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To get a Insurance Quote online by using
a secure form, go HERE.
Suggestions for Finding a Company Representative
After conducting comparison research in the areas of
price, service and a company's financial strength, you
may wish to speak with a company representative. Here
are a few tips to help you locate an agent in your area.
Try calling the company directly. A phone number for
each company is provided at the beginning of each company
profile. The yellow pages are also an excellent resource
for local information on agents.
Check the company website for agent information. Many
companies have an interactive agent locator which provides
the address and phone number of your local agent.
Contact an agent association. These associations
will assist you in finding a local agent:
American Agents Alliance (626) 795-0519
Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (800) 772-8998
Latin American Agents Association (626) 444-0999
Western Insurance Agents Association (800) 553-4221
Before making a decision . . .
Once you find an individual in your area, it is important
to check their license status. Using an agent's name
or insurance license number, you can obtain valuable
information concerning their licensing history with
Department of Insurance. All insurance agents
and brokers licensed in must display their
license number on their business cards and any marketing
material they give you concerning the insurance products
they sell.
Methods of Product Distribution
Insurance companies generally employ four methods for
distributing and servicing their products. These include
using captive or independent agents (sometimes both),
an insurance broker, or selling directly to you though
their own employees. It is important that you understand
and are comfortable with the sales and service approaches
of a company prior to purchasing insurance.
In , all insurance agents and brokers selling
residential homeowners insurance must be licensed as
a Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent by the Department
of Insurance. While all agents and brokers (collectively
known as "producers") hold the same type of
license, they may act in different capacities which
affect how you purchase your insurance.
The following are desciptions of the four basic distribution
methods. These and other useful terms can be found in
our glossary.
Captive Agent
A broker-agent acting as a captive agent represents
a single insurer, or single fleet of insurers, and is
obligated to submit business only to that company or,
at the very minimum, give that company first refusal
rights on a sale.
Insurance Broker
A broker-agent acting in the capacity of an insurance
broker is an independent insurance sales person who
searches the marketplace in the interests of clients,
not insurance companies, and may place coverage with
any admitted insurance company. Since brokers are not
appointed to represent specific insurance companies,
they must post a $10,000 bond before acting as a broker.
Broker bonds can be verified on this website with the
broker's name or license number.
Independent Agent
A broker-agent acting as an indendent agent is a contractor
who represents different insurance companies and who
searches the market for the best coverage based on a
client's insurance needs. Independent agents must be
appointed by each insurance company they represent before
placing coverage with that company. Agent appointments
can be verified on this website with the agent's name
or license number.
Direct Writer
Direct writing is a method of selling insurance directly
to customers through a company's own employees, usually
via mail or telephone solicitations, or at airport booths.
Agents and brokers are not used in this method of product
distribution.
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