What is an Independent Agent?

An independent agent is an insurance sales agent that sells several insurance policies belonging to different companies. Rather than become an agent for a single insurance company, an independent agent works for multiple insurance companies and help them market or sell their insurance policies. There are varieties of insurance products or policies that an independent agent sells to individuals, the agent receives a commission for all the insurance policies sold. An independent owes no allegiance to any insurance company because he is not an employee of any of the insurance companies whose policies he sells.

What Does an Independent Agent Do?

An independent insurance agent acts optimally for the benefit of his clients, that his, the interest of the customers come first before the interest of the insurance companies. In order to offer clients the best insurance policies, they have the option of selecting from a wide range of insurance products or policies. An independent agent offers insurance products such as life insurance, health insurance, property insurance, automobile insurance, disability insurance, and other policies to individuals. The policies offered belong to different insurance companies and have different prices from which clients can select from. Generally, independent agents own their business and are not controlled by a particular insurance company. A captive agent is different from an independent agent, this insurance agent works for a single insurance company and can thereby lure clients into purchasing insurance policies that belong to the company they work for. Despite that independent agents sell insurance policies of many companies, the options they offer to clients are not totally without biases. Given that independent agents receive commission s from the insurance companies, there is a tendency that they act in favor on an insurance company that pays the highest commission. This means they offer their policies to clients first and try to convince them even before showing them other options.

Advantages of Independent Agents for Consumers

It is important to know that independent agents try to generate business for themselves, they own their business and act in the best interest of their clients. On of the major benefits of independent agents is that they offer several products with different quotes that clients can select from. Independent agents also provide advisory services to clients seeking to purchase insurance policies. They are experts and help clients choose the best policies that suit their insurance needs. As an individual that seeks to purchase an insurance policy, shopping with independent agents is the best because they offer more benefits than captive agents.

Related Topics

• Insurance Law (Intro)
• What is insurance?
• Captive Agent
• Independent Agent
• Captive Insurance Company
• Underwriter 
• Combined Ratio
• Claims Adjuster
• Capital at Risk
• Assigned Risk
• Contingency
• Incurred But Not Reported
• Actuary
• Qualified Actuary
• Cession (Re-Insurance)
• Burning Cost Ratio
• What is an insurance contract?
• Accidental Means
• Anti-stacking Provisions
• What is an insurable interest?
• What are the common categorizations of insurance?
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners
• Insurance Regulatory Information System
• American Academy of Actuaries Definition
• American Association of Insurance Services Definition
• American Council of Life Insurance Definition
• American Insurance Association Definition
• American Risk and Insurance Association Definition
• LLoyd's of London
• Associate in Insurance Services (AIS) Definition
• Associate in Loss Control Management Definition
• Associate in Marine Insurance Management Definition
• Associate in Personal Insurance Definition
• Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) Definition
• Associate in Risk Management Definition
• Associate in Commercial Underwriting Definition
• Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance Definition
• Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance Definition
• Chartered Insurance Professional Definition
• Chartered Life Underwriter Definition
• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Definition
• Vehicle insurancePrivate Passenger Auto Insurance Risk Profile
• Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage
• Omnibus Clause
• Health insurance
  
• Health Maintenance Organization
• Capitated Contract
• Point of Service Plan
• Children's Health Insurance Program
• Disability Insurance?
• Credit Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance?
• Cash Surrender Value
• Absolute Beneficiary
• Acceleration Life Insurance
• Accelerated Benefit
• Accelerated Option
• Accelerative Endowment
• Charitable Gift Life Insurance
• Incontestability Clause
• Waterfall Concept
• Annuitization
• Assumed Interest Rate
• Clean Sheeting
• Hazard Insurance 
• Homeowners, Renters, and Fire Insurance?
• Participating Community (Flood Insurance)
• Insurance Considerations for Business
• Business Liability Insurance
• Commercial General Liability
• Liability Risk Retention Act
• Excess Insurance and Umbrella Insurance Policy
• Business Interruption Insurance
• Key Person Insurance Definition
• Own-Occupation Policy
• Self-Funded Health Insurance Plan
• Basket Retention Policy
• Commercial Blanket Bond
• Alternative Risk Transfer Market Definition
• Commercial Property Casualty Market Index Survey
• What are the primary obligations of the insurer?
• Earned Premium
• Reservation of Rights Letter
• Subrogation
• Collateral Source Rule
• What are the primary obligations of the insured?
• Insurance Premium
• Cooperation Clause
  
• Coinsurance
• Co-Pay
• Affidavit of Loss
• What is the general structure of an insurance contract?
• Ambiguity Principle
• Accommodation Line
• What are the common disputed provisions in an insurance contract?
• Absolute Exclusion
• All Risks Clause
• What is required for the termination of an insurance contract?
• Risk Management
• Professional Risk Manager
• Associate in Management (AIM)
• Financial Risk Manager
• Forecasting (Business)
• Objective Probability
• Unconditional Probability
• Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
• Operational Risk
• Business Recovery Risk
• Political Risk
• Asset Protection
• Performance Bond
• Barra Risk Factor Analysis Definition
• Above Ground Risk (Mining Industry)
• Bumbershoot Policy (Maritime)
• Abandonment Clause (Boat or Vessel)
• Bobtail Liability Insurance (Trucking Industry)
• Anti-Indemnity Statute (Construction)