One thing that has often caused people to take pause is hearing that securing your insurance through an agency costs you more. It’s easy to understand why people might think this is true; in theory, you must pay the agent, too. This is where the misunderstanding lies, however. You aren’t paying the agent; the insurance carrier is through commission. So, in reality, you can actually save money on your insurance policies if you work with a qualified broker. Here’s how.

The Agent Knows the Exact Coverage You Need
Navigating through the maze of insurance policies and all of the additional riders offered can be confusing at best and downright frustrating at worst. It’s hard to understand exactly what it is you need. You might be tempted to say, “Forget it, I’ll just get the best coverage possible,” but in doing so, you are likely wasting a ton of precious money. Many policies have a lot of add-ons that won’t apply to your automobile, and there’s no sense paying for something you will never use.

When you sit down with an insurance agent, he or she will discuss your automobile and finances in detail. For example, an agent specializing in San Antonio auto insurance will be able to save you money if your vehicle is paid off. If you own your car or truck, you may only be required to carry collision insurance, which is less expensive than full coverage. An insurance agent will know exactly which policy and additional riders you need and which ones you don’t.
The Agent Knows How to Combine Your Policies
Once it’s determined the exact coverage you need, the agent will be able to save you more money if you have other automobiles, such as motorcycles and recreation vehicles. Some insurance companies will combine all of your vehicle coverage under one policy, which is known to save on premiums in the end. The agent can discuss which options are available for you, and he or she can also look into savings through your payment plans. In some cases, if you pay your annual premium all at once, you will realize significant discounts on all of your vehicle insurances.

The Agent Can Knows Which Companies Offer the Best Incentives
Finally, you see television commercials all the time saying this insurance company is cheaper than that one is, you’ll save money by securing your coverage online, and so on. These advertisements are biased to the company paying for the airtime, obviously, and only an agent can tell which company you will save the most money. He or she works directly with the insurance company, and he or she knows how to get you the savings you see on TV. It behooves the agent and the company to be competitive; otherwise, they lose customers.

When you work with an insurance agent, he or she will go to bat for you with the insurance company to get you the best policy for the least amount of money. It is in his or her best interest to secure your business long term. This is the only way he or she will succeed in his or her business. In addition, insurance companies make their agents aware of cost-savings incentives on a regular basis. You won’t realize an insurance company just began offering a huge incentive for new customers or senior drivers, but the insurance agent will.

When you take all of this into consideration, it’s easy to see how insurance agents will actually save you precious family finances, not cost you more. Their expertise lends you the knowledge you need to secure only the coverage you need at prices that include incentives. Enlist the help of an agent to get the “Insurance” line item on your family’s budget under control, and hit the road with the insurance coverage to ensure you are driving safe, sound, and protected in the event of an incident.