We know you don’t want to overpay for insurance. That’s why when you’re shopping for new policies or a new insurance company in Bentonville, AR, it’s a good idea to use an insurance agent.
An insurance agent is the middleman (or woman, or person) between you and the insurance company. Their job is to find policies that fit your needs as well as your budget.
You may be wondering how to go about finding an insurance agent in Bentonville, AR. That’s why we created this guide! Keep reading to learn what makes an insurance agent good or bad, and where to find the best one.
What Makes A Good Insurance Agent?
A good insurance agent should be able to provide you with a wide range of insurance choices, fast quotes, and expert yet objective advice. Keeping all that in mind, we recommend you work with an independent insurance agent.
Independent insurance agents don’t work for any specific insurance company. Instead, they represent several at one time. This gives them a wide range of rates and policies to offer you so you can simply pick the one you like best.
Does being independent mean that this type of agent is not an expert? Absolutely not. They are licensed, which means they have passed a licensure examination and are allowed to sell you insurance products. They are also knowledgeable in their field and will offer objective advice that they believe will benefit you, rather than try to sell you something that is outside your price range.
Another thing that makes independent agents good at what they do is that you can request quotes and compare rates with them at all times. This allows you to shop for insurance on your own time, rather than waiting for the agent to get back into the office.
What Makes A Bad Insurance Agent?
Another type of insurance agent in Bentonville, Arkansas which you may find, called a captive agent, represents only one insurance company. This means they can’t offer you as many options, and it may be harder for you to find a policy or a rate that suits your unique needs.
A captive agent isn’t bad, per se. But you could be missing out on a great deal by locking yourself into working with one specific insurance company.
Furthermore, any advice that a captive agent may offer you is usually designed to get you to buy more of their company’s policies. Even though the agent is licensed and knowledgeable, their commissions depend on them making a sale, so they will try to make one with you whether or not it’s an advisable financial move on your part.
Finally, a captive agent is simply not as available as an independent agent. They have regular office hours, so you can’t always reach them when it’s convenient for you.
In the end, what makes captive agents “bad” is they don’t always have your best interests at heart. This is why an independent agent is a far better partner to work with if you want to find better insurance policies at cheaper rates.
What Is The Difference Between An Insurance Agent And An Insurance Broker?
As you shop for insurance agents to work with, you may come across the term “insurance broker.”
It’s important for you to know that an agent and a broker are not the same. A broker works between the person buying insurance and the insurance agent. Their job is to find the best rate and policy for your needs, and then the agent will sell it to you.
Insurance brokers work with both independent and captive agents. If you’ve bought insurance before, then you probably worked directly with a broker to set up your policies, payment plans, etc.
It’s important to know the difference between brokers and agents so that when you find an insurance agent you want to work with, you understand that you may not be dealing with them directly. You also now know to search specifically for insurance agents, because a broker is simply the middleman and can’t actually sell you insurance on their own.
Where To Find A Good Insurance Agent In Bentonville AR
There’s no need to look for a good insurance agent in Bentonville, Arkansas. You’ve already found one!
G&G Independent Insurance embodies all the qualities that you should look for in an insurance agent. We’re independent, we provide insurance rate quotes from over 50 different companies, we’re licensed and knowledgeable, and you can get a quote from us at any time!
Call G&G today or get a free quote here.
