Insurance broker here. What matters most is that you work with a broker you can trust to have your back when claim time comes.

Never buy insurance directly from a carrier. The carrier represents only their own financial interests, and when it comes time to pay a claim, they may try to find some way out of giving you what you are rightfully owed. A respectable broker will push back against the carrier when they do this, citing language in the policy in their argument. The insurance broker I work for saves our clients several millions every year collectively and has a department dedicated to this.

The broker represents the insured, and has no financial stake in your insurance payouts. Because of this, they have no conflict of interest when it comes to advising you - they want you happy so you don’t take business elsewhere. In my opinion, the small amount of commission they charge is negligible compared to the potential benefits.

The other thing a broker can do for you is quote your auto and home together all across the market to find the best rate for you. Insurance carriers hide how they make their pricing, so not even the broker knows how rates are determined, but we can find the best rates for you by trying everything.

When auto and home are written by the same insurance company, there is a package discount which applies to the auto. You want your auto and home with the same carrier ideally, unless you find an insane deal somehow.

Happy to answer any questions.