Questions to Ask When You Interview an Insurance Agent
Use these questions to ask a potential insurance broker or agent before you hand over your home, auto, life or business coverage. The 55 run in the order a meeting tends to: five to open with, the agent's background and method, how they are paid and which carriers they can reach, the coverage itself, what they do when you claim, then service and renewal. Licensing, fees and claim deadlines are set by each state or country, so several notes say to ask how it works where you live.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Start here
Are you an independent broker, or captive to one carrier?
Why ask it
A captive agent can only sell one company's products, however poorly they fit. This single answer explains most of what follows, including which comparisons you will never be shown.
How are you paid on what you sell me: commission, a fee, or both?
Why ask it
Commission differs a good deal from one product to the next, and that can shape which policy gets recommended. A plain answer with rough figures is a good reason to keep talking.
Which carriers do you place most of your business with, and why those?
Why ask it
Strong reasons are how those companies handle claims and how they price a risk like yours; weaker ones are easy underwriting or a better commission. Follow up with how the list would change if you had filed a claim last year.
How many clients do you handle whose situation looks like mine?
Why ask it
Volume in your situation matters more than years in the industry. Someone whose book is mostly personal auto would be learning a small business, a rental property or a high-value home at your expense.
What do you actually do for me when I file a claim?
Why ask it
Some agents pass on the notice and step back, others attend inspections and argue scope. Ask for a recent example with details rather than a promise.
The agent
Which lines do you write most: home, auto, life or business?
Why ask it
Many agents are strong in one or two lines and place the rest as a favor to existing clients. If your biggest exposure sits in the line they write least, ask who in the office handles it or whether they would refer you out.
When you place a policy for me, are you legally acting for me or for the insurer?
Why ask it
In many places an agent represents the insurance company and a broker represents the buyer, but the titles are used loosely and the duties differ by state and country. Ask how it works where you live and what they owe you if the two interests pull apart.
Are you licensed where I live for every kind of insurance I need, and has your license ever been disciplined?
Why ask it
Licenses are issued by state or country and by line of insurance, so a second home elsewhere or a life policy may need one this agent does not hold. Most regulators let you look up a license and any action taken on it, which means you can check the answer the same evening.
Do you carry errors and omissions insurance?
Why ask it
This is the coverage that responds if an agent's mistake, such as a limit entered wrongly or a policy never bound, leaves you unpaid. Someone who places coverage for a living should answer without hesitating.
What kind of client or risk do you refer elsewhere?
Why ask it
An agent who names their limits, whether a coastal home, a fleet of trucks or an art collection, is telling you they know where their markets end. 'We can do everything' deserves a follow-up about the last hard case they placed.
Can I talk to a client of yours who has been through a claim?
Why ask it
Anyone can produce a customer who is happy with a price. A reference who has had a kitchen fire or a liability suit can say whether the agent picked up the phone, though privacy rules may mean the agent has to ask them first.
Walk me through how you would work out what I need.
Why ask it
Listen for whether they ask about assets, income, dependents, prior claims and existing coverage before naming a product. Quoting before asking is selling, not advising.
Would you look at my current policy and tell me where the gaps are?
Why ask it
Asking them to critique coverage they did not sell is the best test in this list. The specificity of the critique tells you more than any quote.
Pay and carriers
Would you earn more placing me with one of these carriers than with the others?
Why ask it
Commission percentages are not the same at every company or on every line. You are not asking them to work for nothing, only whether the policy recommended to you happens to be the best paid one on the table.
Do you get bonuses tied to how much you sell with a carrier or how few claims your clients make?
Why ask it
These are usually called contingent or profit-sharing commissions, and they reward loyalty to a carrier as well as service to you. Whether they must be disclosed depends on where you live, so ask if the answer can be put in writing.
Does your agency add fees of its own for placing a policy, changing it or cancelling it?
Why ask it
These sit on top of the premium and do not always appear on the quote. Whether they are allowed and how they have to be shown varies by state and country, so ask for the fee schedule before you agree to anything.
How many carriers did you actually quote for me, and can I see every result?
Why ask it
Having access to thirty companies and running your details through four of them are different things. The quotes that came back higher or were declined show how insurers see your risk, which is worth knowing before you choose.
Which insurers can you not sell, and should I get a quote from any of them myself?
Why ask it
Some large companies sell only through their own agents or websites, so no broker can show you their price. A confident one names them and tells you to check, knowing how their own quote compares.
How much does bundling save, and would you pick this carrier for each policy if there were no discount?
Why ask it
A package price can carry a mediocre home policy on the back of a cheap auto one. Seeing each premium on its own line shows whether the discount is real money or just a reason to stop comparing.
How do you decide whether a carrier will still be around and paying claims in ten years?
Why ask it
Financial strength ratings from agencies such as AM Best are public, and so are regulators' complaint records in many places. Listen for those plus their own clients' claim experience, and be wary when the whole answer is a familiar brand name.
What will you do if a carrier you placed me with pulls out of my area?
Why ask it
Insurers do stop writing certain regions and property types, sometimes with little warning. The answer you want is that they start looking for a replacement well before the non-renewal date and call you first.
Is any of this with a surplus lines insurer, and what does that change for me?
Why ask it
Hard-to-place risks often go to insurers that are not licensed in the usual way in your state. That can mean extra taxes and fees and no backing from the state fund that steps in when an insurer fails, so ask exactly how it works where you are.
What is the least profitable advice you have given a client this year?
Why ask it
A real answer might be telling somebody to stay put, drop a rider, or absorb a small risk themselves. It is the clearest check on whether the advice is independent of the sale.
Coverage
What liability limit would you put on my policies, and what about my life leads you to that number?
Why ask it
A limit should follow what a lawsuit could take from you: savings, a house, future wages, and whatever raises the odds, such as a teenage driver, a pool or a rental property. A figure given before any of that comes up is a default, not a recommendation.
At what point would you tell someone like me to add an umbrella policy?
Why ask it
An umbrella sits on top of the liability on your home and auto policies and usually requires those to be set at certain minimums first. Ask what those minimums are with their carriers and what the first million costs a year, so you are weighing a real price.
What happens if the driver who hits me has no insurance, or not enough?
Why ask it
That is the job of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and whether it is required, optional or sold at all depends on the state or country. Find out what limit they would set and whether it matches the liability limit you carry for other people.
What is excluded here that people assume is covered?
Why ask it
Flood, earth movement, sewer backup, wear and tear and business use of a vehicle come up most, though the list depends on the policy form. Note whether they volunteer these or wait to be asked.
Does this pay replacement cost or actual cash value, on the building and on my belongings?
Why ask it
Actual cash value subtracts depreciation, so a ten-year-old roof or sofa may pay a fraction of what a new one costs. The two halves of a policy can be set differently, which is why you ask about each.
How was the replacement cost figure for my property calculated?
Why ask it
An estimate run from an address and a square footage can miss a finished basement, custom work or local building costs. Check what happens if it proves too low, since some policies cut even a partial claim when a property is underinsured.
What are the sublimits inside this policy?
Why ask it
Jewelry, cash, electronics, sewer backup and mold are commonly capped far below the headline limit. Have them read the figures off the policy form, then decide which caps are worth paying to raise.
How does the deductible work here, and is any part of it a percentage?
Why ask it
Percentage deductibles for wind, hurricane or earthquake can be many times the flat figure people assume they have. Ask for the dollar amount at your current valuation.
Which optional endorsements did you leave out of this quote, and why?
Why ask it
Add-ons such as water backup, building code upgrades or a rental car after a crash are easy to trim when a quote has to look cheap. Hearing why each one was left off shows whether that was judgment about your situation or just price.
I do some work from home and use my car for it. What do my personal policies do about that?
Why ask it
Home and auto policies written for personal use commonly cap or exclude business equipment, client visits and driving for pay. Describe the work exactly as it is, including the occasional weekend job, and ask whether an endorsement or a separate policy closes the gap.
If this is for my business, which coverages do my lease, lender or client contracts require?
Why ask it
Contracts often name minimum limits, additional insured wording and certificate terms that a standard quote does not meet. Bring the contract to the meeting, because an agent who reads the insurance clause before quoting saves you a rewrite later.
If you are suggesting whole or universal life, why that and not a term policy?
Why ask it
Permanent life insurance usually costs much more than term for the same death benefit and often pays the seller a larger commission, so the case for it should rest on something particular to you. Have both quoted side by side for the same amount before you weigh them.
What do people leave off the application that comes back to hurt them?
Why ask it
An unlisted driver in the house, a wood stove, a past claim or a room rented out are typical. An insurer that finds a material omission may be able to deny a claim or cancel the policy, and the rules on that vary, so ask what this carrier checks and when.
Could an inspection or a report turn up anything that gets this policy cancelled after I have paid?
Why ask it
Many carriers inspect a property or pull claim and driving histories in the weeks after a policy starts. Roof age, old wiring, a trampoline or an unfenced pool are worth raising now, while you still have your old coverage to fall back on.
Claims
When did you last get a claim decision changed for a client?
Why ask it
A concrete story is the difference between advocacy and a phone number. If nothing comes to mind, plan on handling disputes yourself.
Do I report a loss to you or to the carrier, and does calling to ask about one go on my record?
Why ask it
With some insurers a call about possible damage is logged as a claim even when nothing is paid, and it can show up when you next shop. Ask how this agency handles a 'should I file this' conversation before you ever need one.
What happens to my premium if I file one claim?
Why ask it
Ask for the usual surcharge and how long it stays on the policy. This is what decides whether a small claim is worth filing, and a vague answer leaves you guessing at the worst moment.
Of the carriers you use, which pays claims with the least argument, and which would you not put your own family with?
Why ask it
Anyone with a full book of clients watches claims unfold at several companies every year. That firsthand ranking is something no quote sheet shows, and you can set it beside the complaint figures your regulator publishes.
What should I do in the first day after a loss so I do not weaken my claim?
Why ask it
Policies set out duties after a loss: stopping further damage, reporting promptly, keeping what was damaged until an adjuster has seen it. Have the agent show you that page, and ask whether emergency repairs need approval first.
Who is likely to adjust my claim: the carrier's own staff or an outside firm?
Why ask it
After a regional storm, carriers often bring in independent adjusters who are handling many files at once and are new to yours. Knowing that ahead of time tells you to keep your own notes of every visit and to send questions through the agent.
How long do claims like the ones I might have usually take to be paid?
Why ask it
Ask for two cases, a simple one and a contested one, with real timelines from their own clients. Many places also set deadlines for an insurer to acknowledge and decide a claim, so ask what applies where you live.
If I think the carrier's offer is too low, what can I do under this policy?
Why ask it
Possible routes include an appraisal clause in the policy, the insurer's own appeal process, a complaint to the regulator and hiring a public adjuster or an attorney. Which exist depends on the contract and the place, so the useful answer points to the clause instead of promising an outcome.
Service and renewal
Who will I deal with day to day: you, or someone on a service team?
Why ask it
In many agencies the person who sells the policy hands it to an account manager on day one. That is fine if you meet them, know their direct line and learn how fast they answer a request.
Who handles my account when you are away, and who answers after hours?
Why ask it
Losses happen at night and during storms. A one-person agency with no backup is a risk worth knowing you are taking.
How often will you review this, and what would prompt you to call me?
Why ask it
Rebuilding costs and car values drift every year even when nothing in your life changes, so a limit set once goes stale. Listen for a fixed habit, such as a call before each renewal, and not 'whenever you need us'.
What do you do before each renewal: shop it again, or let it roll over?
Why ask it
Ask at what size of increase they requote without being asked, and whether they read the renewal for changed terms as well as a changed price. A deductible or exclusion altered at renewal is easy to miss in a stack of pages.
How much warning would I get of a price increase or a non-renewal?
Why ask it
Minimum notice periods are set by law and by the policy, and they differ from place to place. Beyond the legal minimum, ask when this agent would phone you, since a letter arriving three weeks before expiry leaves little time to shop.
Which changes do I need to tell you about, and how soon after they happen?
Why ask it
A new car, a new driver, a renovation, a dog, a roommate or a rental listing can each change what is covered. Some policies give only a short window to report, so get the list and the deadlines now instead of finding them in a denial.
How fast can you produce proof of insurance or a certificate when a lender, landlord or client asks?
Why ask it
House closings, leases and contracts stall on this document. Find out who issues it, whether you can request one online and what a normal turnaround is, especially when a third party has to be named on the policy.
If I later move my policies to another agent, what is involved?
Why ask it
With an independent agency a signed broker of record letter can often move a policy without cancelling it, while a captive company's policy stays with that company. Ask too about any charge for cancelling mid-term, which depends on the carrier and where you live.
Will you send me a written summary of what you recommended and what I turned down?
Why ask it
Memories of a meeting differ once there is a loss. A short email listing the limits offered, the options declined and the reasons protects you both, and agents who expect to stand behind their advice tend to send one unprompted.
If I take this policy, what should I do in the first week?
Why ask it
Reading the declarations page, photographing the property, and storing documents somewhere offsite are the answers that suggest they think about claims rather than closings.
Choosing who handles your insurance
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the meeting
Bring your current declarations pages
Limits, deductibles, endorsements and premiums for everything you already hold. Most of this conversation only becomes useful when it is held against real numbers.
Write down what you could not replace yourself
The house, your income, a liability judgment, the vehicle you need for work. Coverage decisions get much easier once that list exists on paper.
Check the license and the complaint record
In the US, state insurance departments publish agent licensing and many publish complaint figures for carriers; regulators in other countries keep similar registers. It takes ten minutes and occasionally ends the search.
Decide what you are willing to self-insure
Knowing which small losses you would rather absorb keeps the conversation on the coverage that actually matters and away from low-value riders.
Match the groups to the meeting
Start here fits a ten-minute first call. The agent and Pay and carriers decide whether there is a second meeting, and the last question under The agent needs your current policy in front of you both. Coverage needs a quote on the table, and Claims and Service and renewal are for the one or two agents still in the running.
How to read the quote
- Compare identical limits and deductibles across quotes, or you are comparing nothing.
- Convert any percentage deductible on wind, hurricane or earthquake into a dollar figure.
- Check replacement cost against actual cash value, separately for the building and the contents.
- Find the sublimits: jewelry, cash, electronics, sewer backup, mold, business property kept at home.
- Ask which endorsements were omitted, and price them rather than letting them disappear.
- Note the carrier's financial strength rating and how long they have written policies in your area.
Signals worth noticing
- A quote arriving before any questions about your assets, prior claims or existing policies.
- Pressure to decide today, or a discount that expires during the meeting.
- Vagueness about commission, or about whether they are captive to one carrier.
- No specific example of helping a client through a disputed claim.
- Exclusions described as things that never really happen.
- The good sign: they tell you where your existing coverage is already fine, and where they would sell you nothing at all.