Bigger might get more attention, but it isn’t necessarily better when it comes to choosing your insurance company. In fact, bigger sometimes translates into fewer choices for consumers.

Television is filled with advertisements for the biggest names in insurance, including State Farm, Allstate and Liberty Mutual. The insurance agents who sell their products are known as “captives,” meaning theyonly offer those companies’ products.

By comparison, Advanced Insurance Solutions is an independent insurance agency, representing more than 20 of the top insurance companies.

One of those companies is Erie Insurance, which began in 1925 and has more than 4 million customers in Pennsylvania and 10 other states and the District of Columbia. Erie ranks among the 500 largest companies in the United States based on revenue.

Here are five things you might not but should know about independent insurance agents:

1. Because they are not tied to one company, they can help customers find the best fit for their particular insurance needs.

2. Their ability to choose among more than one insurance company can save customers a significant amount of money.

3. They can gather price quotes from multiple insurance companies, saving customers from having to do the work themselves.

4. They can represent the customer and his or her needs rather than one company’s product line.

5. They can still be your agent even if you switch insurance companies.