Q: How Do I Find the Best Rates on Home Insurance?

It is best to deal with an Independent Insurance Agent who represents numerous companies.  Agents who work for companies such as State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, Nationwide are called direct writers and only represent that one company and are therefore limited by the options for pricing and coverage they can offer.  An independent agent represents numerous companies and can shop among a broader group of companies to find the best options.  You can find an Independent Agent in your area by checking with the Independent Insurance Agents association in your state.   Most plans have online directories that can help find an agent in your area.  You may still want to check with a few “direct writers” just to compare rates but including an Independent Agent in the process would be very worthwhile.