There are a few ways you can buy car insurance. You can buy it online without an agent’s help, but it does require more legwork in terms of understanding and comparing policies. If you prefer to work with a car insurance agent, know that there are two types of agents: independent and captive. Independent agents work for themselves and aren’t tied to a specific insurance company, so they’re able to be more objective and can recommend policies from a variety of car insurance companies. They can sometimes be a little pricier because their income comes from their sales. Captive agents are the complete opposite; they work for a single insurance company and only offer their company’s insurance products. You’ll most likely speak to a captive agent if you call an insurance company to get a quote.