I have been asked in the past how the insurance agent gets paid. The easy answer: commission. Most insurance agents, whether they work for a captive company like State Farm or an independent agency or a broker, get paid a percentage of the premium that they write.
Here is the catch: they get more for first year premiums than they do for subsequent premiums. The amount of the commission varies, but it is usually at or near 50% for the first year. It then goes down for subsequent years.
In other words, suppose your agent is Bill Jones of the Jones Insurance Agency. Bill might write your policy with ABC Insurance Company. Of your $1,000 per year premium, $500 goes to Bill. In year 2, when your policy renews, Bill may only get 20%, or $200. But, if Bill writes your second year policy with XYZ Insurance Company, Bill may now get another $500 since its a new policy. This helps to explain why some people seem to have a different insurance company every year.
Now, I a not saying that every insurance agent does this. Not even most do it. But, when your agent wants to switch carriers for you, this is one thing to ask about.