• A broker is an insurance intermediary that represents the policyholder, not the insurer. Because they are not the legal representatives of insurers, brokers, unlike independent agents, are often not authorized to act on behalf of insurers, such as binding coverage. Although some brokers have agency contracts with some insurers, they are usually still required to represent policyholders and not insurers. For example, some state insurance codes impose a fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of their clients or provide full disclosure of all their compensation from all sources.