Which of the following is free to do business with any company that will write the business?

• A. Broker
• B. Agent
• C. Adjuster
• D. Reinsurer

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is market access and independence in placing risk. A broker acts for the insured and has access to many different insurance markets, so they can present options from multiple carriers and place the coverage with any company that will write it. That freedom to shop around and bind with various underwriters is what makes a broker the right answer.

An agent, by contrast, is typically tied to one insurer or a limited set of insurers and mainly sells that insurer’s products, so they aren’t free to place with any company. An adjuster handles claims after a loss, not underwriting anew. A reinsurer provides capacity to primary insurers, distributing risk at the back end, not directly shopping the insured’s coverage with every market.