How-to Guide to Finding a Car Insurance Agent in Plymouth

When pricing car insurance in Plymouth, Minnesota, finding the best Minnesota auto insurance agent takes more work than just using the same car insurance agent as your neighbor. It’s assumed you want a friendly agent, but you also want the lowest possible price.

With companies like State Farm, Allstate, Farmers and independent agents all competing for your business, it can be hard to know which will give you the best service and rates. Fortunately, it’s easy to use online quotes to get a list of agents to choose from.

Working with a local agent

Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for small agencies is important particularly in Plymouth.

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to drive around as quotes are delivered to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.

The type of insurance agent you choose is important

When researching a local agent, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Plymouth are categorized either independent or captive.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.

The following is a short list of independent agencies in Plymouth willing to provide price quote information.

Mark Ylitalo Insurance Inc – 3145 Fernbrook Ln N – Plymouth, MN 55447 – (763) 541-0478
Affiliated Insurance Inc – 2600 Fernbrook Ln N # 114 – Plymouth, MN 55447 – (763) 551-1300
Jim Klukken Agency – 9800 Rockford Rd – Plymouth, MN 55442 – (763) 577-0977
Vic Birthler Agency – 9800 Rockford Rd – Plymouth, MN 55442 – (763) 577-0799

Agency Captives

Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company such as AAA, Allstate and State Farm. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Below is a list of captive agencies in Plymouth that are able to give price quote information.

State Farm Insurance – 13605 27th Ave N – Plymouth, MN 55441 – (763) 559-3030
American Family Insurance – 16795 County Road 24 # 110 – Plymouth, MN 55447 – (763) 553-0801
Farmers Insurance Group – 13895 Industrial Park # 135 – Plymouth, MN 55441 – (763) 557-7076

To view a full list of Plymouth captive insurance agents, please go to this site.

Selecting an insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Some important questions to ask are:

  • Who are their largest clients?
  • Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
  • Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
  • Do they assist clients in filing claims?
  • How often do they review policy coverages?
  • What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
  • How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?

Once you have good answers to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Keep your options open

Professional insurance agents are a valuable resource, but you can also find affordable Minnesota auto insurance from companies direct over the internet. Some car insurance companies who have local agents in Plymouth also allow you to buy direct online, and that is helpful if the lowest rate is your goal.

If you’re apprehensive about not receiving proper advice when shopping online, don’t sweat it. Companies all provide contact methods for customer questions.

Is it cheaper to buy car insurance online? A lot of shoppers won’t buy anywhere else, but it’s impossible to say due to the large number of individual components which can raise or lower premium rates. Some people think that going direct cuts out the middleman. For most companies selling online, however, advertising and marketing take a lot of money and that impacts the rates consumers pay.

find Plymouth MN insurance agents

More information can be found on the website for the Minnesota Department of Commerce through this link. Consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.

More related Plymouth car insurance information:

Smart consumers save more

Affordable car insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Plymouth, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, someone dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.