Buying Auto Insurance - Agent or Direct?

Who sells auto insurance?
You can buy car insurance in different ways, from a variety of sources, depending on the insurance company. Does it make a difference how or where you buy? It might. Let's take a look.


There are essentially four ways to purchase auto insurance. They are:
From an agent (employed representative) of an insurance company
From an independent agent
From an online broker
Directly from an insurance company

Some insurance companies use only one of these methods of selling to customers, others may use a combination of methods. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.