The Role of Insurance Agents and Brokers

The Role of Insurance Agents and Brokers Insurance agents and brokers are experts that guide individuals and companies through the insurance world. Although both are intermediaries between consumers and insurers, they differ in roles and responsibilities. Being aware of the difference between agents and brokers will enable you to make sound judgments when selecting insurance products and services. 1. What is an Insurance Agent? An insurance agent is an individual who sells and services insurance policies for one or more insurance firms. Agents work for insurance firms and are generally paid in the form of commissions for selling policies. There are two main categories of insurance agents: Captive Agents: These agents represent only one insurance firm. They only sell policies of the insurer they work for. For instance, an agent employed by State Farm or Allstate is a captive agent. Captive agents tend to be highly knowledgeable about the products and services of their company. Inde...