An insurance producer who is authorized by an insurer to represent that insurer in soliciting, negotiating, or selling insurance is acting as an insurance agent. The key legal point is representation. An agent acts on behalf of the insurance company, while a broker traditionally represents the insurance buyer or applicant. New Jersey law recognizes that an insurer may appoint a licensed producer as its agent by written contract, and that contract authorizes the producer to act for the appointing insurer for the insurer’s authorized lines of insurance, unless the contract limits that authority. New Jersey also separately requires that a person who solicits, negotiates, or sells insurance in the state must hold an insurance producer license. The question is not asking whether the individual is merely licensed; it asks what capacity the producer is acting in when authorized by the company. That relationship is agency. “Insurance consultant” would involve advice or analysis for a fee, and “financial consultant” is not the insurance-law classification tested here. Reference topics: Producer Licensing, Agency Appointment, Agent vs. Broker Authority.