Know what US insurance runs on.

An MGA — managing general agent — is a company a carrier hands underwriting and distribution to. It can quote, bind, and sometimes handle claims on the carrier's behalf, but it does not hold the risk itself. What an MGA is, how it differs from a regular agent and from a carrier, why carriers use them, and where they sit in how insurance reaches the customer.

A comparison site looks neutral. But underneath it makes money one of two ways. A lead aggregator sells your contact details to carriers and agents. A licensed agency is itself an agency and earns commission when a policy closes. What each model means for you, with real named examples.

Three types of people sell you insurance in the US: a captive agent who works for one carrier, an independent agent who represents several, and a broker who works for you. What each one means for the advice you get, the choices you see, and the price you pay — and a plain way to decide which to use.

Bancassurance is insurance sold through a bank, often alongside a mortgage or a loan. What it is in plain terms, why the channel is large in Europe and smaller in the US, what the customer gains by buying this way, and what they give up.

A plain guide to the main US insurance comparison sites — The Zebra, Insurify, EverQuote, Policygenius, SelectQuote, eHealth, and more. What each one does, who owns it, and how it makes money. Includes the honest answer about whether any of them are truly neutral.

Embedded insurance is cover sold inside another purchase — the protection box at an airline checkout, the warranty offered when you buy a phone. What it is in plain terms, the three companies behind that one checkout box, why the channel is growing fast, and what you give up by buying this way.

An insurance policy is written by a carrier, but the carrier rarely sells it to you directly. Five channels move a policy from the carrier to the customer: buying direct, comparison sites, independent agents, embedded insurance, and the bank counter. What each one is, who runs it, and why the channel decides the price you pay and the advice you get.

Law-firm cyber sits on three exposures no other vertical combines: client confidentiality under ABA Rule 1.6, trust-account (IOLTA) wire fraud, and litigation-hold data on the network. Chubb, Hiscox, and Coalition each cover a distinct firm shape — here's how to pick.