Progressive, Geico, Esurance, 21st Century, The General, Amica, USAA, Unitrin Direct, GMAC Online, all sell insurance directly to the public without the personal service of an agent. Are these insurance companies cheaper because they don’t pay commissions? Is the price low because they cut back on service, and low ball you or refuse to pay claims?

This blog post will tell you what you need to know about insurance companies selling auto insurance & home insurance direct to the public, and decide whether insuring with an insurance company without a local agent is a smart decision for you.

As I said in yesterday’s blog post, the personal service provided by local insurance agents is usually not worth paying more for your insurance. You are not anymore likely to have the coverage you need, good claims service, and the best price the company can offer you, if you buy from an agent or buy direct from the insurance company.

Wise insurance consumers educate themselves about the coverage available, and shop with all the leading insurance companies, to get the best combination of price and service for the coverage they need. Don’t get ripped off by paying too much, or not having the coverage you need when you have a claim.

The good news about buying insurance direct is you don’t get worse service than having an agent. In fact, USAA and Amica insurance don’t have agents, and they are usually at the top of the annual JD Power auto insurance & homeowners insurance customer satisfaction studies, out-scoring many insurance companies using agents.

The bad news is buying direct, without paying an agent commission, does not mean lower rates.

The commission insurance companies pay agents is only one of many marketing expenses costing insurance companies money. Agent commissions are not excessive for auto or home insurance, often being only 10% of the premium. Common sense may tell you an insurance company not paying a 10% commission to an agent should be 10% lower than insurance sold through agents.

But insurance companies without agents have other expenses. They pay salaried salespeople, and pay for their employee benefits, like health insurance, to staff their call centers. Insurance companies selling direct have to advertise a lot more to get their call center phones to ring, where insurance companies using agents have their agents get customers and market for them. Companies using agents sometimes have less marketing expenses, even though they pay commissions, than insurance companies selling direct to the public.

It is very possible the insurance company with the best price for you has a local agent. Buying direct does not mean low rates. The last time I shopped my auto insurance, the lowest prices I received were from Progressive (sells direct), Esurance (sells direct), and Metlife (sells through agents).

Now, the insurance companies having a good or poor rate for me does not mean they have a good or poor rate for you, but Amica (sells direct), Allstate (sells through agents) and Pemco (sells direct) had very high rates for me, compared to the lower quotes I received. State Farm (sells through agents), Safeco (sells through agents), Travelers (sells through agents) & Geico were in the middle.

Which insurance company has the best rates for you depends on where you live and your situation. Progressive has a great auto insurance rate for me, and Allstate does not have a good rate for me. But I have sold auto insurance for Allstate, and for some customers, I could easily beat Progressive’s auto insurance rates.

No one can tell you which insurance company will have the lowest rate for you. This is why I recommend shopping with all the leading insurance companies to find the company with the best rates for you.

However, some insurance companies selling auto insurance direct to the public, try to gain more customers by competing on price, since they can’t offer personal service. Many drivers may find Geico, Progressive, iMingle, or Esurance have the best rate for them.

Progressive and Geico are among the fastest growing auto insurance companies over the last 10 to 15 years. They have done this by extensive advertising and low pricing.

So, shop with all the leading insurance companies to find the lowest priced insurance companies for you. If you get a low price with a local agent, from an insurance company with a good reputation for customer service, it will be your best option.

But it’s not unlikely an insurance company selling direct to the public will have the best price for you.

Here are some things to consider to decide if buying insurance direct is a good choice for you:

1. Use the information on my website to make sure you are likely to receive good customer service.

A good agent can help you get good service from a mediocre insurance company. Buying direct from an insurance company with so-so service can be a nightmare to deal with on your own.

2. If you need to pay for your insurance in cash, you need a local agent to accept payment and give you a receipt.

3. Do you need personal service?

Even though I don’t think its worth paying more for your insurance, some people don’t mind paying more to meet with someone face-to face to discuss their insurance needs. Insurance is complicated, and having an agent can make it easier for you.

But remember, agents can’t make your insurance decisions for you. You need to understand your coverage and options. Getting opinions from other agents and insurance companies can help you avoid paying too much and having the proper coverage when you need it.

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