As an agent, when you partner with an agency, the agency assumes responsibility for training and development. Additionally, an experienced and well-developed agency provides consistent marketing support, assists with developing a growth strategy, and provides business planning for long-term success. Most agencies receive override commissions from insurance carriers to help support training efforts. Contracting with insurance companies directly allows agents to represent their respective plans but training and support are more compartmentalized and long-term business planning and development are much more limited.