I have been asked this question so many times. I wish I had a nickel for each, I could be rich. Let’s first look at the definition of “independent” from Webster’s. Independent means free from the influence or control of others, self governing, self reliant, etc. So, if we look at an independent insurance agent from this definition it means that you are working with an agent that is free from being tied to one insurance company or being owned by an insurance company. An agency where the insurance company owns the agency or is the sole company within an agency is known as a captive agent. An independent insurance agent usually owns his own agency and represents several different insurance companies within that agency. When working with an independent agent, he or she will have the ability to shop your insurance within the companies represented. If the agent has your insurance with one company and the premium goes way up for some reason, the “independent agent” has the ability to quote your insurance with the other companies within his agency to find you a better price. You might be saying, “and this is a good thing why”, this is why. Instead of you having to gather all your information and taking it to another agent or being on the phone for a day getting other quotes, the independent agent does this for you.
McCraw Insurance Agency, Inc. is an independent agency. We will take care of watching out for the premium increases for you. I recently called one of my clients because the premium on her auto insurance had crept up over several policy periods. I told her I was going to quote her coverage with the other companies that I represented to try and find her a better premium. She was in shock and said to me, “I have never had an insurance agent call and tell me they were going to find me a cheaper premium”. I was blessed to call her back in a couple of weeks and let her know that I could save her around two hundred dollars a year on her premium. We are committed to our clients at McCraw Insurance Agency, Inc. Check us out; you will be glad you did!