There are couple different ways to buy insurance products: directly from the insurance companies themselves and through an independent insurance company that offers products from those companies. While “cutting out the middleman” has been viewed as a cheaper way to buy products, this is not the case when it comes to insurance. Here are 5 reasons why using an independent insurance agency is better than buying directly from an insurance company:
1. Saving money and Time
Instead of providing you with an instant rate, an independent insurance agency takes a look at your specific situation whether personal or business. They take the time to familiarize themselves with you or your business to ensure that their coverage will protect you and your assets sufficiently in the event of a claim. Having multiple different insurance options to choose from, they can find a policy that has the best combination of price, coverage, and service for you personally.
2. One-Stop Shopping
Every independent insurance agency has a variety of insurance products, but most will offer a range of products for auto, home, rental, life, business, and flood insurance. This makes it easy to take care of all of your coverage needs, all in one place. This helps keep you organized. For example, if you are a small business owner, it is likely that you would be able to secure business insurance coverage from the same agency that insures your car and home.
3. Committed to You
To an independent insurance agency, a customer isn’t just another number. Agents work to make sure you fully understand your coverage. They will be there for you year-round when you have a question or need to update your policy. Also, if problems would arise, they would be the ones calling the insurance company rather than you.
4. Less Risk
Another reason why choosing an independent insurance agency is better, is because it’s safer. When a mistake is made, the agent will likely be liable for malpractice. As an example, if they were to sell you an insurance policy that was supposed to meet your needs but does not, it will not affect you. This would be the agent’s issue and you would not be affected financially. This would not be the case if you were to purchase directly from the insurance company.
5. Local Knowledge
When buying insurance from an independent insurance agency, they will be located in your local area or even in the town in which you live. This is helpful to you because it is convenient, but they also will have knowledge about which insurance products are best for the local area. For example, your agent will probably know which local areas are the most prone to floods. They could easily recommend having or not having flood insurance based on their knowledge of the area. They will have experience from past or current customers of which policies are best for your area or state. Being local, many companies will also be giving back to the community as well. Many will put on or sponsor events and fundraisers where you live, and this will make you feel good about doing business with them.
Overall, there is nothing wrong with buying directly from insurance companies, but when you do there is more risk. They also would not have lots of knowledge about your specific area, which an independent insurance agency likely would. They are committed to you, save you time and money, and make it much simpler to buy multiple products all in one place. If you have any other questions regarding the process of buying through an independent insurance agency, give us a call! We would love to help get you covered for any accidents that could occur in the future.
