When finding a good Brookhaven agent, you can always begin your search by comparing rates online rather than looking in the yellowpages. It’s assumed you’re not only searching for a decent agent, but you also need great rates as well.
With companies like American Family, Allstate, State Farm and Farmers having offices in Brookhaven, it can be hard to know which car insurance agent will give you the best service and rates. To help decide, consumers can get online quotes in order to build a list of agencies from which to choose.
Brookhaven agents and online quotes
Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local businesses is especially important in Brookhaven.
After completing this quick form, your information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Brookhaven who will battle to get your business. You won’t need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates and work with a local agent.
Do you need an independent or captive car insurance agent?
When researching a reliable agent, there are a couple of types of agencies from which to choose. Agencies in Brookhaven are classified as either captive or independent.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.Most can insure with different regional companies who may have lower rates.
Agency Captives
This type of agents can only write with one company such as Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. They receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents partially due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below is a short list of captive agents in Brookhaven who can help you get rate quotes.
- Allstate Insurance Co – 2470 Montauk Hwy – Brookhaven, NY 11719 – (631) 286-6000
To view a complete directory of Brookhaven captive insurance agents, go to this page.
Choosing an insurance agency should depend on more than just a low price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Upon receiving satisfactory answers to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that will insure your vehicles.
Keep your options open
Car insurance agents can be invaluable at times, but you can also buy New York car insurance direct over the internet. Certain auto insurance companies that sell primarily through agents also permit you to buy online, so that should be considered.
If you’re uncomfortable with not receiving proper advice when buying online, don’t be too concerned. Online companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages give you access to trained agents to walk you through the process.
Do people save by buying online? The answer to that question is complicated since companies use quite a few components which can raise or lower premium rates. Some people will tell you that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company saves money because there is no agent involvement. For most online online companies, however, there are very high advertising costs and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.
Final considerations
Lower-priced auto insurance is available online and with local Brookhaven insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice full coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More information can be read on the New York Department of Financial Services website through this link. New York consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, file complaints about a company, and read consumer alerts.
