
Originally Posted by
eddiememphis
I have some practical knowledge on insurance, having been a licensed agent for several years.
Insurance is pooled risk. We toss money into a pot and when someone needs it, they get it.
Your rates went up, not because your risk went up, but because the pot was running low, likely due to replacement cost. (Generally speaking, there are a lot of factors that go into it - that is why an insurance actuary makes a lot of money.)
My brother in law is an insurance agent.
He was with Farmers for several years. In 2008, he opened his own agency. He recruited me to help him get all the systems figured out.
Here is what I learned...
There are two types of agents. Independent and captive. A captive agent can only sell his company's insurance. Farmers, Allstate and several others.
An independent agent contracts with many more carriers. At least a dozen, Hartford, Safeco and most of your auto carriers like Progressive.
The advantage of an independent agent is he can shop your needs before renewal. A month or so before your current coverage expires, they send your info to all their carriers. It takes seconds to get the results. If you can save money by changing companies, great. If not, we will try again next year.
Home renews annually, cars usually 6 months, although you can buy annual terms as well.
Bundling home and auto usually saves you money, but not always- it depends on the carrier.
There is no reward for loyalty. Agents have very little influence on claims. Changing companies doesn't affect rates, unless you are buying shitty insurance with minimum coverage and have a lot of claims and DUIs and whatnot.
Find an independent agent that will shop you every year. It really does make a difference.
If you, or anyone, wants to talk to him, let me know.