What are the benefits of having an insurance agent over a large insurance company?

Insurance Agent vs Insurance Company, which is best for you? First of all the independent local agents are that…local. You will probably know your insurance agent. The benefit of this is that the agent will be familiar with your life style, which is an important factor in tailoring your insurance program so it is perfect for you. A local agent will know the exposures in the area and be able to best protect your personal property and family in the event of a loss.  As a local agent, we are accustomed to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (MA RMV) guidelines, processes and fees.  We can also go to the registry for you…and we do not charge!

Local agencies also have the benefit of having walk-in services.  You can come visit us and sit down to talk about your policies or claims.  When you call in to our office during business hours you will always get a person answering your call, never any prompts or machines.

local insurance agent

The added benefit of an agent is that we can match you with an insurance company that most closely fits your insurance needs. Independent agents offer many different companies to write your insurance through. Every person or household has different exposures and there is a company out there that focus on your unique exposures.  With the large insurance companies they only offer their own insurance, which may not fit your needs perfectly.

As independent agent, we work for you rather than as an employee of one particular company.  So our interests are on our customers, not on making a parent company happy.

Insurance Policy Discounts

Are you getting the best deal on your insurance? Make sure you are taking full advantage of the discounts offered. One of the more common credits with your home and auto policies would be alarm systems. Other than the actual system and its capabilities, it shows the insurance company that you are concerned about protecting your personal property. Also, most companies will offer a significant discount when you insure both your auto and home with them, a multi-policy discount. When you have more than one policy with the same company it shows them that you have faith in them and their products. Loyalty is a big factor.

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Some other common discounts include, but are not limited to:

  • Everyone is “going green”, so if you eliminate the printing of your policy and have it emailed to you instead, you will receive a discount.
  • Low mileage discount, if you are more of a local area driver, this is the discount for you.
  • Pay your premium upfront and receive a discount.
  • If you are part of AAA or AARP, you will receive a discount.
  • Are you or your children on the honor roll? Receive a good student discount.
  • Business (commercial) insurance will enjoy similar discounts as personal insurance, such as alarm systems and larger deductibles.

By selecting a larger deductible on any type of policy, commercial or personal, you receive a discount. Again you are showing the insuring company that you are invested in protecting your property. If you know that you will have to pay the first $1,000 of a loss you are more likely to use extreme caution while driving and/or caring for your home/business.

In life and health insurance policies the better you take care of yourself, the more of a discount you receive. The most prevalent would be smoking. Non-smoker rates are considerably less than smoker rates. Your nutrition and health habits will determine the rates that the company uses to determine premiums. Eat a healthy diet and exercise and your rates will be better. The younger that you start a life insurance policy the better your rate will be also. Thinking about death at a young age is a daunting task, but it will prepare you for the future and guarantee better rates. So set up your life insurance now!

Always ask about additional discounts to ensure the best premium. Call us for more information! mancuso-nowak.com