When buying car insurance from an agent, there are different types of agents you can choose from. Agents who write with companies like State Farm and Farm Bureau Insurance are captive agents, which means they only write for one company. They do not have access to car insurance rates of any other companies, so they cannot comparison shop your coverage for you.
Independent agents, on the other hand, write for many different insurance companies. They may have contracts with companies such as Travelers, Nationwide, Allstate and many other smaller regional companies. When shopping for car insurance, independent agents can quote your coverage with several companies and get you the lowest rate possible with their companies. The do not have access to the captive company rates, so in order to get the most comprehensive rate comparison, it’s a good idea to get quotes from both captive and independent agents. Read the rest of this entry
