Surfing For Cover

These days, just about anything you want to buy is available onthe Internet-and business insurance is no exception. But iscyberspace the best place to purchase such an important product?The answer depends on exactly what type of insurance you'rebuying and how much you know about it.

Buying insurance on the Net has its advantages, says CraigSmith, COO at Fred A. Moreton & Co., an insurance brokeragefirm with offices in Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho. However,while buying insurance online can save money and time, he says, youdon't have the same access to expertise and advice you havewhen dealing with an agent or insurer directly. "Everybusiness has its own complexities, its own areas of exposure, evenif it's in the same industry as another [business] down thestreet," Craig says. "The job of the broker is to sitdown and adequately evaluate specific needs and exposure."