I spent the first several years of my insurance career working for a Direct Writer. In insurance language, this refers to an insurance carrier that sells their brand only (like State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, or Geico). Now that I am an independent agent, my clients often ask for an explanation of the difference, as it can sometimes be a confusing notion.

Here it is.

Are you an insurance broker for a national brokerage or a bank-owned agency and tired of selling a bunch of insurance for your employer and having no ownership in your book? SIG Insurance Professionals has an interesting model in which our producers begin earning ownership from the day they validate. In a short period of time producers may earn ownership of up to 50% of their book of business.

There are two types of insurance agents: independent and captive. In this post we will define each and describe the difference between the two and what it means for the consumer.