Do I Have to Have a Car Insurance Agent?

Q: Do I have to get insurance through a car insurance agent?

A: No, you don’t.

Thanks to the internet there are now plenty of opportunities for you to be able to purchase your own car insurance directly from insurance companies and because you are cutting out the middleman you will most likely save money by doing this also. However, by cutting out the car insurance agent you can also be harming yourself.

Car insurance agents are your insurance advocates. They know the field, they know the companies to put you with, and they know the claims process. They know when something doesn’t sound or look right with the numbers a claims adjuster is giving you. They know when your premium looks higher than it should be.

In a lot of cases, by cutting out the car insurance agent you may actually end up paying out more in premium or lost claim money than you would have paying the small commission that agents make from your premium.

I personally don’t have a car insurance agent, but I have also been in insurance for 12 years and know what I am doing. I know what discounts I qualify for, what coverages I need in my life to protect my current finances and what my vehicle’s worth is. I have even represented myself in the settlement process of a claim after a serious car accident, where I had to go through 9 months of physical therapy for multiple back injuries, because I know what you can claim under pain and suffering.

If you don’t know what you are doing, I would suggest sticking with a car insurance agent.