In my case, I was loyal to a company for thirty years and they did not give me rate breaks for a good track record. Finally asked the agent to share with me the ins and outs. Bottom line, I was not part of the group the insurance company focused on. End result I paid about 10% more than I had too.

Today I shop from three to about seventeen companies and switch if my current company is no longer competitive with my profile. Changed companies four times since 2010. Last year my switch saved me $490 (just like in the commercials on TV). Amazing! Also, bundling Home and Auto Insurances will generally yield better rates than underwriting them separately with different companies.

My recommendation, shop insurances. Further,the idea of an Independent Insurance Agency is that they offer many carriers to seek insurances from (my current Agency has 23 different companies). Captive companies may be able to offer lower rates but remember, you still may want to shop so that you know your being treated right for rates!