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youchasechickens t1_iugiadt wrote

On the topic of insurance, has anybody used an independent insurance agent to shop around for you? My home and auto are up for renewal next month and I don't really want to deal with the headache of sifting through 20 different quotes.

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JoeyJoeJoeSenior t1_iugjy5d wrote

I do sometimes. Might as well let them do most of the legwork and see what they can do. Recently my guy found me a regional company with a better rate than my already cheap Progressive policy.

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youchasechickens t1_iugl45f wrote

Do you just start by googling independent insurance agents in your area and reach out to a few of them? Anything good or bad to look out for?

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JoeyJoeJoeSenior t1_iugmd8t wrote

Yeah google or word of mouth recommendations. I'd say just don't let them pressure you into anything - they are salesman so some might be aggressive.

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jpmoney t1_iuhvr3f wrote

The independent guys should be like a financial advisor in that they should be asking you questions about the whole picture. Does an umbrella policy make sense? What are your goals - cheapest or best coverage for your family, etc. They'll be sales-y, but thats expected... just without pressure.

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The_Bitter_Bear t1_iuhum26 wrote

I use an independent agent and would recommend it, particularly if you have multiple insurance needs.

They shop around every year when I am up for renewal. They go through and discuss my coverage in detail with me if I change anything, that is one thing I like particular. They actually know about me and my day to day life so they make sure I'm not underinsured. Also, when there is an issue I have someone who will help with all the paperwork and let me know what I need to do. Even when someone hit my car and it was on their insurance, my broker handled dealing with their insurance for me to ensure they paid for everything they were supposed to.

I have checked what I was paying against going directly to places like progressive and they have never beaten what I pay unless they are reducing my coverage on something.

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jpmoney t1_iuhvyiz wrote

I found the same, especially when you're into umbrella policies. The stage in life where they make sense easily coincides with appreciating the help and legwork they do for you.

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The_Bitter_Bear t1_iuhwc9l wrote

Agreed. I finally got to a point where having "people" for some stuff is just worth it, even if it costs a little more. With insurance you usually end up paying less, hell even if I just get the same deal or really close that's a hell of a value with the additional support I get.

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asatrocker t1_iui2idy wrote

If you’ve bought a home recently, your realtor likely knows an insurance agent/broker that can shop around for you

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canzicrans t1_iui7obl wrote

I did this in NY because some of the carriers I was interested in did not write policies themselves. I ended up saving over $2K per year over GEICO with the carrier I used for 2 cars (for my wife and I), with hugely increased coverage, and we have a perfect driving record! I also ended up getting a very affordable umbrella policy and renter's insurance through the same agent. I have been very happy with the experience, and make the agent re-quote me every year (which everyone should do, never stick with the same insurer if you can get a cheaper price for the same coverage)!

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ghalta t1_iujcbak wrote

A long time back, after the first time I used and was burnt by an online insurance company, I sought out and used a hyper local independent rep. They found me insurance that was cheaper the place I came in wanted them to buy for me, but of course by the time I looked around myself a couple years later, I could find plenty of online places that were cheaper still.

Plus, they moved their office from in my neighborhood to a town 30 minutes away, presumably closer to their house and with lower office rent. When I called to cancel and was asked why, I told them that I wanted a local agent and they weren't local anymore, and the secretary just said "yes, I understand" with a resigned voice and processed the cancellation.

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Ham_Council t1_iujdqtd wrote

Disclaimer: Am Independent Agent on Commercial side of things.

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You absolutely should. It costs you nothing but 30 minutes of your time giving them info. They have comparative raters and can run your account across a dozen companies in a few minutes. Just check around with reviews and make sure you don't pick an agent that will do anything to your coverages to just get the business. Those are bad people.

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Due-Zombie-9549 t1_iui6z5x wrote

I did when I got my house. Surprised by how well it worked out too. They got me discounts on the house especially because they went through all the little details that could affect repairs like flooring type and when were upgrades done for me. It saved me at least a couple hours of work and I like that they put it into escrow for me so I don't have to think about anything additional beyond printing my info. I did check some of their findings against online pricing portals and they did get more coverage for me for less money compare to those results. I used a company that does flat rate for the broker, not a percentage of insurance cost, and I'll likely use them again when I get next years rates assuming cost still increasing.

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