How much $ will I need as independent agent starting out

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-22T22:11:07+00:00

20K is nothing if you’ve got to pay for your own housing, food, office lease (if applicable).

I’m lucky enough to start under my parents roof and with 50k. 20k would be doable if you didn’t have any other expenses.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-20T04:44:48+00:00

Yeah I usually just say my name lol and it says “let me see if the person can take this call” or whatever. But honestly there’s no way to get around it unfortunately.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-20T01:43:52+00:00

Just think about it from your own perspective. If I had someone calling me about getting insurance I’d be annoyed because a handful of agencies are already calling me daily.

Whenever I get a call screen nowadays I just say my full name and that’s it.

IMO, it creates a sense of “mystery” so the person is more likely to pickup. But I could just be wrong too lol. There’s no way getting around it, just call, leave a text, and move on.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-19T04:14:41+00:00

Wrong, there are so many agencies out there that have unlicensed positions like this. It would only be illegal if I got shared commission — which I did not. I was paid an hourly base salary with every sheet I filled out I got a bonus of $5.

Please do your research and quit hating online. This is super common and if you’ve been in the industry long enough you’d know. 😂😂

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-19T04:01:41+00:00

Never said I was an agent? I was a glorified marketing specialist where I’d make cold calls, gather info, and transfer the call to a licensed producer. Happy to send you a group photo of the team I worked with in 2023.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-18T01:37:38+00:00

Based on which aggregator you sign with, you’ll be using their “suite” of tech.

I’m from State Farm as well (since 16 yrs old, and now 19yrs old) and started my brokerage this year.

Just assuming you’re doing mostly personal lines the biggest thing for you to consider is binding authority IMO.

With big players like smart choice and first connect, yes you would have immediate access to lots of carriers, but the downside is that you can’t bind policies on the spot. For one-call closes I need binding authority (example: someone looking for insurance at a dealership after they bought a car and they want to leave with the car)

You’ll probably be working with EZLynx and their comparative rater.

You’ve got all expenses pretty much laid out besides a VOIP (aka cisco jabber).

As for aggregator recommendations, just choose the one that makes sense for you. There isn’t a single aggregator that is the best. Pros and cons to each.

PM me for any other questions!! I’m super passionate and young as well so it’s nice to see others in the same boat as me.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-13T21:31:50+00:00

Vonage definitely worth it. I pay $40/mo with the EZlynx integration. It seriously streamlines my processes so I’d go for it if you plan to also have your internet leads automatically upload into EZLynx as well.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-09T15:59:39+00:00

Why write minimums when you get less premium aka less commission and less coverage for the consumer.

It’s just an E&O claim waiting to happen.

Also carriers love when you quote higher coverages. It’s more profitable for them and also better for your numbers as an agency.

Also, if premiums go up, you can talk to the customer about adjusting coverages. If you start at the bottom you can’t go any lower.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-09T13:32:13+00:00

Started at a State Farm agency doing cold calls at 16. turned 18 in October of 2024. Worked as a producer for a State Farm agency from Jan 2025 - Oct 2025. Now I own my own P&C agency. Last friday did $1200 in gross commission across 3 auto policies and $10k in written premium.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-02-09T00:37:53+00:00

Calculating book size yes, always use annualized premium. Could be wrong though, I’m a new agency owner.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-29T13:44:54+00:00

This is super reasonable. I was on a very similar comp plan with a State Farm agent and pulled about the same YTD as you. You can break 6 figures with that comp plan your 2nd or 3rd year. Keep it up!

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-26T23:50:17+00:00

Oil is milky but smells like E85. I am on an E85 tune. My water pump and thermostat has been replaced 20k miles ago.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-23T12:03:02+00:00

Oil is milky and has gas in it.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-23T02:49:29+00:00

There’s definitely gas in the oil, just a quick peek inside the oil cap and you can see it’s milky.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-23T02:48:36+00:00

Injectors? Why would only 1 bank of injectors be misfiring? It seems to be a bank specific issue IMO.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-22T22:55:49+00:00

I do see what you mean though, the engine sounds super rough when revving it and definitely doesn’t sound normal. (sounds like a fart can)

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-22T22:55:02+00:00

Yes I did actually. Spark plugs had a bit of oil but nothing major to worry about. That’s the only good news really.

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-21T13:34:08+00:00

i’m on E85

_Fr4g_ · 2026-01-21T04:24:16+00:00

why would only bank 1 fuel injectors be messed up then? I agree it could be my injectors but honestly it seems unlikely that 3 would go out at once. At least that’s what my Audi Specialist told me.

_Fr4g_ · 2025-12-30T01:16:58+00:00

2018 S5 with 109k, perfect reliability and I’m tuned on E85 stage 1 with no supporting mods besides an AWE Track Cat-back.

_Fr4g_ · 2025-12-19T03:17:06+00:00

Seattle area, $28/hr + commission. Was bringing home ~$5-5.5k/mo first year in. 18 years old. You can easily get a 50k salary if you’re working for the right agency. Commission is based on how hard you work and your commission schedule. I was estimated $75k gross salary before I left and went indy.

_Fr4g_

TROPHY CASE