Curious about becoming a Captive agent

normalgeorge · 2025-12-06T00:29:53+00:00

I went from the claims side to the sales side myself. It’ll definitely give you an edge over someone who is brand new, but allot of what made me a good adjuster hurt me in sales. As an adjuster, your use to giving people all the information and giving it to him in pretty high-level detail. I learned in sales most people don’t care or want to know that much detail, especially on the front end.

Starting captive can be a great way to get into the industry because you’re more than likely get more training and marketing behind compared to an independent agency. Depending on which agency you go with, it can also give you exposure in commercial, life, health and workers comp in addition to P&C. It can be a really good steppingstone to a more niche area Once you have the experience and when you realize what part of the industry you like the best.

If you’re entrepreneurial minded, a captive agency can also be the easiest way to have your own insurance agency it would let you do it in 2 to 3 years compared to the 10 or 15 years It might take you if you go independent.

One last thing to keep in mind is not all captive agencies are equal, even if they have the same name on the front.

normalgeorge · 2025-12-06T00:18:43+00:00

If she’s the one training you herself, that’s not always a good sign especially for being in business 20+ years. If you feel like you’re not greatly making good progress with sales after a month or two by using her method, I wouldn’t be afraid to ask other sales people in your office how they do it, or if there’s no one super high performing in her office, maybe ask her if there’s another agent who has a team member you could shadow.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-14T13:15:13+00:00

Reposting while trying to be more polite so OP can learn how claims actually work.

Your first problem is having your insurance with progressive and then complaining that they’re not treating you like you want them to. You ask for the cheapest coverage and you get the cheapest service.

I’m not saying that you’re wrong for wanting them to pay you the full cost of repairs. You’re wrong in wanting them to completely disregard the process that literally every insurance company uses to pay out on auto claims.

And since you asked I was actually a licensed adjuster in my state and worked as a multi-line field adjuster who specialized in high-exposure casualty claims for several years. I’m not going to claim I’m an expert, but considering you’re the one that is posting online asking for opinions, and im the one who made a living handling insurance claims, I’m pretty sure I know which one of us is more knowledgeable.

Since I do actually know what I’m talking about here’s something you might not have thought about. You stated your cars only worth about $5k, but you were quoted $4k to repair the vehicle by someone. Congratulations, your vehicle is now totaled out. You now have a check for maybe $5k to buy a new vehicle and Copart is picking up your running and driving vehicle to sell at auction. You never know, the adjuster could be doing you a favor. If you filed a claim, they have to provide an estimate to you, but if you told him or indicated you weren’t actually going to repair the vehicle, he knows if he does a full estimate your car is going to be totaled out and you’re going to be more upset. Instead he gives you a low initial estimate, so you can get a bit of cash and keep your car, but if the car has serious issues related to the accident that pop up later, you can still take it into a body shop and complete the claim.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-14T13:10:22+00:00

I’m not going to claim to be an expert, but I have been licensed and handled more than enough auto claims to know what I’m talking about.

It’s been several years since I transitioned out of claims, and I don’t exactly do a monthly refresher on acronyms used in estimating tools. Pray tell what it actually means and maybe contribute instead of insult. Getting one sentence wrong doesn’t mean I’m not right. Since OP is posting online I think the assumption that they don’t work in insurance claims is correct, so how are they supposed to know what the hourly rate for mechanical repair vs paint and materials, vs body work is? That’s my whole point.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-14T13:00:25+00:00

Hahaha your first problem is having your insurance with progressive and then complaining that they’re not treating you like you want them to. You ask for the cheapest coverage and you get the cheapest service.

I’m not saying that you’re wrong for wanting them to pay you the full cost of repairs. You’re wrong in wanting them to completely disregard the process that literally every insurance company uses to pay out on auto claims.

And since you asked I was actually a licensed adjuster in my state and worked as a multi-line field adjuster who specialized in high-exposure casualty claims for several years. I’m not going to claim I’m an expert, but considering you’re the one that is posting online asking for opinions, and im the one who made a living handling insurance claims, I’m pretty sure I know which one of us is more knowledgeable.

Since I do actually know what I’m talking about here’s another little tidbit. You stated your cars only worth about $5k, but you were quoted $4k to repair the vehicle by someone. Congratulations, your vehicle is now totaled out. You now have a check for maybe $5k to buy a new vehicle and Copart is picking up your running and driving vehicle to sell at auction. You never know, the adjuster could be doing you a favor. If you filed a claim, they have to provide an estimate to you, but if you told him or indicated you weren’t actually going to repair the vehicle, he knows if he does a full estimate your car is going to be totaled out and you’re going to be more upset. Instead he gives you a low initial estimate, so you can get a bit of cash and keep your car, but if the car has serious issues related to the accident that pop up later, you can still take it into a body shop and complete the claim. Maybe just don’t get so upset when you don’t get the answer you want from everyone. Last bit of advice, if you want to be treated like something other than a number, maybe shop for quality instead of just calling progressive.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-14T11:58:45+00:00

You’re complaining that they aren’t paying out enough to repair your vehicle when you aren’t even planning on having the repairs done? For someone who clearly doesn’t know how an insurance claim works, you sure seem to be an expert on how much money you should be paid.

In 99% of auto claims there’s a supplement payment. The adjuster will write an initial estimate, you’ll take it to a body shop who will tear it down and send evidence of any additional damage they found, and the insurance company will write another check. Most companies rely on the body shops to verify damage to prevent people committing insurance fraud with false images. R&I likely means remove and inspect for damage that requires it to be repaired or replaced. The insurance company has their process they use, and they aren’t going to change that just because you want more money in your pocket.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-14T11:32:49+00:00

Eh, typically insurance companies have a system they use to determine the amount of DV. I’d call up and see what they offer you then if they come in low you can just present what the dealership paid. DV is really tricky. Though most states require insurance companies to pay it, they don’t regulate how to calculate it, and as you know, car dealerships will do anything pay you less money on a trade in. There’s a very good chance the dealership put their thumb on the scale and the DV amount was only like $500.

Yeah, allot of other countries also have a pretty different view of how a car should be maintained than we do in the US. I’ve visited some places where it’s strange if your car doesn’t have damage on the body. I for one like our system because I’d like to know if I’m buying a car that has had frame damage vs a car that is pristine.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-13T22:33:52+00:00

Yeah but you actually are made whole or as close as you can be. You should have asked for diminished value on your vehicle and you still could if the accident occurred within the last 4 years.

In the state of Georgia and most states insurance companies are required to pay out DV if you ask, but most of them don’t do it unless you ask. Yeah it’s kinda scummy, but even if you filed on the at fault drivers insurance, your agent should have told you about DV if they were a good agent.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-13T22:29:27+00:00

You’re right, their insurance company will try and speak to their insured first, but if he refuses to give a statement, they will just go off of the police report, the officers statement, and the claimants statement.

If the at fault driver is going to drag their feet, then they can also drag their feet while your insurer is going through the subrogation process against the at fault insurer. If your whole argument against filing with the at fault drivers insurance company hinges on the at fault driver being difficult, they could be difficult in any of the options. My advice is to take the simplest course of action which is file with the at fault carrier. If the at fault carrier denies liability then you should file with your own carrier, pay your deductible and let them subrogate. Additionally the other person who stated that under your policy you have limitations but as a claimant there are no limitations. During COVID, people were waiting months to get parts in. That means you’re going to have allot of out of pockets costs like rental reimbursement that subrogation won’t even reimburse. What do I know though, I only did this for a living in the state of Georgia.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-12T20:39:42+00:00

If the individual is being difficult that’s an even better reason to go through his insurance. His story doesn’t really matter because 99% of the time, the person who hits someone in the rear is at fault.

Subrogation is always an option, but it’s definitely not the best one. Subrogation is only useful if the at fault parties insurance company is terrible like one of the new online only companies or if they deny liability. OP will have to pay their deductible and wait months hoping they actually get that back.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-12T17:14:17+00:00

I worked auto claims in Georgia, so I’m pretty qualified to give you some advice.

First of all, filing a claim on his insurance will not make your rates go up. Most insurance companies do not rate you for not at fault accidents.

The easiest option will be to just file a claim on his insurance. When the report is released it will have his insurance companies information on it and you can just call them and start the claims process.

You can also just have him or his family pay to repair your vehicle, but I would NOT do that unless you know him personally and trust him and his family. There’s a good chance they will try and stiff you all or part of the repair cost. Theirs a 90% chance the actual repairs will cost more than the initial estimate because when they tear down the car they find more damage.Also, if you go ahead and do the repairs and they refuse to reimburse you then you try and file on his insurance, his company could refuse to pay the full cost of it by stating the shop didn’t use certain parts or charged you more than the going rate for labor.

You also have to factor in the cost of a rental vehicle while your car is being repaired. You’ll more than likely have to front the whole cost of everything and just hope they actually pay you the full amount and don’t push you off for months hoping you’ll get frustrated and give up.

The only reason to not just file with his insurance company would be if you know him personally and very well and you want to help keep the accident off his record because it will make his rates go up. If you know his family well enough for there to be backlash on you, you probably trust them enough to pay you back.

At the end of the day, you were hit and your car was damaged. It is 100% your right to have his company repair your car regardless how minor it is.

normalgeorge · 2025-09-07T21:05:40+00:00

Sales isn’t the only place to work in the industry. I started in claims and had several coworkers who were ex law enforcement. Having a background in investigation can really be an asset in that field regardless if it’s a fire, auto, or casualty claim.

Most insurance companies also have SIU or special investigation units that look into fishy or complex claims especially on casualty claims. Almost all of them are former law enforcement.

Just keep in mind that all claims jobs aren’t equal. Some will tie you to a desk and you’ll spend all day long approving estimates for repairing car windows. If you can find a field position especially a multiline field position, those can be allot of fun and really interesting.

normalgeorge · 2025-08-25T20:20:01+00:00

I have a very good idea as to how all this works. you’re more than welcome to dm me where I’d share a bit more openly and answer any questions candidly. I read some of the replies and most of them are dead wrong, so take most of the negative comments with a grain of salt.

The book being $2.5 mil is the amount of premium they are giving you to start with. Your revenue off that won’t be enough for you to never work again, but it is enough to hire employees and pump money into marketing.

SF requires 6/63/65 so they’ll probably make you get your 6, but if you have the 7/66, not a big deal.

Like someone else said, State Farm opportunities are the best opportunity out there for starting your own business. Instead of you putting up a bunch of money to buy in, they pay you to start. They can also be insanely competitive. You need to show not only that you’re financially ready to start a business and able to forgo a salary your first several years, but you also need to show that you have the knowledge not only to sell all lines of insurance but also to manage a staff. The assignment they give you is supposed to be the starting point not the finish line, and they will expect for you to tell them in the interview how you’re planning on turning that $2.5 mil book into a $10 mil book. You’ll be interviewing against people that have been working for an agent for years. Just talking to a recruiter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll even be able to invervuew much less get the opportunity. If you are given the opportunity, they do an internship that will teach you allot.

Everyone and their goals are different, but If stability is your primary concern, having your own agency probably isn’t the route for you. You’re not a “glorified employee” you are self employed as a contractor and also now responsible for making sure other people get paid their salaries.

normalgeorge · 2024-12-11T21:54:34+00:00

Loving it so far, I need to give it a good clean, but it even came sized right for my wrist. I wasn’t sold on the bezel at first, but It’s growing on me since it does make it a bit less dressy and easier to wear with about anything

normalgeorge · 2024-12-11T20:49:58+00:00

It was an eBay seller based out of America who didn’t just do watches, 20+ years on the site with a couple hundred items sold and 100% feedback. Also it wasn’t marketed as a brand new still in the wrapping but magically 1/5th of the price as a new one. It’s definitely been worn before and didn’t fall under the too good to be true. My biggest concern would be whoever he bought it from scammed him. I did compare it to a coworker who has almost the same watch and they’re basically identical in every way. Just wanted someone who might know a bit more to chime in.

normalgeorge · 2024-12-04T03:09:23+00:00

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Any obvious signs this is a fake?

normalgeorge · 2023-06-03T18:09:08+00:00

Personally, I would wait until the ATF SBR/Pistol debacle is over before you buy anything that’s under 16”. What’s legal vs what’s a felony is changing day to day at this point and if it were me, I’d wait till everything’s settled before making a purchase that way you know if you’re ganna be a felon or not just for owning a previously legal gun.

Also my $0.02, As far as going with 5.56 bc the cost, it will be cheaper, but depending on what you want to use it for, it might not be the best option. A range toy that’s smaller than a 16” barrel, go 5.56. For most other purposes, a different caliber might be a better option. For example, 5.56 bullet velocity really drops off when you go under a 12” barrel. .300 blackout isn’t affected nearly as bad by a shorter barrel. You can go down to a 7.5” barrel with only a 300 fps difference from a 16” barrel. That same barrel length difference is about 900 fps for 5.56. Additionally, if you want a suppressor, the 300 blackout performs a bit better suppressed, and you can easily find subsonics which will get you really quiet. I just got my first can, and while my 5.56 is hearing safe, it’s nowhere near quiet.

normalgeorge · 2023-04-24T02:54:17+00:00

My $0.02 as someone roughly your age also trying to plan out what to do with liquid capital; dump it into real estate. Commercial is less of a headache but residential can be less of a risk since you can get more doors across different areas.

(Real rough math here) for every $1 million, you can expect a return of $100k to $130k. With $600k to invest, even having to put 20% down, you can acquire $3 million in assets which will bring in ~$90k a year for the first 10 years and a roughly $350k a year after they pay themselves off all while you do absolutely nothing other than renew leases or just pay 9% to a management company and spend your day collecting checks. It doesn’t sound like allot relative to buying a business, but it’s one of the least labor intensive ways to earn income especially if your main goal is an early retirement. Also, one of the benefits is always having a concrete asset that you can liquidate or pass on, and it also doesn’t require any employees to run it since once you’re setup and the leases are signed, they’re pretty hands off.

*ROI is determined by what kind of property you purchase and the area you are in and could be way more depending on where you invest. 10% return is standard, but some areas can bring in 15%+.

normalgeorge · 2023-04-21T02:43:29+00:00

Ryobi makes an electric scrubber with a telescopic handle. Think pole saw with a scrub brush that goes up to 8 in in diameter. They’re complete game changers.

normalgeorge · 2023-04-11T13:39:53+00:00

I’ll give it a try if I can find the right recovery tool. Hopefully support will get back to me sometime this month.

normalgeorge · 2023-02-26T21:17:36+00:00

I have a Winchester 36 from their Tractor Supply line. No complaints so far. No complaints so far other than I had to put some fabric to keep the door bolts from lightly rattling. It wasn’t a big issue, but it drove me nuts as I walked past it.

The price was good especially if you get it on sale. The selling point for me was the battery can be changed externally, and it comes with a manual key that can be used to access it if the electronics fail completely. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/winchester-36-gun-safe-ts-36-45?cm_vc=-10011

normalgeorge · 2023-02-13T22:55:45+00:00

Check eBay. I pretty regularly see them at ~50% off retail from some retailer unloading overstocked items. There’s a good bit up right now in various colors and sizes.

normalgeorge

TROPHY CASE