Insurance RulebookYour state regulator publishes data your insurer never mentions. We make it readable.

How insurance is actually sold

The carriers you cannot buy direct

A meaningful slice of the home and auto market is not sold on any website. Erie, Auto-Owners, Cincinnati, and several other large carriers sell only through independent insurance agents: no online quote, no call center, and they never appear on comparison sites. If you shop by app and search engine alone, those companies never price your file. This page explains the three ways insurance is distributed, and lists major carriers by channel, each with a source.

Three ways insurance reaches you

Direct writers sell to you with no agent at all: a website, an app, a call center. GEICO and Amica are the classic examples, and USAA (for military families only) works this way too. Direct is convenient and the advertising is everywhere; the trade-off is that nobody in the transaction works for you, and the quote you see is one company pricing one file.

Captive agents are local agents who represent exactly one company. A State Farm agent sells State Farm; a Farmers agent sells Farmers. You get a person, but the shelf behind them holds one brand, so a captive agent can never tell you whether a competitor would charge less.

Independent agents hold appointments with several carriers at once and quote your file across them. They are paid by commission from whichever carrier writes your policy, not by you, and the commission is already inside the state-approved premium. Independent agents are also the only door into the agent-only carriers listed below.

Carriers by channel, with sources

This is an editorial table, maintained by hand from each carrier's own pages, last verified Jul 25, 2026. Carriers marked agent only have no direct consumer sales path.

Independent agents only

  • Acuityagent only

    Sells only through independent agents.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Auto-Owners Insuranceagent only

    Represented exclusively by independent agents.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Chubbagent only

    Sold through independent agents and brokers.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Cincinnati Insuranceagent only

    All business written through independent agencies (agency-centered model).

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Erie Insuranceagent only

    Sells only through independent agents; no captive force and no direct quote-and-bind.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Nationwideagent only

    Fully independent agency model since July 1, 2020.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Safecoagent only

    Liberty Mutual brand sold exclusively through independent agents, never direct to consumer.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • The Hanoveragent only

    Agency-focused; sells through independent agents only.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • West Bendagent only

    Independent agents only; does not sell directly to consumers.

    Source: carrier's own page

Captive or exclusive agents

Direct writer

Hybrid: more than one channel

  • Allstate

    Captive agents plus direct sales and a limited independent-agent arm (National General).

    Source: carrier's own page

  • American Family

    Exclusive agents plus direct and independent-agent subsidiaries (Homesite, Main Street America).

    Source: carrier's own page

  • CSAA / AAA

    Club-affiliated agents plus direct sales; tied to AAA membership.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Farmers

    Exclusive agents plus independent-agent subsidiaries (Foremost, Bristol West) and direct.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Liberty Mutual

    Direct sales, owned Comparion agency, and the Safeco brand via independent agents.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Mercury

    Primarily independent agents.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Progressive

    Direct sales plus a large independent-agent channel.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • The Hartford

    Independent agents plus a direct AARP affinity program.

    Source: carrier's own page

  • Travelers

    Primarily independent agents, with some direct and affinity business.

    Source: carrier's own page

Finding an independent agent

Common questions

Does an independent agent cost me extra?

No. The agent is paid a commission by the carrier that writes your policy, built into the premium the state approved for that carrier. You pay the same premium whether you buy through an agent or, where possible, directly; what changes is who helps you and how many carriers quote your file.

What is the difference between an independent agent and a captive agent?

A captive (or exclusive) agent represents one company: a State Farm agent sells State Farm. An independent agent holds appointments with several carriers at once and can quote your file to all of them, including carriers that have no direct sales channel at all.

Why would a large insurer refuse to sell directly?

It is a business model, not a gimmick. Carriers like Erie and Auto-Owners let independent agents handle sales and service instead of running national advertising and call centers, and they have kept that model for decades. It is why you rarely see their ads and never see them on comparison sites.

Can anyone buy from USAA?

No. USAA is a direct writer, but membership is restricted to U.S. military members, veterans, and their eligible family members. If you qualify, it belongs on your quote list; if not, no agent can get you in.