Does Your Insurance Agent Have Your Best Interests in Mind?

An insurance agent who has your best interests in mind will let you know if there is extra coverage that fits your needs but will never pressure you to purchase unnecessary policies. The qualities that make a good insurance agent are listening to customers’ needs and looking for the best rates and discounts for that policy. Learn more about choosing the right insurance agent with our guide below.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single insurance company.

Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

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Chris Tepedino is a feature writer that has written extensively about home, life, and car insurance for numerous websites. He has a college degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and has experience reporting, researching investigative pieces, and crafting detailed, data-driven features. His works have been featured on CB Blog Nation, Flow Words, Healing Law, WIBW Kansas, and C...

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Written by Chris Tepedino
Insurance Feature Writer Chris Tepedino

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance for 10 years. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate...

Full Bio →

Reviewed by Laura Walker
Former Licensed Agent Laura Walker

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single insurance company.

Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single insurance company.

Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

If you are serious about your insurance needs, you should probably speak with an agent directly over the phone rather than by just looking at your computer screen. But it is important to have an agent who cares about your needs and has the knowledge and resources to get you the policies you should have at a price you can afford.

Here are a few tips to help you know whether your insurance agent has your best interests in mind, or whether it’s time to shop around for another solution:

One way to be sure your agent is looking after your best interests is to go with an independent agent instead of one that is employed solely by one insurance company. Independent agents, instead of working for an insurance company, work directly for their customers; trying to find the best rates and looking for discounts that will help save you money.

Captive, or dedicated, agents work for one company, and their salary may not be dependent on keeping happy customers. Instead, a captive agent may be more interested in selling you policies you don’t need, or trying to convince you that you are getting the best rates on the market.

If your agent is constantly trying to sell you some new coverage or policy, it could be a sign that the agent is interested in making sales, but not in your needs.

An agent that is looking out for your best interests will let you know if there is a policy you need to have or extra coverage that fits your needs, but she may not push you to purchase policies that would not be of much help. It is a fine line between pushing insurance policies and making sure that your financial interests are being protected, but an agent that has your best interests at heart will do just that.

It is not so much that captive agents are working against you as the fact that they have fewer price schedules and insurance options to offer. Instead of picking among the policies and discounts offered by several different companies, the captive agent is locked into what he can offer and the breaks he is able to give you.

Next time you’re looking to compare insurance quotes, try using a few different agents in order to get the best price and service.

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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.

Chris Tepedino is a feature writer that has written extensively about home, life, and car insurance for numerous websites. He has a college degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and has experience reporting, researching investigative pieces, and crafting detailed, data-driven features. His works have been featured on CB Blog Nation, Flow Words, Healing Law, WIBW Kansas, and C...

Full Bio →

Written by Chris Tepedino
Insurance Feature Writer Chris Tepedino

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance for 10 years. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate...

Full Bio →

Reviewed by Laura Walker
Former Licensed Agent Laura Walker

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