OUR TEAM

How we get paid

Here's the unusual thing about Abbott: our agents don't work on commission.

In a lot of the insurance world, agents are paid based on the premium you pay. That means when a policy costs more, the commission is usually higher too. That doesn't automatically mean people are doing anything wrong, but it does create an incentive that most customers don't even realize is there.

Our agents are paid a salary. Whether you go with Progressive or Safeco, whether your premium is $80 a month or $300, their paycheck doesn't change.

No quota for new sales. No bonus for moving you away from a carrier you're already happy with. No pressure to recommend something just because it pays more.

That matters to us because we want the advice to be clean. Sometimes the right answer is to switch. Sometimes the right answer is to increase coverage.

That's not a marketing line. It's a big part of why this agency exists.

The carriers we work with

We're an independent agency, which means we can shop across multiple carriers instead of selling for just one company.

Our main carrier partners right now include Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Foremost, Nationwide, and National General, an Allstate company.

Those aren't random names on a list. We look at financial strength, claims handling reputation, pricing, coverage options, and whether their products actually make sense for Kansas City households and small businesses.

And we keep paying attention after that. If a carrier stops being a good fit for our clients, we're not locked in. We can shift direction, look for better options, and add new carriers when they earn a place on the list.

That's the whole point of working with an independent agency. You're not stuck with one company's answer.

What shopping multiple carriers actually looks like

When you ask us for a quote, here's what happens.

You send us your current information, or a copy of your declarations page if you have one. From there, we look at which carriers actually fit your situation.

Not every carrier is right for every client. A young driver with a clean record needs a different comparison than a homeowner with three cars and a teenage driver.

We usually bring back two or three options that actually make sense, with the trade-offs explained in plain English. Maybe one has a lower premium but a higher deductible. Maybe another has stronger coverage options or a carrier with a better claims reputation. Whatever the meaningful differences are, we walk you through them.

And if your current policy is already the best option, we'll tell you that too.

When we tell you to stay put

Sometimes the best advice we can give is, “You're better off staying where you are.”

That may sound odd coming from an insurance agency, but it happens more often than people probably expect. We review the coverage, compare the options we have available, and if your current policy is still the best fit, we'll tell you.

Sometimes your current policy is bundled in a way that would be hard to beat without breaking everything apart. Sometimes you have a long, claims-free history with your carrier and they're rewarding that. Sometimes the savings just aren't enough to justify the hassle of switching.

When that's the case, we'll send you a short written summary explaining what we found and why we think staying put makes sense.

You keep it. You don't owe us anything. And when something changes, we'll be here.

How we're different from a captive agent or 1-800 carrier

There are a lot of perfectly good ways to buy insurance. The difference is flexibility.

You can call a company directly. You can work with an agent who represents one carrier. Or you can work with an independent agency like ours.

A captive agent usually represents one insurance company. That can work well if that company is the right fit for you. But if the price changes, the coverage no longer makes sense, or underwriting rules shift, their options may be limited.

A 1-800 carrier can be convenient too, especially if you already know exactly what you want. But insurance is rarely just one checkbox and a price. Sometimes the important part is understanding what you're buying, what you're not buying, and what could become a problem later.

At Abbott, we can compare multiple carriers, explain the differences, and help you decide what actually makes sense for your situation. And because our agents don't work on commission, the goal is not to push you toward a particular company or policy.