Firefly vs. SIAA: Commission Splits, Contracts, and Carrier Access Compared
Firefly and SIAA are both independent agency networks for P&C agents and producers, but they differ sharply on three things: commission split, contract length, and carrier access.
Firefly pays a flat 90% commission split on new and renewal business, gives you direct appointments with 15+ carriers in your state, and has no long-term contract: you keep full ownership of your book and can leave at any time, paying a one-time exit fee of 30% of trailing 12-month commission.
SIAA, by comparison, has historically used 5-, 10-, or 15-year contracts and typically provides only 4 to 5 direct carrier appointments, routing additional carrier access through a lower-paying brokerage platform called Access Plus.
Firefly Agency, by the numbers
90%Firefly commission split, new & renewal
15+Firefly direct carrier appointments
Daysto Firefly’s first carrier appointment
$1,000Firefly upfront fee, no contract length
Firefly vs. SIAA at a glance
| Category | Firefly Agency | SIAA |
|---|---|---|
| Commission split | 90% of negotiated commission, new business and renewals | Typically lower on brokered (Access Plus) business than on direct appointments |
| Direct carrier appointments | 15+ carriers, varies by state (Progressive, GEICO, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, National General, Foremost, and others) | Typically 4 to 5 direct appointments; broader access routed through Access Plus brokerage |
| Contract length | None. No time stipulation, no vesting period | Commonly 5, 10, or 15 years |
| Book of business ownership | You own it fully; transferable on exit | Varies by contract terms |
| Exit terms | One-time fee of 30% of trailing 12-month commission; no time limit | Governed by long-term contract terms |
| Time to first appointment | Days; fully operational within a few weeks | Varies |
| Upfront / monthly cost | $1,000 upfront; $315/month (includes comparative rater and management system) | Varies by region and agreement; historically between $2,500 and $10,000 upfront and around $300/month |
Carrier appointments
The difference between a direct appointment and brokered access is one of the biggest structural gaps between the two models, alongside contract length and your ability to leave on your own terms.
- Firefly’s entire carrier lineup is direct. You have binding authority with each of your 15+ carriers.
- SIAA has historically appointed agents directly with only about 4 to 5 of their carriers.
- Additional carriers are reached only through the Access Plus brokerage rather than a direct appointment.
Direct appointment Brokered access (via Access Plus)
Firefly: carrier relationships are direct appointments. SIAA: typically, about 4 to 5 carrier relationships are direct, with the remaining reached only through Access Plus brokerage. SIAA’s exact carrier count and appointment mix vary by region and agreement; confirm current numbers directly with SIAA.
Commission structure
- Firefly’s commission structure stays simple because every one of Firefly’s carrier relationships is a direct appointment.
- You keep 90% of whatever commission Firefly has negotiated with the carrier, on both new business and renewals, across every carrier in your lineup.
- It’s one split, and it doesn’t change depending on which carrier wrote the policy.
- SIAA’s commission structure isn’t as simple, because it depends on how a given policy is placed.
- A direct appointment and a policy placed through the Access Plus brokerage have historically carried different splits, with brokered business typically paying less than a direct appointment would.
- Therefore, an SIAA agent’s effective take-home percentage can vary carrier by carrier, depending on whether that carrier happens to be one of their direct appointments or one reached through Access Plus.
Profit sharing
- Firefly pays profit sharing and contingencies across your entire carrier lineup.
- This is possible because Firefly tracks the underlying data and has invested significant time building out internal loss ratio tracking, so it can determine which agents are profitable and pay out accordingly.
- SIAA typically pays profit sharing and contingencies only on an agent’s own direct appointments, not on business placed through the Access Plus brokerage side.
- As a result, an SIAA agent typically misses out on a portion of profit sharing.
- SIAA also champions a bonus structure built around excess and guaranteed compensation, which can meaningfully benefit an agency joining with an existing large book of business.
- That kind of structure can have a fairly immediate impact on revenue for an established book, but for a true scratch agency with no existing book to bring over, the calculus is different, since early growth depends heavily on how quickly you can get appointed and start writing business directly.
Contract length and exit terms
SIAA has historically structured its agreements around long-term contracts, commonly 5, 10, or 15 years. Firefly’s model works differently: there’s no contract length, no vesting period, and no time stipulation locking you in.
You also keep full ownership of your book of business with Firefly, and it’s fully transferable if you ever leave. SIAA’s book of business terms vary by contract.
Leaving Firefly costs a one-time exit fee of 30% of your trailing 12 months of commission, with no time limit on when that fee applies. SIAA’s exit terms are governed by whatever long-term contract you signed.
Note: SIAA’s specific terms can change and vary by region and agreement. If you’re evaluating SIAA, confirm current contract length, appointment count, Access Plus split, and bonus structure directly with SIAA.
Is Firefly the right fit for you?
Good fit
You’re an experienced P&C agent or producer starting a true scratch agency: you have prior insurance experience, but no existing book of business to bring over.
Likely a better fit elsewhere
You have a large existing book of business (a network like SIAA or FirstChoice may serve you better), or you have no prior insurance experience and are trying to start completely from scratch.
Is SIAA the right fit for you?
Good fit
You’re an existing independent agency interested in the benefits of rolling into a larger entity, particularly to pick up an extra percentage point or two on contingencies.
Likely a better fit elsewhere
You’re starting a scratch agency and want to get up and running with binding authority with many carriers right out of the gate, and profit sharing on every carrier. Firefly’s direct-appointment model is built for that.
Thinking through which model fits your agency?
Talk with our team about your state, your carrier mix, and whether a direct-appointment model like Firefly’s or a brokered network like SIAA makes more sense for where you’re starting from.
Talk with FireflyFrequently asked questions
You get 90% of whatever commission Firefly has negotiated with the carrier, on both new business and renewals.
No. Firefly doesn’t have a contract length, a vesting period, or a time stipulation. You can leave at any time. Leaving requires a one-time exit fee equal to 30% of your trailing 12 months of commission, with no time limit on when that fee applies.
You get direct appointments with 15 or more carriers, with the exact lineup depending on your state. This includes carriers such as Progressive, GEICO, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, National General, and Foremost. Firefly doesn’t act as a matchmaker between agents and carriers; you get appointments with every carrier Firefly has available in your state.
Firefly charges a $1,000 upfront fee and $315 per month, which includes a comparative rater and agency management system.
SIAA has historically used longer contract terms (commonly 5, 10, or 15 years) and typically provides direct appointments with around 4 to 5 carriers, with additional carrier access routed through a brokerage platform called Access Plus, which generally carries a lower commission split and slower placement than a direct appointment. Firefly instead gives you direct appointments with 15+ carriers with no contract length requirement.
No. Firefly is built for experienced agents and producers starting a scratch agency, not for people with no prior insurance experience. Firefly isn’t recommended for inexperienced scratch agents.