Insurance 1016 min read

What Does an Independent Insurance Agent Actually Do?

By Jarrod Currey|January 15, 2025

Key Takeaways

Independent agents work for you, not one insurance company
We lead with our preferred national carrier and have access to other trusted carriers if needed
You get one point of contact for all your policies, claims, and questions
There's no extra cost — agents are paid by the carrier, not by you

The Short Version

An independent insurance agent is someone who works for you instead of working for an insurance company. We don’t represent one carrier — we represent you. At Jarrod Currey Insurance, our preferred national carrier is where we start for most clients. But if they’re not the right fit for your situation, we’ve got access to other trusted carriers so you’re not stuck with a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Think of us as your insurance matchmaker — minus the awkward small talk.

Independent vs. Captive: What’s the Difference?

A captive agent works for one insurance company. They can only sell that company’s products. If that company doesn’t have a good rate for you, or doesn’t cover something you need, the captive agent’s hands are tied. An independent agent — that’s us — has a preferred carrier and access to others. At Jarrod Currey Insurance, we lead with our preferred national carrier because they’re a strong, reliable fit for most of our clients across auto, home, and life. But when they’re not the right match — maybe you’re in a high-risk flood zone or have a property that needs a specialized solution — we have other trusted carriers we can turn to. It’s not about shopping 20 carriers for the cheapest quote. It’s about starting with a carrier we trust and having backup options when the situation calls for it. That flexibility is the whole point.

What We Actually Do Day to Day

People sometimes think insurance agents just sell policies and disappear. That’s not how we operate. On any given day, we’re helping a client file a claim after a storm, reviewing a renewal to check that nothing changed unexpectedly, explaining what a letter from their carrier actually means, shopping a new policy for someone who just bought their first home, or adjusting coverage because a client added a teenage driver. We’re the people you call when you don’t know who to call. And we stick around for the long haul — renewals, life changes, all of it.

Does It Cost More to Use an Independent Agent?

No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about insurance agents. You don’t pay us directly — we’re compensated by the insurance carrier when we place a policy. The premium you pay is the same whether you buy through an agent or directly from the carrier. In many cases, working with an agent actually saves you money because we know where the discounts are — Our preferred carrier, for example, offers bundling discounts and loyalty credits that aren’t always obvious if you’re shopping on your own. Free help that may save you money? Yeah, we don’t get why more people don’t do this either.

Why It Matters in Florida

Insurance markets in Florida can be — how do we put this diplomatically — a mess. Hurricane seasons drive up rates, carriers pull out of the state entirely, roof age requirements change constantly, and flood zone designations shift. Having someone in your corner who understands these local dynamics — and who has a preferred carrier plus backup options — makes a real difference. We’re based in Lakeland and serve Central Florida, the Greater Tampa Bay Area, and beyond. We know the territory, we know the carriers, and we know what questions to ask.