Becoming an Independent Insurance Agent

[arnguy]

..................

Shame on you, Paul! You got caught being discourteous, but perhaps truthful!

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Shame on you, Paul! You got caught being discourteous, but perhaps truthful!

hahahaha! Sometimes the truth hurts arn!

Even though he probably can't spell it, I'm sure Rosenthal whined like a little girl (again), and he had to placate him. Talk about "selective enforcement" - if Sam deleted all of the "gratuitous nastiness" posts, there wouldn't be much left of the Forum!

 

[Fisher]

Last edited by Sam : 06-07-2010 at 08:26 PM. Reason: edited for gratuitous nastiness

Hmmm... I've heard of gratuitous nakedness (of which I am a huge fan) but gratuitous nastiness? That's a new one on me.

 

[Suis]

I just read this thread and it was very helpful. I wish I had found this forum sooner - especially the advice on the general agent.

 

[avaloninsurance]

I have been a captive agent for three years with a Farm Bureau company. I am looking to open my own independent agency where I live. Will I be able to work out of my house in the beginning selling p & c or should I bite the bullet and get a office space?

Yes you can work from home. You may find that some companies will not want to appoint you until you get an office space/store front, however most that I work through have been willing to work with my situation. For those that are not I have been fortunate enough to establish brokering agency partnerships where I write through another agency for that company and we split the commission. As far as clients, over the last year that I have done this, none have complained about me working from home. If they want to meet face to face I either go to their home or we meet at Starbucks/the library. Since I work from home I offer extended hours for my clients (until 8 pm and Saturdays) which a lot of blue collar people like. If I had an office I would not be able to (or want to) offer these extended hours. Besides a majority of my clients prefer dealing either by fax, email or phone. Less than 15% want a face to face interaction.

 

[batkins]

I just became a licensed P&C insurance agent/producer in Missouri. I have been licensed for life & health for about 7 years. I am considering going full-time with my insurance business. It has only been a sideline for my tax preparation and bookkeeping business with approx. 1000 clients these past few years. I already have an office located in town and am looking into becoming an independent agent/producer and trying to develop my insurance business with some of my present business contacts. Many of my clients have already said they would like to have me as their auto & home insurance agent. Any suggestions as to whether to go with SIAA, Superior Access or some other company that can connect me with multiple inurance companies. I know there are some upfront fees and other financial obligations if I join with them. Wonder if it is worth the cost. Or, would it be better to try and personally contract with a few good companies on my own? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Ecnarusni10]

Batkins:
I have been compiling this running list of companies that might be able to help you. There might be more I don't know about. (I don't have the required number of posts to present them as links, but you'll be able to find most of them through Google searches.) They are listed in alphabetical order.

Agents Advantage
CPS Insurance Services
Global Green
Insurance Noodle
The Iroquois Group
Keystone Insurers
market Source
NLink Suite (Networked Insurance Agents)
SAN group - Satellite Agency Network
SIAA
Security Insurance
Smart Choice
Southern Insurance Group
Superior Access
TAPCO Underwriters, Inc.
The ISU Network

 

[batkins]

Thanks for the info. I will start checking some of them out thru a Google search. Does anyone have any experience with any of them?

 

[luis.stevens]

Health Agent, You have done a wonderful job by starting this thread. I am impressed and would like to congratulate you. The discussion on this forum has given me lot of insight on the insurance business.

 

[Ecnarusni10]

I decided to reorganize my running list of companies that serve as insurance networks for independent agents. I decided to put them in order of their Web sites' Google ranking. I don't know what that indicates, but it shows which ones people are looking into most. Whether that means they are better than those beneath them on the list … I have no idea. There might be more companies I don't know about. (I don't have the required number of posts to present them as links, but you'll be able to find most of them through Google searches.)

The Iroquois Group
Superior Access
CPS Insurance Services
SIAA
TAPCO Underwriters, Inc.
SAN group - Satellite Agency Network
Keystone Insurers
Smart Choice
Insurance Noodle
Agent Secure
Agents Advantage
The ISU Network
NLink Suite (Networked Insurance Agents)
Deforest
Southern Insurance Group
Security Insurance
Global Green
Market Source