Switching Insurance Agents

Three Steps To Switching Agents & Reasons Why You Should

How to switch insurance agents.

What happens when you’re ready to switch insurance agents? If something happens at your local insurance office and you’re no longer comfortable dealing with the same people, it may be time to look somewhere else.

Many companies still use the agency-model for selling and servicing policies. State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide, & Farmers are major auto insurers that still use local agents. That means if you want to get insurance from these companies, you are usually dealing with a local agent. There are now exceptions to that rule, but that’s still the norm.

Reasons to Switch Agents

There are a couple of good reasons you might want to look for another agent. For one, you have a bad experience with the agency. For instance, the agency staff may speak to you in condescending tones any time you have a problem. Or it may take awhile for you to get new insurance cards if you lose them.

Bad service on a consistent basis is a good reason to leave your current insurance agent. Agents are paid a commission on every policy they sell and service. If your agent doesn’t respect the person who pays their bills (you), it’s probably time to take your business elsewhere.

Another reason to switch agents is after a move. If you’ve moved out-of-state, state insurance laws usually require you to update your policy within 30-days after relocating. Contact a local agent in your new town, preferably one close to your home or place of business. You may also want to get quotes from other companies – auto insurance prices vary state-to-state and your current insurer may be higher in your new state.

In-State moves are different. If you move somewhere else in the same state, you can usually keep your same insurance agent. However, many people like the convenience factor of a local agency. If you like having someone close-by, then contact a local agency and initiate the process.

Three Steps To Switching Insurance Agents

It’s easy to switch insurance agents while staying with the same insurance company. If you’re ready to switch agents or transfer your policies, there are three steps to follow…

1) Contact Your Current Insurance Agency

I know this may be an uncomfortable step, especially if it’s a bad service issue. But your current agent should know why you want to leave. Other agencies sometimes encourage customers to leave their current agencies – and you want to reassure them that is not the case.

You can contact your current agent by phone or email. After you let them know, ask them what you need to do to transfer your policies to another agent. They may want to discuss it – that’s why it may be easier to just send an email.

2) Contact Your New Insurance Agency

As you might imagine, your current agent is usually not in a hurry to release your policies – especially if it’s for a bad service issue. That’s why you should contact your new insurance agency on the same day. That way you have two parties involved in the process. If your current agent doesn’t handle it, your new agent will usually make it happen.

3) Check On the Progress

The last thing you want to do is check on the transfer. Companies vary on how long it takes to transfer policies – from a few days to a few weeks. But it should not take longer than a month. Contact your new agent after a few weeks just to make sure it’s complete. If it’s finished, it may be a good time for a quick review to make sure everything is in order.