Big I Alliance review for insurance agencies: fees, carrier access and book ownership
Big I Alliance is the market access program of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Its Alliance Gold tier gets member agencies carrier codes in their own name, and Alliance Blue is a free placement center for any Big I member.
Gold is by invitation and costs $3,000 to $3,500 to join and $300 to $350 a month, plus state Big I dues. Carriers pay you directly, and Big I takes no share of commission on Gold.
An appointment is what lets an agency sell for a carrier.
A commission split is the share of every commission the network keeps before paying you. Profit sharing, or contingency pay, is a yearly carrier bonus tied to low losses and growth. Owning the book means the clients and expirations, the renewal records, belong to you.
- Best for
- Big I member agencies that want carrier codes in their own name for a flat fee
- Entry fee
- $3,000 or $3,500 for Alliance Gold
- Monthly fee
- $300 or $350 for Alliance Gold, plus state Big I dues
- Commission share
- None on Alliance Gold
- Carrier access
- Codes in your agency's name on Gold. Placement through Alliance Blue
- Startups
- Emerging tier for agencies with fewer than three appointments, but Gold is by invitation
Our take
Alliance Gold suits an agency that would rather pay a flat fee than give up commission. Big I says you own your codes and expirations on Gold.
The trade-off is commitment. Gold runs three years and you can't belong to another network while you're in it. The buyout terms aren't published.
Pros
- No share of commission on Gold
- Codes in your agency's name
- Published Gold fees
- Free Alliance Blue placement for Big I members
- Emerging tier for agencies with few appointments
Cons
- Three-year Gold contract
- Gold requires exclusivity
- Buyout cost is not published
- State Big I dues come on top
- Gold is by invitation
Who they take
- Startups
- Yes. The Emerging tier is for agencies with fewer than three appointments
- Requirements
- Membership in your state Big I association. Alliance Gold is by invitation, based on premium and current appointments
- Production minimums
- Alliance Blue has no monthly minimum. Gold carriers set their own
- States
- Nationwide, through the state Big I associations. Carrier access varies by state
- Lines
- Personal and commercial P&C, life and excess and surplus lines
What it costs
Big I Alliance has two programs. Alliance Gold charges a flat sign-up fee and a monthly fee and takes no share of your commission. Alliance Blue, the online placement center, is free for Big I members but keeps part of the commission on what you place.
Both require dues to your state Big I association, which differ by state.
| Fee | Amount | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Gold sign-up fee, Emerging | $3,000 | Once |
| Gold monthly fee, Emerging | $300 | Monthly |
| Gold sign-up fee, Established | $3,500 | Once |
| Gold monthly fee, Established | $350 | Monthly |
| Commission kept on Gold | 0% | Not charged |
| Alliance Blue access | $0 | Not charged |
| State Big I dues | Set by your state association | Yearly |
Gold prices as of October 2026, from independentagent.com, for agencies joining since September 2025. Emerging is for agencies with fewer than three appointments.
How you get carrier access
Your own appointments
On Alliance Gold your agency gets its own code with each carrier, and the national Alliance helps you get appointed. Carrier access is not guaranteed and differs by state.
The network's code
Alliance Blue lets any Big I member place business through its placement center under a sub-producer agreement, with staff who help quote and bind.
- Who holds the appointment
- Your agency on Gold. Big I Alliance on most Blue business
- Path to a direct appointment
- Gold is built around codes in your own name
- Carriers
- Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Chubb, The Hartford, Safeco, CNA, The Hanover and others
How you get paid
- Who the carrier pays
- Your agency directly on Gold. Alliance Blue for most Blue products, which then pays you
- Commission schedule
- 100% to you on Gold. Blue keeps a share that varies by product
- Profit sharing
- Gold members can earn profit sharing
- Blue payment timing
- Usually 45 to 60 days after the policy starts, by direct deposit around mid-month
Your book and leaving
On Gold, your agency owns its code, policies and expirations. Blue members also own their expirations.
- Who owns the expirations
- Your agency, on both Gold and Blue
- Carrier code after you leave
- Your Gold codes are yours
- Liens and transfer fees
- Gold has a buyout option, with no published amount. Blue has no termination fee
- Restrictions
- Gold members cannot belong to another network or alliance while they are members
Ask before you sign Big I says Gold has a buyout or termination option but does not publish the cost or the notice period. Get both in writing.
Term and exit
- Agreement term
- Three years for Alliance Gold
- Renewal
- Renews each year after that
- Exclusivity
- Gold members must be exclusive to Big I Alliance
Technology, E&O and support
Technology
- No required agency management system
- Alliance Blue Plus vendor discounts, included with Gold
E&O
Optional Alliance E&O through Big I Professional Liability, with its own limits.
Help you get
- Placement center staff who help quote and bind
- Business development support on Gold
- Weekly webinars and market newsletters
- Agency valuation and perpetuation advice at a member discount
Who owns the network
- Owner
- IIABA, the national Big I association, through its for-profit Big I Advantage arm
- Buys member agencies
- No
Big I Alliance alternatives
- SIAAHelps you win direct appointments through a regional Master Agency
- Smart ChoiceNo monthly feeNo entry or monthly fee, keeps 30% until a set commission level, then nothing
- American Agents AllianceFrom $50 a monthCalifornia association dues from $50 a month, with a path to your own codes
- FireflyNo monthly duesWrites on Firefly's code and keeps 10%. Moving its carrier business costs 30% of a year's commission
- FirstChoice$500 a month, per PIA associationsFlat monthly fee, your own appointments and, it says, no noncompete
See every option in insurance agency clusters and networks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Big I Alliance Gold cost?
Emerging agencies pay $3,000 to join and $300 a month. Established agencies pay $3,500 and $350. State Big I dues are extra.
Does Big I Alliance take a commission split?
Not on Gold, where the carrier pays your agency 100%. Alliance Blue keeps a share that varies by product.
Do I own my book with Big I Alliance?
Big I says yes. Its Gold FAQ says each agency owns its code, policies and expirations.
How long is the Alliance Gold contract?
Three years, renewing each year after that. A buyout option exists, but its cost is not published.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the pricing, terms and product pages published by Big I Alliance, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Big I Alliance quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Big I Alliance has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.