Consumers Guide to Finding a Cleveland Ohio Insurance Agent

If you’re trying to find a good Cleveland agent, you can start your research by comparing rates online instead of making phone calls. The chances are good you require not only a great agent that can assess your needs, but you also want the lowest possible price.

With insurance companies like Farmers, Allstate, and independent agents having offices in Cleveland, consumers have a hard time knowing which provider will provide you with the best rates, service and coverage. Fortunately, you can use insurance quotes online to build a list of agencies and thier coverage prices.

Local Cleveland auto insurance agents

Good agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for small agencies is especially important in Cleveland.

Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will compete for your insurance coverage. You never need to drive around since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy!

Independent or Captive: It’s your choice

When searching for a good Cleveland insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Cleveland are either captive or independent. Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences because it can impact the type of agent you choose

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to contact at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.

The following are Cleveland independent agencies willing to provide price quotes.

Ward Agency Inc – 7650 Chippewa Rd # 206 – Cleveland, OH 44141 – (440) 838-1200
Ryan F White Agency – 16205 Lorain Ave – Cleveland, OH 44111 – (216) 251-8825
Gina Scruggs Agency – 3669 Lee Rd – Cleveland, OH 44120 – (216) 875-0082
R Mac Knin Insurance – 3791 Green Rd – Cleveland, OH 44122 – (216) 464-4092
White Insurance – 26451 Curtiss Wright Pkwy # 10 – Cleveland, OH 44143 – (216) 731-3600

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents write business for a single company like Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agencies are well schooled in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Cleveland willing to provide comparison quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 16500 W Sprague Rd – Cleveland, OH 44130 – (440) 826-1600
American Family Insurance – 5813 Mayfield Rd # 103 – Cleveland, OH 44124 – (440) 461-7898
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 24651 Center Ridge Rd # 400 – Cleveland, OH 44145 – (440) 808-0288
State Farm Insurance – 1440 Snow Rd – Cleveland, OH 44134 – (216) 661-9991
Allstate Insurance – 6208 Ridge Rd – Cleveland, OH 44129 – (440) 888-1600

To view a complete directory of captive agents in Cleveland, please click here.

Choosing an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

  • What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
  • Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
  • How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
  • Is assistance available after office hours?
  • Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
  • If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?

Once you have satisfactory answers for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

Online companies can help you save

Insurance agencies can be invaluable at times, but Ohio car insurance can also be bought direct from companies that only sell online. Certain auto insurance companies who sell through agents in Cleveland additionally provide the ability to buy a policy online, so that should be considered if you’re trying to lower your rates.

If you’re uneasy about not having an insurance agent’s advice when buying car insurance direct, that is normal but is not a big issue. Online car insurance companies all provide contact methods for customer questions.

Do people save by buying online? A lot of shoppers won’t buy anywhere else, but it’s impossible to say because there are so many things that impact your rate calculation. It’s often assumed that going direct prevents the agent from taking a cut. In reality, there are very high advertising costs so there may not be significant savings.

If you just want to find lower premiums, the most effective way to determine if the best rates are online or from local agents is to get rates from both and compare them. It’s not unheard of to actually get different prices for the exact same company depending on where you get the price quote from.

And the best car insurance company is…

Drivers who switch companies do it for many reasons like policy cancellation, poor customer service, policy non-renewal or even questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new auto insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Additional information can be read on the website for the Ohio Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Ohio consumers can view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, and learn about specific coverages.

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