"Say you purchased insurance through an independent agent, and you got into an accident," suggested Tim. "Chances are you'd be calling an 800 number and talking to a rep from who knows where, who isn't really invested in your best interests. You may run into the same thing with a claims adjuster—an independent adjuster probably wouldn't go to bat like a personal insurance agent would."

So while not all independent agents are located five states away from the policyholder—and to be sure, there are many independent agents who have their client's best interests at heart—it seems that captive agencies pull ahead when it comes to customer service. And, while captive agents have been more restricted with products and cross-selling in the past, Tim pointed out that more carriers are becoming more lax when it comes to letting their agents go outside. As long as the captive agency can stay competitive, Tim said, they should be able to stay in the game.

Does that mean independent agents will one day become obsolete? Don't count on it, said Tim. "Both captive and independent agents will be around for a long time."

I agree with Tim. As outlined in my article, there are great benefits—and equally as challenging obstacles to overcome—for captive and non-captive agents. At the end of the day, it's up to the agent to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and determine which sales path best suits them.

Thanks so much to Ryan for suggesting a blog topic. If there's something you'd like to see us discuss here at the Agent Blog, feel free to leave suggestions via comments, or email me.