I completely agree with your point about clarity and reliability. While local agents often provide personalized service, I've found that larger insurers typically have standardized processes that make premium calculations transparent and straightforward. When my daughter started driving, the local agent gave me vague estimates, but the bigger insurer provided a detailed breakdown immediately. Supporting local is great, but when it comes to budgeting for risky drivers—especially teens—clear numbers and predictability are essential. Sometimes practicality just has to come first...
"Supporting local is great, but when it comes to budgeting for risky drivers—especially teens—clear numbers and predictability are essential."
Totally get where you're coming from here. When my son first got behind the wheel, I felt like I aged ten years overnight... 😅 Having clear, upfront numbers from a bigger insurer definitely eased some of that stress. Local agents can be wonderful, but sometimes you just need straightforward answers to keep your sanity intact. You're doing the right thing prioritizing practicality—hang in there, it does get easier!
"Local agents can be wonderful, but sometimes you just need straightforward answers to keep your sanity intact."
True, but I've found local agents often go the extra mile when things get tricky. Maybe try getting a quote from both? Can't hurt to shop around a bit before committing...
I've had mixed luck with local agents myself. A few years back, I got rear-ended by someone who turned out to be uninsured (talk about a headache...). My local agent was great at first—super friendly and reassuring—but when it came down to sorting out the details, things got pretty murky. Ended up switching to a bigger company just because their process felt clearer. Not saying big names are always better, but clarity counts for a lot when you're already stressed from an accident.
