Sometimes we long for the simpler days of old. One thing I鈥檓 glad has changed is how we purchase things. The internet, specifically Amazon, has made purchasing some things a whole lot easier. But just because it鈥檚 easy doesn鈥檛 mean you should do it.

Insurance shouldn鈥檛 be one of those. This is why you should be careful about how you purchase insurance. Below, I will explain why you shouldn鈥檛 purchase your insurance online and why you should use a local independent insurance agent.

Have you ever taken the time to read your insurance policy? I can say most people haven鈥檛. If you need to draw up a will, most of the time you will go see an attorney. Most of us did not go to college to become a lawyer. Contract verbiage can be confusing and intimidating. So, would you go online to purchase a will to protect your estate?

What is insurance? Insurance is coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril. You have worked too hard to acquire assets over your lifetime. Not having the proper coverage or the understanding of the coverage someone sold you can set you up for a huge liability down the road. Since most people have not read their homeowner鈥檚 insurance policy, purchasing insurance should never be more than just checking an item off your to-do list.

Insurance products require specialized knowledge and expertise to understand and navigate, which is why many insurance agents and brokers undergo extensive training and certification to become experts in the field.

Everyone鈥檚 life and risk tolerance are different. When someone starts their first job or just gets married, they may not have lots of assets, or things, to insure. As life goes on, we accumulate things that need to be protected in the case of loss.

Primary residence, second homes, cars, RVs, jewelry, antiques or materials within the home, or just protecting your assets from a lawsuit, are items you should consider when reviewing your options for insurance.

Some questions to consider are: Do you own or rent? Do you have a second home? How many cars do you own? Do you have a teenage driver? Is your teenage driver an honor roll student? How many miles do you drive in a year? Do you work from home?

As you can see, there are a lot of questions to consider. Carriers like to bundle for better pricing and provide discounts to students and employees who work from home.

As I mentioned earlier, the internet has made shopping much easier. If you order from Amazon and you don鈥檛 like your purchase, you can just return it. When you purchase an insurance product from an online insurance carrier, you can鈥檛 just return it, especially when you have a claim. The claim is yours to have. Having to file a claim is the worst time to realize you鈥檝e made the wrong decision on an insurance policy.

The idea that you can just check a few boxes online and purchase a policy that protects you, is not the way to go about this. You need peace of mind knowing you have the right coverage. The peace of mind that a local, brick and mortar insurance agent can bring you.

A local insurance agent鈥檚 role is to advise, educate and be an advocate for each individual client. It鈥檚 our role to advise you that people with assets like you have these types of insurance policies. A local independent insurance agent can give you choices and options. An independent insurance agent has access to many different carriers (choice) and can provide several options within each carrier.

Just like having a pastor, lawyer, or an accountant, it鈥檚 important for you to have a local insurance agent. You don鈥檛 have to use HFC Insurance, but use someone local. Go to someone who is qualified to give you good advice. The internet has a lot of information on it. Having information is one thing. Having knowledge and wisdom is another.

Marty Haynes is CEO of HFC Insurance in Lancaster.