The intention of this article is to explain the advantages and disadvantages of selecting an established insurance company, versus the possibility of hiring the services of an independent company or agent.
There are many reasons why an independent insurer is the best option for your auto insurance needs. Independent agents have greater flexibility and possibilities to satisfy a greater variety of coverage than established agencies or agents.
In reality, most people trust established agents more, that is, those who work for a single company. They only promote and know the advantages of their insurer, since they provide services only to that company and not to several, as independent agents can do.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Choosing an Independent Insurance Agency or Agent
However, there are many advantages to choosing one online insurance agency. Insurance companies on the internet offer lower prices, although clients have to know very well how to manage their accounts and profiles on these digital sites. For example, you can select a prestigious company like State Farm, and have the advantages of an online insurer available to you at the same time. The State Farm website is designed to provide the best benefits to its customers, through the facilities of Internet navigation (24 hour consultation of offers, from anywhere in the world, etc.).
Price
Following these ideas, we can say that an independent insurance agent can offer more benefits than online insurance agencies and prestigious insurance companies combined. This can offer the lowest prices in the market, since it bases its calculations on the comparison of offers from different companies for which your agency works. Which gives you real elements to make comparisons between different payment installments.
Flexibility
The main advantage is that, unlike agents who work for an established company, independent agents work with several at the same time, thus offering more flexibility to their clients with the best opportunities.
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Selecting an independent agent also has its drawbacks. We explain to you, as these agents do not respond to the interests of a single company, it is possible that they do not fully know the rules, discounts, and other beneficial opportunities of all the insurers for which they work. Although it is true that they are kept up to date, because they are updated with the latest information from all companies, it is possible that they omit or forget key aspects that may be favorable for you, as they have to be aware of a large amount of data.
Branches near your residence
Another advantage of independent agents is that they are usually available in your area of residence. They can be your friends or neighbors, so help with car insurance issues will be accompanied by a personal touch. Here they have a strong advantage compared to online companies, where you may feel like just another buyer, or one of many, instead of a valuable customer (which is achieved with personalized attention).
The downside to this is that since these agents are local, they may not be familiar with the insurance requirements in the state as a whole, or at the nationwide level. Here the ones to win are the online agencies and those already established, since they operate on a larger scale.
However, clients prefer independent agents because they offer superior advantages over the other options discussed here: They are a combination of personalized assistance from local agents, with the freedom to choose between the benefits of different companies.
Precautions when selecting an independent agent
We suggest you be careful when selecting an independent agent. Part of their job is also to advertise the larger companies, while also representing many smaller ones. If you are thinking of opening your auto insurance policy with a specific company, you have to make sure you find the agent that represents only that company, since not everyone you find will necessarily have that responsibility.
Some agents may want to divert your attention to other companies. Here you should sit down and think like a customer. If you have good reasons for choosing a certain company, first visit their website and find their local agent. This is an excellent way to facilitate your search for insurance agents, as you will find someone who can truly explain the advantages and disadvantages of their insurer.
If, on the contrary, you are not interested in the services of a particular company, find an independent agent with whom you feel comfortable. You can find it by visiting various agencies or talking to their representatives. You should try to establish a good working relationship with your insurance agent, so that when you need help you can always count on their support and assistance.