Shopping for Auto Insurance, Start With an Indpendent Insurance Agent

Here are 10 great reasons to choose an independent insurance agent when shopping for auto insurance.

So, you’re ready to start shopping for auto insurance, business insurance or home insurance, you do have choices.

You can select a captive insurance agent (an agent who represents only one insurance group), or an independent insurance agent (an agent who represent several insurance companies) or you can go online and shop for auto insurance one your own. Regardless of how you elect to shop for auto insurance, you can find an options that works.

Shopping for auto insurance with an independent insurance agent

One way to shop for auto insurance is with an independent insurance agent. This is, in many circles, the least understood and often under valued way to shop for auto insurance.

Shopping for auto insurance with an independent insurance agent is more efficient, provides you real choice, and you can get the same level of protection with great, well known, insurance companies.

10 Great Reasons to shop for auto insurance with an independent insurance agent:

• Independent Insurance agents are allowed to represent several insurance carriers, providing the consumer a more efficient shopping experience.
• Insurance companies that sell through the independent agent system are just as good, and frequently better, than those represented by captive insurance agents.
• Independent insurance agents are licensed professionals with exceptional training, and can provide you the same, and in many instances better professional services than the captive agents or the direct, online insurance companies.
• Independent insurance agents are frequently local, small businesses and members of your community.  They’re your neighbors. An independent insurance agent can relate to you and individualize your protection.
• Because independent insurance agents represent several insurance companies, they are not only more efficient, but can more effectively build you an individual plan, sometimes matching the rates and coverage of two or more companies to get you the best value.
• Insurance companies who write through independent insurance agents are frequently setup with better technology; this is because they compete to get the attention of the independent agent, so they create better technology to make the process, payments, claims, and policy issuance very easy.
• Insurance companies that write through the independent insurance agency system are just as financially secure as those sold through captive agents (e.g. Travelers Insurance is A+ Rated with AM Best and MetLife has over $1 Trillion in captal).
• Independent insurance agents can offer you online quotes. In many instances the insurance companies that write with independent insurance agents offer online quote widgets for the agent’s website. Here is one offered to this insurance agency from Mercury Insurance. This allows you to see what the rates might be before you call your agent. Note: It is always best to call the agent after you get the quote as they will understand the underwriting rules better, and may be able to get you more discounts.
• Independent insurance agents are trained in the same consultative sales techniques as the captive agents and can provide you the same professional review and consultation. As a matter of fact, many independent insurance agents are former captive agents who have become independent to expand the value they offer their clients.
• Insurance companies that offer their products through independent agents don’t spend as much on advertising and are able to translate the expense savings to lower rates than the insurance companies that offer their product in a captive agent distribution.

So there you have it, ten (10) excellent reasons shop for auto insurance with an independent insurance agent.

So where will you shop?

Convinced to use an independent insurance agent when shopping for auto insurance?

IronPoint Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency and we represent great insurance companies.  Call us at (877) 334-7646 or get an auto insurance quote online.