytime driver it can meaningfully cut your premium; if you brake hard, drive late at night or rack up long distances, the savings shrink. Turn it on if your driving genuinely reflects low risk.
Can The Personal be trusted to pay out a claim?
On the evidence, yes: The Personal holds an AA (parent group) financial-strength rating from DBRS (2024) — an independent agency’s verdict on its ability to pay claims. No standalone P&C-entity rating; backed by Desjardins Group (DBRS AA). Presented as a group rating.
Who is The Personal car insurance a good fit for?
The Personal stands out for group & affinity members. Highest-ranked insurer in Quebec in the 2019 J.D. Power study (836), and exclusive group rates through employers and associations. If those things matter most to you, it’s worth a close look; if your priority is something else, compare it against the insurers that rate highest on that pillar.
What are the downsides of The Personal car insurance?
The watch-outs we found: only available if your employer/association is an affiliated group; no standalone P&C financial rating (group rating only). We spell these out so you can weigh them before buying — every insurer has trade-offs, and knowing them upfront is the point of a real review.
How does The Personal compare to other car insurers in Canada?
The Personal ranks #6 of the 10 insurers we scored, at 80/100. It’s strongest on financial strength and has the most room to improve on customer satisfaction. The highest-scoring insurer in our ratings is Intact Insurance (86.2/100).