Walk into a branded insurance office in a strip mall and you’re probably talking to a captive agent. Call a local agency with a dozen carrier logos on its website and you’re probably talking to an independent one. Same license, very different job.
| Captive agent | Independent agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Represents | One insurance company | Several insurance companies |
| Can offer | That company’s policies | Options across many carriers |
| When your price jumps | Adjusts within that company | Shops the market again |
| Name on the door | A big national brand | The agency’s own |
Captive agents sell for one company, usually one of the big national names with neighborhood offices. They know those products cold and often come with slick apps and a lot of marketing behind them. If you love that company and it prices you well, great. The catch is that when it isn’t the right fit, they can’t show you anyone else.
Independent agents, often called brokers, work with a lineup of carriers. They compare several companies up front and can shop again at renewal without you changing agents. That matters most when your situation is a little unusual, like a high-value home, a business with odd risks, a few dings on your driving record, or an Aspen home that some carriers won’t touch. That’s usually when one company says no and another says yes.
That’s our side of the fence. Uncle Sheldon Insurance Brokers is independent, set up as a concierge insurance agency, so we’d rather know your whole picture than sell you one policy and disappear.
Neither one costs more because of the agent. The premium comes from the carrier either way. With an independent agent, you just get to see more than one price tag.