Insurance Noodle vs. Superior Access vs. Agent Secure

[joey52]

I need honest advice as to which one will give me the best opportunity. Currently we are focused mostly on Home, Auto and small commercial policies. But we are looking to increase marketing in retail, BOP, commercial auto and all personal lines and I need multiple markets.

I have used other MGA's but after all "fees" are included I am priced out of the deal, I need something competitive.

Thanks for your input.

[pcock1]

give A& M in la a call 323 255 2333 they work for me steve

[lombard007]

my latest experience with superio access is bad one. you will be paying $100 per month - in return, quote will never be on timely manner. SA assigned a person to my account - she never answer my phone call except once and she talked to me for less than 30 seconds and transfered me to someone else. insurance noodle is some what better than SA-- I don't know anything about agent secure - you must have 3 years of experience, in order to join them.

[PCorathers]

I currently use superior at $25 per month. They keep bugging me change to more commissions at $100 a month. NO WAY! I already have a direct appointment with many of there markets, and most if not all of the rest are available with other GA's. I plan on dropping them just as soon I can move the few accounts I have with them. I think it is better to either get a direct appointment or use a good GA.

[erosemann]

Give Roamnet Insurance a try. No annual or monthly fees. Easy access. Great Service! Friendly personnel. Quick turnaround time! Good selection of markets.
Call them at 1 877.272.0333 and ask for Patty or Aaron. The wbsite is http://www.roamnetins.com. We use them exclusively and are very pleased!

[RKunz2]

I've used AgentSecure for a couple years now. AS is good for "in-the-box" traditional risks. If you want to step outside the box, stay with a good MGA or Wholesaler. AS uses a nice, user-friendly interface that saves the trouble of dealing with Acords. Average quote time is around 10 minutes (to input) and usually, you'll have results back in less than 15 minutes. Underwriters are enormously busy and overworked (as usual), but still surprisingly responsive. BOP pricing is tough to beat, descent personal lines, but the personal auto pricing isn't the best. Travelers has made a big push in the Western region lately, so they have really gained huge ground from a competitive standpoint. AS has different monthly programs (price and commission levels) just like the others, but they don't push either way. You choose and live with it or don't. I've recently looked at and considered Insurance Noodle, but have concerns about turnaround time. They've got a few more markets and good access, but for our purposes, AS works fine.

P.S. - One of the nicest features of AS's system (in my opinion) is the ability to input something and then grab the completed Acords in PDF format after entry. If you get declines from AS markets, you simply grab the Acords and take them to your friendly MGA, who will be more than happy to quote your risk. Pretty slick feature!

[mcclure13]

At http://www.Commercialinsurance.NET we have had a lot of luck with the Combined Group and Agent Secure for business insurance quotes. The quoting engine at the Combined Group is very reliable for standard lines. In many of the markets E&S lines have quick quote capabilities giving the Combined Group a great differentiation factor. In addition their customer service is outstanding within every department including underwriting, technology and accounting.

We are fairly new to Agentsecure but are very impressed with Leads 2.0, which offers agents a consumer facing quote engine for standard lines. The pricing is very reasonable for the tools that are offered on Leads 2.0. So far the customer service has been stealer.

I recommend either one of the above groups to any agency looking for online quoting and market access. We do not have experience with Superior Access or Insurance Noodle.

[steve32]

I've tried all 3 and I think that Insurance Noodle is the best for Commercial Lines by far. Their turn around times are super fast and great customer service. Their staff are really knowledgeable.

[alx730]

Who the heck are you dealing with that gets you great customer service at Noodle? I know that in the industry it's nearly impossible to get replies and help from wholesalers/underwriters in general, but in my experience, Noodle is by FAR the worst.

Hardly ever a response.
Not enough employees.
If you send in a cert request, it will languish in "submitted to carrier" hell for MONTHS if you're not on top of them about it. seriously.

The organization is like children over there. Nothing gets done unless you you're constantly on top of them. I think they are extremely overworked (aren't we all) and it definitely shows in how serious they are about their business relationships.

What a joke.

[foxyagent]

Superior Access is the very worst. Paid $100.00 monthly for nothing every quote rejected. They want perfect business. Reps are very rude and never get the same person. I finally left and went to Agent Secure and they are a little better. They only want perfect business but at least their customer service is great and you know the person handling your account. I am recommending Agent Secure to all Farmers Agents.

[Lemore]

I have a small IA in California and I can tell you from experience that both the Noodle and SAIS suck!!! I have lost thousands of dollars worth of business because they took too long to issue quotes, declined perfectly acceptable risks that I got quoted with the same carriers that they declines quoting with through other companies like ATM or BTIS or they simply quoted such high prices that I was not able to compete.

After a lot of research and many phone calls I found a solution that I think will work. Yesterday I decided to join ISU. I just sent in the applications and I am hoping to start getting training in a couple of weeks. First of all you get direct access to all the coveted carriers, yes I said direct! There are no volume requirements, I will be able to get downloads direct from the carriers. I will be getting 100% of the commissions (which by the way are higher than if I had a direct appointment with the carriers in some cases due to the fact that a huge group like ISU negotiated higher commission rates for their members) and I get overrides at the end of the year. Yes, the fees are high... Very high. However, I think that they have the best contract since there is no time committment, you own 100% of your book, you can get out anytime with a 30 day written notice. I called a lot of other networks, in fact I called most of the networks that were mentioned in these posts and they all had some clause in their agreements/contracts where you had to buy back "their" portion of you book, some had noncompete clauses and others prevented you from contracting with the carriers that they represent for a couple of years after you terminate the agreement with the network. ISU has none of that. It is a very strait forward agreement.

After talking it over with my father who is a seasoned business man (not in the insurance industry) and explaining all the various options he also agreed that ISU would be the best choice. Again, you are talking about high fees but according to my calculations (using conservative estimates) the overall result will be profitable.

I will log on again in a few months and update you on my experience with ISU. I can tell you that the other agency owners that I have spoken with absolutely love ISU. They blow these other networks and clusters out of the water. Like anything else in life, it takes money to make money and you get what you pay for. Yes, its high dollar but in the long run it makes sense.

[Adame526]

Folks,

Let me introduce myself. I'm Toni Adame-Cavage, Sr. Broker with MarketScout Wholesale. I'm a 26 year veteran of the insurance industry and as a former retail agent myself, I completely understand how you feel. I've sat where you are and am very sensitive to my agent client's needs. I'd be glad to offer my services and that of MarketScout Insurance Exchange. We were created with you, our agent partners in mind. The FIRST of it's kind back in 1999.

My contact information is provided below. I am always available by phone, and would appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Feel free to contact me if I can be of service in any way.

Sincerely,

Toni Adame-Cavage
Sr. Broker
MarketScout Wholesale LLC
Phone: 4806002043
tcavage@marketscoutwholesale.com
www.marketscout.com/msw

[AgencyEquity]

Affiliating with a group is a huge decision, there are over 100 groups out there that provide markets (including direct appointments), profit sharing, and much more. Each agency has very different needs and each group is different. I put together a list of questions that you anyone becoming a part of a group should ask, you can find this list at http://www.agencyequity.com/questions_a ... ster_group

[Lemore]

Hi, I posted a comment recently regarding ISU. I have an important follow up. I was recently contacted by an agency network group that is very similar to ISU....Only a lot less expensive. I will gain direct access to the major carriers that I am interested in writing with and will get 100% of the commission. There is also a year end profit sharing plan. The network does not take any ownership of the book of business. There is a 90 day written notice that is required in order to terminate the relationship. Again, it is structured very similarly to ISU but for a lower cost. If anyone is interested in finding out more please contact me at 818-348-6106.

[klinar]

What is the other company you were talking about?