JD Power and Big ‘I’ Release the 2026 Independent Agent Satisfaction Study

• By: AnneMarie McPherson Spears
• October 1, 2026

Today, the Big “I” and JD Power released the “2026 U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study.” It is the ninth consecutive year that the two companies have teamed up to measure property & casualty independent insurance agents’ perceptions of their carriers.

The study tracks agent sentiment across multiple categories, including ease of doing business, communication practices and claims handling. It also separates findings between personal lines and commercial lines carriers.

This year’s report asked agents to sort carriers into three relationship categories—partner, provider and vendor—based on how valued and supported the agents felt. Agents were asked to rank carriers according to three criteria: they feel the insurer values them as an agent, cares about the agency’s success and puts the interests of customers first. Partners are carriers that fulfilled all three criteria for agents, where providers have a moderate relationship and vendors are the weakest relationship.

Agents place high value on the partner relationship. 48% of agent-carrier relationships met the partner criteria. Agents who view the carrier as a partner are 43 percentage points more likely to recommend the carrier more in the next six months and 37 percentage points more likely to be writing more policies with the carrier than 12 months ago.

“As the market shifts, independent agents have more choice than ever about where they place business, and they are exercising it,” says Craig Martin, executive director, global insurance intelligence, JD Power. “Carriers that deliver the fundamentals consistently, invest visibly in the relationship, and equip agents for the way they will work next will earn the business this channel has to give.”

The study also breaks down the specific carrier features that impact agent satisfaction: foundational needs are the baseline, performance needs drive satisfaction and preference, and delighters go beyond expectations to stand out as preferred partners. Agents’ rankings of each of these criteria reveal that carriers should ensure the basics are well-established before differentiating with performance needs and delight.

For personal lines, agents’ overall satisfaction gained 3 index points. For commercial lines, agents’ satisfaction dropped 16 index points.

The survey also found that agents are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, although usage varies by generation. While 34% of boomers said they used AI at work, 55% of Generation X agents and 73% of millennials and Generation Z use AI. Copilot tends to be more popular among boomer and Gen X agents, while Gemini, Claude and Grok are more likely to be used by millennials and Gen Z.

Older agents are more likely to use AI for client-facing work. Of boomers who use AI, 55% use it to research info that impacts a customer or policy, compared to 40% of Gen X and 32% of millennials and Gen Z. Another 54% of boomers use AI to draft communications, joined by 50% of Gen X but only 27% of millennials and Gen Z. However, only 11% of boomers use it to take notes or summarize meetings with insurers, compared to 24% of Gen X and 30% of millennials and Gen Z.

“As consumers face increasingly complex insurance needs, independent insurance agencies across the country continue to deliver unmatched value by providing local expertise, personalized guidance and choice,” says Charles Symington, Big “I” president & CEO. “Agents value carriers that invest in their success and support them in serving customers. As agents look for ways to serve clients more efficiently, they expect carriers to keep pace with emerging tools like AI. At the same time, they want to work with carriers who understand their needs.”

Among carriers who scored above average in overall satisfaction, the gaps are narrowing. In personal lines, Auto-Owners Insurance and Erie Insurance both lost double digits off their satisfaction ratings, while Liberty Mutual, Chubb and Travelers climbed. In commercial lines, The Hartford, Travelers and Chubb led agent satisfaction rankings and Nationwide dramatically improved its score. Auto-Owners’ and Zurich both dropped significantly.

AnneMarie McPherson Spears is IA news editor.