When finding a licensed insurance agent in Barre, you can always begin your search on the web instead of making phone calls. It’s likely you’re wanting a friendly agent, but you also want the lowest possible price.
With State Farm, Allstate and many independent agents all competing for your business, it can be hard to know which will give you the best rates, service and coverage. To begin, it’s easy to use online quotes to get a list of agents to choose from.
Quote online, buy local
Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for small agencies is important particularly in Barre.
Once you complete this quick form, your information is emailed to participating agents in Barre who will compete to get your business. There is no reason to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You can find better rates AND a local agent.
Two different types of auto insurance agents
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different agency structures to choose from. Barre agents are either captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. Most have the option of insuring with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates.
Listed below are independent agencies in Barre who can help you get competitive price quotes.
- Richard Otis Agency Inc – 60 Apple Blossom Rd – Barre, VT 05641 – (802) 479-1375
- Concord Group Insurance Co’s – Airport Rd – Barre, VT 05641 – (802) 229-0355
- Granite Group Insurance Trust – 107 N Main St – Barre, VT 05641 – (802) 476-3291
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents work for only one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently purchase coverage from captives partially due to loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.
Below is a list of captive agencies in Barre who can help you get price quotes.
- Allstate Advance Look Bldg – 14 Merchant St – Barre, VT 05641 – (802) 476-4307
- State Farm Insurance – 200 S Main St – Barre, VT 05641 – (802) 479-3353
To view a full list of Barre captive agents, please view this page.
Choosing an insurance agent should depend on more than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
Upon receiving acceptable answers in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to properly service your car insurance policy.
What about online companies that don’t have local agents?
Professional insurance agents are a valuable resource, but Vermont consumers also have the option to buy direct over the internet. Some car insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate who sell through agents in Barre also permit you to buy direct online, so that should be considered to possibly find a better rate.
If you’re concerned about choosing your own coverages, that should not be a issue. All companies provide customer service to answer any questions you may have. They also have 24/7 live help and a car insurance FAQ section so you can feel comfortable buying online.
If the best price is important to you, the most effective way to determine if prices are better online or from an agent is to make apples-to-apples comparisons of both. It’s possible to get different rates comparing agents to online prices for the exact same company.
Will buying online save you money? It’s difficult to provide an answer since there are so many factors that determine the price you pay. You may think that buying online reduces premiums because there is no agent. For most companies selling online, however, getting their brand in front of customers is expensive and that can quickly cost more than paying an agent.
Much more information about car insurance in Vermont can be found on the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and read state legal mandates and laws.
More comparisons equals lower rates
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high rates after DUI convictions, lack of trust in their agent and even not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.
