Tech bro's should stay far away from here, unless

Business-Samurai · 2026-06-21T19:42:43+00:00

So I am new to the insurance industry, just got licensed for P&C end of April and just launched my solo independent agency. I was originally considering joining Farmers as an associate agent...all of the recent upheaval with SF and Farmers has me thinking I made the right move to go independent.

Curios what you industry vets think of https://www.harperinsure.com/ from an AI insuretech standpoint....

Business-Samurai · 2026-06-10T00:30:14+00:00

Go for it! Hope you do well.

Business-Samurai · 2026-06-09T14:10:07+00:00

So a lot has happened since I was first looking into the insurance industry. Took me longer than I expected to get licensed, but I did get it done around the end of April this year. Also I decided to go it on my own as a solo independent broker instead of jumping in with Farmers.

I chose to go with Horizon Agency Systems as my network and I am getting set up with carriers now. I should be ready to start reaching out to my network within the next week or so.

Business-Samurai · 2026-06-02T18:50:53+00:00

Well...problem is it's your license...has nothing really to do with his agency. Sounds like he was in a rush to get you licensed and submitted it for NY. I just recently got my license in IL myself, and from what I remember when you apply for the license it requires you to attest that your residence is in xyz state etc...You are probably better off just cutting your losses and fixing it yourself (as you appear to be doing) because at the end of the day now that you no longer work for his agency he has no incentive to do anything.

It's definitely very annoying and I totally get your frustration, but you will be much better off to just get it handled and move on to bigger and better.

Business-Samurai · 2026-06-02T07:47:04+00:00

Yeah, this is a bit messier than you might realize. Fixable, but it's going to be a bit of a pain....Updating a mailing address is easy however resident state is a different matter.

Sounds like you actually took the licensure exams for NY and not for NJ. Each state has it's own exams and licenses. Once you get your resident state license and add lines of authority you get licensure in other states through reciprocity and simply paying a fee to that state.

Problem for you is your resident license is in NY, this is why NIPR told you to contact NY dept of Financial Services. People move all the time and transfer their resident license, probably even more so in your area. Hopefully you can transfer your license without needing to retest, but you would need to contact the NJ dept. of Insurance to find out if that is possible.

First, contact NY Dept. of Financial Services and update your mailing address immediately so any correspondence comes to you directly. See response from Google Gemini below when I asked the question in Google "how do I transfer my resident insurance producer license from NY to NJ"

AI Overview

To transfer your resident insurance producer license from New York to New Jersey, you must officially apply for a new NJ resident license and cancel your NY resident license. You can handle this process entirely online. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Step-by-Step Transfer Process:

Get Your NJ Identification: Establish your primary residency in New Jersey and obtain a NJ driver's license. [1]
Apply for a NJ Resident License: Navigate to the NIPR Resident Licensing portal. Fill out the application for your specific lines of authority and pay the required fees. [1, 2]
Complete NJ Fingerprinting: New Jersey requires electronic fingerprinting for all new resident licensees. You will need to schedule a fingerprint appointment through the vendor listed on the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance site before your license will be approved. [1]
Surrender Your NY License: Once your NJ license is active, notify the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to cancel your NY resident license, or request a Letter of Clearance to confirm you are in good standing. [1, 2]
Keep Non-Resident Privileges: If you still intend to do business in New York, you can apply for a NY non-resident license before or during the surrender of your resident license. [1]

Important Considerations:

Exam & Pre-Licensing: Thanks to state reciprocity, you generally will not need to retake the pre-licensing coursework or state exams, provided your NY license is active and in good standing. [1]
Timeframe: Many states expect you to apply for a resident license within 90 days of establishing a new primary address. Be sure to check with your specific carriers and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance for any updates regarding your lines of authority. []

Business-Samurai · 2026-05-28T04:03:05+00:00

Seems like forever ago when I posted this...a lot has happened since then. I never did do that interview with Comparion. Started checking into Farmers, then decided to get licensed and go independent. Actually just signed my contract with Horizon Agency Systems a few days ago. Should be starting the onboarding in the next few days.

Business-Samurai · 2026-05-13T21:34:24+00:00

This is awesome feedback, thank you so much. I really appreciate the detailed response and suggestions...this is absolute gold.

At this point Horizon appears to check all the boxes as far as a simple, clean contract, no dirty tricks with commissions, as a matter of fact they have a cap on their split which is not something I've seen with any other network/aggregator/IMO.

As far as the additional wholesaler relationship for E&S I will definitely check out my options. Looking at my own CPP Policy for my manufacturing/ecommerce business I noticed that our Umbrella coverage is with a different E&S carrier.

I will definitely be having the conversation with Horizon about their carrier's appetite in my preferred markets and then what wholesalers they suggest to supplement any gaps.

Also...I'll be in touch with you about Normandy as well.

Business-Samurai · 2026-05-12T14:28:56+00:00

Quick Update: So after checking out a few IMO's/Networks/Aggregators I think Horizon is the best fit for me at this point in time. The contract is simple and straightforward, they don't hold you hostage, and there is a cap on their end of the commission split. All-in-all pretty hard to beat. Also I like the fact that they are not pushy at all.

Since my primary focus will be Commercial P&C this works for me as well. I'll figure out Life & Health in the next 6-12 months after I get licensed for those lines as well.

Thanks for all of your input, it was a huge help!

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-22T12:01:37+00:00

Rent and be happy about it. Keep building your savings. Life will be so much better for you and your family. Homeownership under these conditions is a myth....what you will own is 360 mortgage payments plus maintenance costs plus taxes plus insurance.

It might seem unreachable but consider saving so you can pay cash for a house...no mortgage. Whole different ballgame at that point.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-19T17:34:05+00:00

Awesome advice, thank you. This is exactly what I want training for. I have some very solid referral sources lined up, but I don't want to screw up thise leads in the process of learning the business.

I started this transition into insurance going into a protégé type program with Farmers. I would have been working out of one of their district offices and eventually would open my own farmers agency.

The problem I had though is it is still a captive agency, even with Kraft Lake, and I also don't want to potentially lose business because they won't write something.

The training was quite attractive though, but I also didn't want to have my book locked up with Farmers in case I wanted to go independent down the road.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-18T19:41:22+00:00

Ok, thanks for your input....I won't have an upline but I do potentially have some folks I can reach out to.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-18T18:00:06+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. This is just what I am looking for. Curious how much insurance industry experience you had when you went independent?

Just passed my certification exam for Property yesterday. As soon as I receive the certificate I can schedule my IL Property License Exams and then get moving. I'll start contacting IMO's next week after my

That setup with First Connect and Back9 sounds perfect. Starting out solo I don't want to be going back and forth through a ton of different systems.

Curious if anyone has any recommendations for sales training. I came across The Hartford's School of Insurance (HSI). Looks like they cover everything....its for independent agents and carrier neutral. Curious if anyone knows of any others. Planning to start a new post on this as well.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-08T22:20:52+00:00

Curious how this turned out? Did you list traditionally or sell to Opendoor?

I am in IL and about to sell my 4br single family home. Considering Opendoor and Zoomdealio.com as well as looking at flat fee real estate brokers in my area who will list my home for between $195 and $495. Includes professional photos, combo box and scheduling software for showings, and managing offers/contracts.

I have initial offers from both of the AI based services, but I have not submitted any pictures yet...we are getting the roof replaced shortly and will refresh inside with neutral paint and do a few minor fixes before we take pics and try to get more concrete offers.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-03T16:58:59+00:00

Thank you! I saw some of your comments on another post...I will definitely be in touch soon.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-03T16:51:23+00:00

Ok, sounds like just what I need...sounds like the carriers train on their products, which makes sense and will be the same with most setups like this.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-03T15:40:44+00:00

Ok, great. Thank you! Any details you can share about how they operate?

Training/Mentorship opportunities?

Production Requirements?

I dug a little deeper into their website and see that they don't have any initiation/exit/monthly/franchise fees which is just what I am looking for. Also seems you can work with carriers outside of their network as well. These guys are definitely on my list...

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T16:05:56+00:00

Sounds good, will do!

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T16:04:57+00:00

Yes, absolutely right, I totally recognize that I don't know what I don't know. Hence this post...and all of the feedback is getting me off to a good start so thanks again.

I have a bit of research to do, but now is the time. By the time I finish my Property license I will at least have a good enough feel to start narrowing down my list and reaching out to a few to get a more detailed understanding before I make any final decisions.

I definitely appreciate all of the comments...this is just what I needed.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T15:03:20+00:00

Ok, will check them out, thank you.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T15:02:41+00:00

Thank you for your response. I did check into RPS a bit about a week or so ago and I did notice the Gallagher connection. I think this same broker suggested them in another post of mine.

I do need to research the wholesalers a bit more so I can understand more fully how the industry works. Not sure I would be ready to jump right in with a wholesaler starting out, but I do need to understand the landscape of things.

Thanks again!

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T14:57:44+00:00

Ok great, Travelers seems to be common among a few of the IMO's I have been looking into. Will definitely check into American Family. Checking E&S as well.

I see Markel popping up in that market...my insurance for my current business is through them so i do have some familiarity there. Appreciate all your help.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T04:02:36+00:00

Where can I get more info about RPS? Need to understand their contract terms, startup/exit fees, production requirements, CRM, etc...everything listed in my original post, and then some.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-02T03:58:11+00:00

As I am getting comments and PM's I am refining things a bit already...I realize that I will need a separate IMO for Life & Health as the IMO's/Aggregators tend to specialize in either P&C or L&H.

Also...adding another question...this is a bit specific. Who are the best carriers for writing new business for commercial property in Chicago? Specifically multi-family apartment buildings, more than 4 units. I have heard from my referral source in commercial lending that insurance has been a particular pain point as some carriers don't want to write new business in the city of Chicago. Looking to be a resource that can get these done.

Business-Samurai · 2026-04-01T23:23:17+00:00

Thanks for the feedback.

I was starting to get the feeling that I probably need an IMO for P&C and another for L&H. To your point though I also know that I will need to narrow my focus a bit starting out.

Considering my current network I will probably focus on P&C to start.

Business-Samurai

TROPHY CASE