When you’re shopping for insurance, it’s tempting to go with whatever pops up first in a search, or whichever brand is running the flashiest TV commercial this season. But here’s something worth thinking about: what does it actually mean when an insurance agency has been serving customers for nearly 50 years? 

We’re not just asking to pat ourselves on the back. There are real, practical reasons why longevity in this industry matters — for your wallet, your peace of mind, and especially for those moments when everything goes sideways and you need someone in your corner fast. 

 

We’ve Seen It All (Literally) 

FCIS Insurance opened its doors in 1978 in Thompson, Iowa. Back then, disco was still on the radio, gas cost about 65 cents a gallon, and the internet was a fever dream shared only by a handful of scientists. The insurance industry looked completely different too. 

Over the decades, we’ve weathered economic recessions, watched entirely new insurance products emerge, navigated the digital revolution, and adapted to a claims landscape that changes every few years. Each one of those changes has made us sharper, more experienced, and better equipped to serve you. 

What that means for you as a customer: when you call us with a complicated situation, there’s a very good chance we’ve seen something like it before. Experience isn’t just a number — it’s pattern recognition. It’s knowing which carrier is going to handle your specific type of claim well, which policy language actually protects you versus just sounding like it does, and what questions to ask before you sign anything. 

 

Independent Means We Work for You, Not an Insurance Company 

One of the most important things to understand about FCIS is that we’re an independent agency — a Trusted Choice® independent agent, to be specific. That means we’re not beholden to any single insurance company. We don’t have a quota to fill for one carrier. We shop the market on your behalf across multiple insurance companies to find the coverage that genuinely fits your life. 

Captive agents — the ones who work exclusively for one big brand — can only offer you what their company sells. If it doesn’t fit perfectly, you’re still getting that square peg in a round hole, just with a smile. 

We’ve spent nearly five decades building relationships with carriers across the country. We know their strengths, their quirks, and frankly, which ones are easiest to deal with at claim time. That institutional knowledge takes years to build, and it directly benefits every customer who walks through our door (or calls us up, or fills out a form online). 

 

We’re Licensed Nationwide, But We’re Still Your Neighbor 

FCIS is licensed to write policies in 49 states — everywhere except Hawaii. We have offices in Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas, and New Jersey, and we’ve grown a lot since our early days in Thompson. 

But here’s what hasn’t changed: the small-town, people-first approach that’s been part of our DNA from day one. Our customer service agents are all licensed insurance professionals. When you call us, you’re talking to someone who actually knows insurance — not a script-reader bouncing you between departments. 

We even have a dedicated claims manager on staff specifically to guide customers through the claims process and help get things resolved quickly. That’s not something you’ll find everywhere, and it matters most exactly when you need it most. 

 

Deep Expertise in the Things That Matter Most to You 

Starting in the 1980s, FCIS built a nationally recognized specialty in RV insurance — and we still hold endorsements from all major RV manufacturers today. If you own, a fifth wheel, a Class A motorhome, or anything in between, we’ve been protecting rigs like yours for longer than most of our customers have been driving. 

But our experience runs deep across the board. Whether you need auto, homeowners, life, pet, or commercial insurance for your small business, we bring the same decades of expertise to every policy we write. And for special risks — events, park models, stationary trailers — our FCIS Specialty division handles the coverage that other agencies don’t even know how to quote. 

The range of what we cover has grown enormously since 1978. But the commitment behind every policy hasn’t changed at all. 

 

Trust Is Built Over Time — and We’ve Had the Time 

In an industry where trust is everything, there’s simply no shortcut to a 47-year track record. You can’t fake that kind of history. 

Think about it this way: every customer who has renewed their policy with us year after year is a vote of confidence. Every family we’ve helped through a difficult claim, every business owner we’ve gotten back on their feet, every RV owner we’ve gotten back on the road — those experiences accumulate into something real. Something you can count on. 

When a company has been around as long as we have, they’ve earned the right to say they know what they’re doing. We’ve made it through recessions, industry disruptions, and changing markets not by luck, but because we consistently deliver for the people who trust us with their coverage. 

 

What This Means for You 

Choosing an insurance agency isn’t just a financial decision — it’s a decision about who you want standing beside you when something goes wrong. And when something goes wrong, you want someone with experience, independence, and a genuine stake in your outcome. 

At FCIS, we’ve been that agency for a long time. We’ve protected Iowa farm families, Texas business owners, Wisconsin retirees hitting the open road in their motorhomes, and thousands of people in between. We’ve done it by knowing our stuff, shopping hard for our clients, and showing up when it counts. 

Nearly 50 years in, we’re still here. And we’re not going anywhere. 

 

Ready to see what FCIS can do for you? Get a free quote today or give us a call — we’d love to put our experience to work for you. 

📞 (800) 331-1520 | fcisinsurance.com 

FCIS Insurance — Your Independent Insurance Agency. Licensed in 49 states. Locally rooted since 1978.