Tuesday, May 25, 2010

5 Questions you should consider when finding an insurance agent

How do you choose an insurance agent? Do you compare only price? Having an insurance agent that is available 24/7 something you need? When you are looking for an insurance agent here are some things you should consider.
1) Does the agent have any designations? Insurance agents attend seminars as a requirement of their insurance license. However, when an insurance agent has a designation, that means that agent has attended classes to increased their knowledge of the industry through education. They do not take classes just to satisfy their license requirement.
2) Does the agent have access to coverages that you need? Does this agent only sell auto insurance? Does this agent sell life and health insurance? Do you really want several different agents handling your insurance needs?
3) Is this agent a "captive" agent, one that only represents one company? Is he/she an independent agent, one that represents more than one company?
4) Does this agent give you access to your insurance policies and coverages 24/7? In today's society, having after hours access to your information might be important.
5) Does this agent take the time to develope a relationship with you, or does he/she just want to make the sale and move on to the next client?
A good insurance agent is once that will listen to your needs, ask questions about your assets, review your current coverages, and make suggestions about coverages that you need to protect those assets. Price is important, but should not be the only reason you purchase your insurance coverage from your agent. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.