Finding the Right Insurance Agent in Fresno

When shopping for auto insurance, there are a lot of options and picking a good California car insurance agent is more difficult than just picking up the phone. For the sake of this article, we’ll assume you require not only a professional licensed agent, but you also need affordable coverage.

With Allstate, Farmers, State Farm and many independent agents all competing for your business, it’s hard to tell which one will provide the best service and rates. Fortunately, you can use online price quotes to get a list of agents and price estimates.

Why do I need an agent?

Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local agencies is definitely important in Fresno.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the quote information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Fresno who will battle to get your business. There is no need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy!

Two types of Fresno insurance agents

If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Agencies in Fresno are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.

When searching for an agent, we recommend you include at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers who may have lower rates.

Listed below are independent agencies in Fresno that can give you pricing information.

Eastwood Insurance Svc – 5665 N Blackstone Ave # 100 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 495-0441
Steve Leonard Agency – 1390 N Wishon Ave – Fresno, CA 93728 – (559) 485-0413
Pendergrass Agency – 1322 E Shaw Ave # 255 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 221-7101
Colonial Western Agency Inc – 3855 N West Ave – Fresno, CA 93705 – (559) 248-8908
Margie B Reisz Insurance – 647 W Shaw Ave – Fresno, CA 93704 – (559) 227-9947

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. They receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently purchase coverage from captives mainly due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Shown below are captive agencies in Fresno willing to provide comparison quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 5100 N 6th St # 109 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 432-0454
Allstate Insurance – 2533 E Jenny Ave – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 438-7785
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 7110 N Fresno St – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 435-2144
State Farm Insurance – 7089 N Marks Ave # 105 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 432-6392

To view a full list of auto insurance agents in Fresno, view this link.

Deciding on a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
How are they compensated?
Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
How are claims handled?

After getting positive feedback to your questions and a good coverage price, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that will adequately provide auto insurance.

Are Progressive, GEICO and Esurance cheaper?

Insurance agents are important, but California consumers also have the option to buy directly from online companies. Some car insurance companies, such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers, that sell primarily through agents also allow consumers to buy online, so keep that in mind if you don’t want to take the time to contact agents.

If you’re concerned about not having an insurance agent’s advice when buying car insurance direct, don’t sweat it. Car insurance companies all have toll-free customer service for customer questions.

Does it save money buying online? That question is hard to answer due to the fact that there are multiple individual factors that are calculated into your premium. Common logic is that buying online cuts out the agent as a middleman. In many cases, advertising budgets are huge and this drives up their premium costs.

Additional auto insurance information is located on the California Department of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, view agent and company licensing information, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Other useful links include Wikipedia and this page for help finding agents in Fresno, CA.

In the end, you save

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Low-cost auto insurance is available from both online companies in addition to many Fresno insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.