Some insurance agents are captive, in that they can only sell that company's coverage. Some agents are independent and may represent several companies. Most independent property and casualty agents usually have a handful of carriers they write business with. There are multiple reasons for this: some carriers have certain niches they are better in than other companies, some companies may not grant an agency / agent an appointment unless they are doing so much business or other criteria, and there are only so many products an agent can keep up with effectively. An independent agent may be able to find a better deal with one of his carriers than a captive agent but not necessarily. It really depends on the company, the coverage, and the underwriting. Some companies are moving to an online model and eliminating agents. The savings potential for the company and possibly the client can be significant, as there is less overhead costs. However, there are downsides to this kind of model as well.
In regards to calling in about a possible claim, I think it may not be clear what actually happens in the property and casualty world and how this can cause problems. If you call in to your agent or insurance home office and "inquire" about your policy, it may be considered a claim or at least documented (even if you don't have a claim). These queries can lead to an insurance company increasing your rates or even dropping you. With life insurance and some other types of policies, this is not an issue because of the nature of the policy or how underwriting or pricing is handled (or regulated). With property and casualty, though, some companies treat all inquiries as reportable because from their perspective, you typically don't call about hypothetical situations. Thus, you may be flagged and deemed a higher risk leading to increased premiums. I have a good relationship with my agent, so I'm able to ask him questions without fear of him reporting that to the insurance company. But I would be very cautious about calling a home office number to inquire about a policy provision unless I was prepared to file a claim or I knew exactly how they handle general inquiries.
