Farmers Insurance

[maryh]

I am here in Texas and have been trying to help those Farmers Agents who have lost their contract transition from Captive to Independent. I am currently in the premium finance market but I have been in the insurance industry since 1981. I am a licensed insurance agent and I have worked with insurance agencies both commercial and personal lines and I have also worked for US Risk as a Senior Underwriter Assistant for 5 years. There are several GA's that I am working with who have access to standard markets both personal and commercial lines who are also trying to help these agents. I also have several Independent Agencies who are more than happy to bring them in as a producer if they do not want to worry about the overhead cost of running an agency.
Mary Coovert Holeman
Senior Regional Vice President
Express Premium Finance Co
mary@expresspremium.com
Phone: 832-766-7977

[d's insurance store]

D's ins store-
Question- how can a prospective agent do due diligence in investigating the opportunity and the pros and cons of making a career move when those agents that come onto chat rooms and offer their warnings are chastised as holding grudges and being petty and shallow?

You do this by questioning current captive agents outside of your immediate area...calling to make an appointment and making it clear that geographically, you're not going to be a threat. You ask all of the questions about the prospective company's culture, support, rate structure, management involvement and try and separate the recuritment hype from reality.

You do this by making rate quote calls to see if the company you're about to hitch your wagon to is competitive in areas you want to pursue. You check out potential risk offerings to see if the company wants what you can give them.

You pay attention to, but not totally imerse yourself in on line fora like this one. Almost every captive now has generated a 'bitch forum' on the internet, and although they tend to be populated with disgruntled people, a lot can be learned just by reading and getting a feel for the culture.

Before making a major career move and investing hard earned time and money, you want as complete a story as possible and that involves a bit of detective work on your part.

[michga11]

Farmer's is gonna sue YOU. and YOU. and YOU. and YOU. hehe.

[FFA]

Beat Travelers high or low? In what state? Was your credit better when Farmers ran it vs when Travelers ran it?

[b61mack]

hi...iam a new start up.....and was talking to foremost about contracting with them as an indepentent agent...since they are part of farmers is this a good move????????.

[gregcw]

hi...iam a new start up.....and was talking to foremost about contracting with them as an indepentent agent...since they are part of farmers is this a good move????????.

Your ID shows that you've joined the I/J in March. I don't know if you've read any of my posts in this particular thread/discussion, which started in January 2009, but I started out life with FIG in '82 and left them in '89.

Farmers was acquired by Zurich about ten + years ago, after I left FIG. Farmers acquired Foremost about 4-6 years ago, also after I appointed with Foremost. I've talked with my Foremost rep and it appears from what he's said, and my experience with underwriting, that Foremost is not changing the way that they are dealing with either customers or independent agents. Your post doesn't say where you are but I understand that in the states that FIG has a captive agency force their District Managers are dealing with the captives and a Foremost field rep is dealing with the independents.

My experience in dealing with Foremost has been outstanding. One of the biggest changes I've seen in the industry has been the acquisitions that have made it hard to tell the players without a game card. While I don't think I'd want to re-appoint with FIG I don't have a problem in dealing with their subsidiaries. I also work with Bristol West/ Coast National which is an auto insurance co. which came about because of the AIG fiasco.

[FFA]

Farmer's is gonna sue YOU. and YOU. and YOU. and YOU. hehe.

Good stuff there. Nice to see some humor injected.

[kevinraz]

Sacman - good comments. I have heard people trash old employers or companies in interviews so that's why I said it here. Venting your spleen here can be a good thing but harboring the grudge for years will eat away at your soul. Displaying old grudges at interviews is in poor taste and companies prefer to hire happy people.

As for the due diligence part, I was guilty of not doing it myself. I failed to notice that I was in the one of the cheapest premium zones in one of the cheapest states for auto coverage; when I got to 300 PIF I was making peanuts while those in Kansas City (part of our regional office) were making triple my income & had full time help because rates were so much higher there. Oh well, live & learn. More hailstorms = higher comp premiums = higher commish checks.

Love the comment about success with old FIG customers. My story: I left the bank agency and went to Cottingham & Butler. My non-compete was weak and only prevented me from going after clients I had written. After a few months at C&B I started pursuing other bank insurance clients and had some success.

John Butler, owner of the agency, calls me into his office one day and tells me that he had a call from the president of the bank agency and they were upset that I was pursuing these clients though they admitted I was not violating the non-compete. John told me to play fair and be nice because the bank agency was a business colleague of C&B, it's a small town, etc.

He then told me to keep at it, said good job and gave me a big smile. Loved it, was some of the only positive encouragement I got from that place.

[FFA]

Two in the past 90 days that I know of. One pulled the car from them and turned the claim into State Farm. Total value at Farmers $3800. State Farm $5200. The other shorted their client $3800 from KBB, Auto Trader & NADA average pricing.

[C Gano]

If you are thinking of going Independent try United Independent Agency Alliance. The website is agencyalliance.net.

[michga11]

I had Geico until now and I switched to Farmers Insurance about 2 months ago. I heard lots of bad things about farmers insurance. today farmers insurance debited my account in the amount of $121 instead of $112. I googled "Farmers Sucks" and I found some user's post that had similar problem. Now since farmers debited more money from my account, I am scared that I'll have problem with farmers in future.

Someone please give me honest answers. Do I really switch back to GEICO? Anyone out there have Farmers and have good experience with them? Please help here.

how about ditching geico and farmers? what's up with your choices? i know there are better out there.

[michga11]

I had Geico until now and I switched to Farmers Insurance about 2 months ago. I heard lots of bad things about farmers insurance. today farmers insurance debited my account in the amount of $121 instead of $112. I googled "Farmers Sucks" and I found some user's post that had similar problem. Now since farmers debited more money from my account, I am scared that I'll have problem with farmers in future.

Someone please give me honest answers. Do I really switch back to GEICO? Anyone out there have Farmers and have good experience with them? Please help here.

also, why do you have that weird tag inserted at the bottom of all your posts, like those spammers from india? are you all in cahoots? just curious.

[rwhiddon]

farmers will charge you what they want or need to pay the bills. and if you do not pay they will sue.

[FFA]

farmers will charge you what they want or need to pay the bills. and if you do not pay they will sue.

When you say you, whom do you mean? The Current Agent? Exiting agent? Leaving client? Existing Client?

Guess this popped up due to the CEO retiring at the end of the year. They go through CEO's quicker then I wear out my shorts. Brett Favre for CEO???

[Broderick]

In our country there is company exist which offer any policy to the farmers as they are ignored by our government sector but they have to look it sooner or later.I am sure the economy will force them to take steps in this regard.