There are three main ways to shop and buy insurance for your car, and there are pros and cons to each. Online shopping and purchasing offers very convenient 24 hour ability to manage your insurance with keyboard strokes and mouse clicks. The only way to receive an accurate quote is by providing personal information such as your full name, address, phone number, date of birth, and social security number. Entering your personal information on the worldwide web is a hazard. Another problem with this method of quoting and buying is the inability to take advantage of a knowledgeable "live" insurance agent. Each auto insurance company has their proprietary method for segmenting or categorizing their rates into different tiers. Each tier determines the price that is applied, to the options chosen, on an auto insurance policy. A mouse, keyboard, and interactive software will not inform you of which options to select, for access to the lowest price tiers.
A captive insurance agent is one that represents a single company such as Allstate. Captive agents from reputable companies go through a rigorous screening process before they are allowed to represent the company. They are professional trusted advisors who are thoroughly trained and managed by their companies. Captive agents know how their companies tiering system works "hands down" and will apply that knowledge to individual circumstances to gain the lowest price. The Allstate agent, and other captive agents, only represent one company and will not provide you with a comparison price from other top companies.
Independent insurance agencies represent a variety of companies. If the independent agency represents well established, highly rated companies, such as Progressive, AIG, Mercury, Travelers, etc... then this agency has undergone a thorough screening process. A good independent agency will find you the right company with their lowest price tier, providing the best value for your auto insurance policy. Also, a good independent agency will provide this service at each renewal interval or when a substantial change to your policy, like adding a youthful operator, affects the price.
No comments:
Post a Comment