General Insurance PrinciplesQuestion 236 of 531

In the traditional legal distinction between the two, a broker differs from an agent because a broker:

a.holds binding authority that an insurer's own agent would lack
b.is appointed by an insurer to accept applications on its behalf
c.represents the applicant when placing business with an insurer
d.may collect the premium but owes the buyer no duty of care

Explanation

A broker is legally the representative of the client and shops the market for that client, while an agent represents the insurer under an agency contract and can commonly bind coverage for it. Saying a broker is appointed by the insurer describes an agent instead. Both are licensed producers who owe duties to the people they serve, so the idea that a broker owes the buyer nothing is wrong.

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