How to choose a life insurance agent
When shopping for life insurance, you would do well to work with a life insurance agent. A good agent is an ally who is familiar with the life insurance industry. But how do you recognize an agent who is worthy of your trust?
To allay your fears…
A life insurance agent is not just a salesperson, and your relationship with him or her does not terminate once you have made your purchase. A good life insurance agent recognizes the opportunity for a long relationship and so will endeavor to provide you with the best service possible in order to win your good opinion.
Bad insurance agents do exist. However, these are the minority; and in this age of caveat vendor, courts tend to rule in favor of the customer when legal action is brought against insurance agents who failed to provide adequate service or information.
An experienced agent
To get the best service, you need an agent who has experience with the coverage you need. This is the agent who will be able to present you with options and teach you the differences between them. To determine your agent’s experience, ask questions. How many life insurance carriers do they represent? What policies do they usually sell?
An independent agent
“Captive” agents work for a single life insurance carrier. That means that they have a bias and, in fact, may be able to sell you coverage from only their own employer. You would do well to seek an independent agent. Independent agents may belong to a life insurance agency or brokerage, but the important thing is that they are not affiliated with any single life insurance carrier.
A good agent
A good agent seeks not his own agenda but rather seeks to understand yours. A good agent learns your needs (and maybe helps you to understand your own needs better). A good agent does not make decisions for you; he shares his knowledge (and where appropriate, counsel) with you so that you can make a decision.
