Do you have an insurance agent?

I do, but he's independant and can shop a few for me. I hate how much insurance is here soI may start shopping around for stuff he can't offer to save some money.

i use to some 20 years ago. i had an issue i was trying to resolve. everytime i called his office the secretary told me he wasn't there and i would leave a msg.. this happened a few times never getting a call back,. finally i called and when the same thing happen i asked her to leave a mag for me that i was dropping him and sure enough she asked me to hold because he just walked in lol. i got to tell him for frick off.

I have no idea if your wife is right or not.

I just can’t pass on an opportunity to say frick State Farm with an aids infected bucked of dicks.

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s amazing how State Farm has been able to lock down a generation of Boomers and Gen X.

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Ive been trying to get my parents to shop around for 10 years. They are paranoid about some companies not paying out for hurricanes

What, specifically, does the agent do for you?

I've had USAA for almost 2 decades and I've never once had an issue calling their 1-800 number.

Buying a policy through a call center and through a local agent is going to be the same "cost structure".
You aren't saving money by avoiding the agent's commission.

Sometimes, buying direct online can provide an "online" discount which is effectively removing a first year commission.
But shopping online is the trigger for telemarketing. That is where lead generation occurs and why both legitimate and illegitimate telemarketing calls start flooding in.

Not every company offers the "online" discount. And you are hoping that their best rate is still better than the other marketable offers in your state. Are you that company's target market? If yes, there is a 20% chance that they are the best rate.

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What, specifically, does the agent do for you?

I've had USAA for almost 2 decades and I've never once had an issue calling their 1-800 number.

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The primary function of the agent is to shop insurance.

You have had USAA for 2 decades. How many different sets of auto insurance policy numbers have you had?
An agent can shop your own insurance again to make sure that your "grandfathered" policy is better than new policy offerings (new rating models. New coverages. New discount options).

Or conversely, an agent can tell you why your grandfathered policy is better than new policy offerings (coverages you have which are no longer offered. What do you give up to receive the savings on a new policy that you can never get back after policy cancellation).

The second function of the agent is to explain coverages and processes.
A good call center rep can do the same thing.
But there are also call center reps (both sales and service) who know they will never speak to you again and have little accountability. That is where the industry gets a black eye. People saying what you want to hear and not the truth.

USAA is a good company.
Customers have mixed perceptions of them. Some are angry when they stopped writing officers only and letting general pop into the policyholder rolls. "Things were better back in the old days" doesn't mean that things are not good now. It is just a comparison.

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We are currently insured with State Farm through a local State Farm agent. Wife says we pay more in insurance because of it. Not sure if she’s right about that. I am an old school guy who has always had an agent. We are getting ready to move and this may be a good time to forego an agent.

Thoughts?

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your wife is stealing way more of your money than your agent.

Yea SF is expensive. I went independent too - Zach Davis with Goosehead. Had a ton of options for me to choose from and saved me a bunch of money. Great dude too.

State Farm has a lot of older agents still under contract who have the old, much more lucrative contract. These agents aren't retiring because they're making a ton of money in commissions and residuals. The contracts they offer their agents nowadays are much lower and have some more accountability tied to them. Once those older agents die off, State Farm's rates will still be high as giraffe pussy.


Y'all thought I was going to say there's light at the end of the tunnel, huh? Newsflash: all property & casualty insurance in Louisiana is expensive and it doesn't matter what company you're with. Shop around to independent brokers to get the best rate.