I started this agency because I got tired of watching people get sold policies instead of getting real advice.

I’m Scott Sands, and I run Sands Insurance right here in Ankeny. Before I was independent, I worked the other side of this business — captive, one carrier, one set of products, no matter what actually fit the person sitting across from me. That never sat right with me.

Being independent means something specific: I’m not stuck pushing one company’s product because it’s the only thing I sell. I can shop your situation across multiple carriers and bring back what actually makes sense for you — not what makes sense for a quota.

I’m local, and that matters more than people think.

I’m not a call center. I’m not a national 800-number that changes voices every time you call. I live here. I know Iowa weather, Iowa roads, and the kind of risk a business owner in this state actually faces — whether that’s a contractor’s tools sitting in a truck overnight or a family’s home dealing with a hailstorm every other summer.

What “client advocate” actually means, in practice:

It means when you have a claim, I’m the one you call — not a 1-800 number. It means when your policy renews, someone is actually looking at whether it still fits your life, not just auto-renewing it and hoping you don’t notice a rate hike. And it means if I look at your coverage and it’s already solid, I tell you that. No upsell, no pressure. If it’s not, I tell you that too, and I show you exactly what I’d fix.

That’s the whole job, as far as I’m concerned. Local. Independent. On your side.

Not sure if your coverage holds up? Let’s find out — for free.