Why You Should Choose an Independent Agent

While ads promising big savings on your insurance in exchange for just a few minutes of your time may seem enticing, it’s important to question what you may be losing for this "savings" and how comprehensive your coverage is if it's designed in only a few minutes time.

Price represents just one of many important factors in the insurance industry. In fact, finding the right coverage for your needs often involves research, but you don’t need to conduct this research alone. Instead, you can opt to work with an independent insurance agent, who will review many different insurance companies’ rates and coverage options to determine the best fit for you. You can try to save 15 percent on your insurance in 15 minutes, but here are 4 great reasons to consider working with an independent insurance agent instead:

1. Customer Service – If you have coverage questions, or worse, need to report a claim, would you rather reach an automated recording or an actual person when you call your insurance provider? More and more companies have switched to automated systems, often making it difficult and time consuming to reach the right person. However, at many independent insurance agencies, an actual person will still greet and assist you.  In the unfortunate event of a claim, your agent can help you report the claim as well as explain what exactly your policy covers. If you’ve experienced a significant loss, such as water damage to your business, your insurance agent can help you there as well, connecting you to a reputable remediation company right away.

2. Personal Shoppers – Working with an independent insurance agent can be compared to having a personal shopper.  Similar to the way in which a real estate agent sorts through properties to help you find your ideal home, an insurance agent reviews many different insurance companies’ rates and coverage options to help you secure policies that best suit your needs. You may believe that this comes at an additional cost to you, but independent agents do not add extra charges to insurance companies’ rates. So you can choose to work with an independent agent, who will handle your coverage needs, assist you with claims reporting and answer any questions you may have, from billing issues to coverage concerns, always advocating on your behalf, at no additional cost to you.

3. Community Involvement – In addition to assisting you, many independent insurance agents also actively help your local community.  As local business owners, many insurance agency principals place a strong emphasis on giving back to their communities. From sponsoring fundraisers and donating to local charities, to volunteering and serving as board members for non-profit organizations, there are many ways you may witness your local insurance agents giving back to the community, which can make you feel confident about your decision to do business with them.

4. Understanding – Independent insurance agents understand that insurance can seem complicated and confusing, especially when you don’t deal with it on a daily basis. For this reason, your personal insurance agent will work to ensure that you fully understand your coverage, from what is and is not included, to the deductibles and limits you should carry.  After you purchase your policies, an independent agent’s work isn’t over – instead, he/she is available year-round to help answer all your questions, update your policy, and make coverage recommendations.