How does selling my life insurance work?

Asked by: Mrs. Candice Ullrich  |  Last update: November 20, 2025
Score: 5/5 (12 votes)

The owner of a life insurance policy sells it for a cash payment that is less than the full amount of the death benefit. The buyer becomes the new owner and/or beneficiary of the life insurance policy, pays all future premiums and collects the full amount of the death benefit when the insured dies.

Is selling your life insurance a good idea?

Selling your life insurance policy may be a good idea in some cases, such as if you need the money or if the reasons for paying the premiums no longer exist. Still, it's not something to rush into without serious consideration.

How much do you get paid for selling a life insurance policy?

While the amount you will receive from selling your life insurance will vary depending on a few factors, including your specific policy and its amount, a general rule of thumb is that most people receive 40-70% of the policy's face value through their viatical settlement.

How much can I sell my $100,000 life insurance policy for?

This means that an average life settlement offer on a $100,000 policy may be around $20,000 and an average offer on a $1,000,000 policy may be around $200,000. There are a number of factors that affect the amount that a policyholder could be offered, including: Age of the Insured. Health of the Insured.

Do you actually make money selling life insurance?

Life insurance yes it is lucrative. It pays the highest commission percentages around 40--60% (vs PC. Ie auto home pays 10--15%) but life requires medical exam blood and urine testing medical underwriting which makes it one step or more complicated than PC.

How to Sell Life Insurance: Making Your First Million Dollars with Eric Howard Ep229

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Why is selling life insurance so hard?

Why Is Life Insurance So Hard To Sell? It's hard to sell because it deals with the topic of death. That's something many people find difficult to consider or discuss. Furthermore, it's hard to keep trying to sell because agents find that they can't make enough money to support themselves.

How do life insurance salesmen get paid?

Most professionals who sell insurance are paid largely on a commission basis. In fact, most agents aren't even employees of the carrier. More often than not, they're independent contractors who are compensated based on how much they sell, with higher commissions for certain types of products.

What qualifies you to sell your life insurance policy?

Meet the qualifying factors

Own a policy with a death benefit of $100,000 or more – anything less than that typically doesn't qualify unless there are significant health impairments. People who sell their life insurance policies are typically over age 60.

What disqualifies life insurance payout?

Life insurance proceeds can be denied. Some denials are legitimate, like in case of policy lapses, material misrepresentations, or exclusions in the form of illegal activities or war. In other cases, bad-faith insurers use elaborate methods to reject claims so they do not have to pay the proceeds.

Can you make a million dollars a year selling life insurance?

The top agents and advisors we train and coach earn over a million dollars annually selling life insurance, annuities, investments, and their services. While thousands of agents and advisors who earned $30,000 – $50,000 per year, within a year now earn $100,000 – $200,000!

Can I cash out my life insurance policy?

You can cash out a life insurance policy. How much money you get for it will depend on the amount of cash value held in it. If you have, say $10,000 of accumulated cash value, you would be entitled to withdraw up to all of that amount (less any surrender fees). At that point, however, your policy would be terminated.

Do you gain money from life insurance?

These life insurance policies allow the owner to build cash value over time and provide access to cash value. In some cases, you can take a withdrawal, and in others, you can borrow against your policy; and if you do it right, you can avoid a tax liability, too.

How to sell life insurance like a pro?

Follow These Tips and Find Out How to Sell Life Insurance Successfully
  1. Know Your Product. As a life insurance agent, knowing your product inside out is critical. ...
  2. Personalize Your Pitch. ...
  3. Leverage Verified Leads. ...
  4. Build Trust with Prospects. ...
  5. Use Digital Marketing Strategies. ...
  6. Overcoming Objections. ...
  7. The Art of Closing.

Can a term life insurance policy be converted to whole life?

With most insurers, you can typically convert without taking another medical exam or answering health questions, as long as you do so within a certain time frame or by a certain age, such as 75. The deadline for converting and the type of permanent policies available depend on the life insurance company.

Can I borrow from my life insurance?

You can only borrow against a whole life insurance policy or a universal life insurance policy. Policy loans reduce the death benefit if not paid off. Life insurance companies add interest to the loan balance, which if unpaid can cause the policy to lapse. Only permanent life insurance builds cash value.

Why do millionaires get whole life insurance?

Whole life insurance can provide tax-free dividends

For someone looking to build up wealth to cash in on during retirement, Secco says that dividends can accumulate over time and be used as a tax-free pool of money. However, Secco says that using life insurance as a savings vehicle is a long-term strategy.

Do you pay taxes on life insurance?

Generally, life insurance proceeds you receive as a beneficiary due to the death of the insured person, aren't includable in gross income and you don't have to report them. However, any interest you receive is taxable and you should report it as interest received.

How do people who sell life insurance get paid?

They are generally paid in commissions and must find customer leads on their own. Being successful in this type of career takes time and perseverance. However, once you build a professional network and start to acquire clients, life insurance sales can add up to passive income.

Is life insurance hard to sell?

Selling life insurance can be difficult especially if you struggle with difficult conversations and rejection. Some of the other challenges that life insurance salespeople may encounter are: Competitive market. Establishing trust with someone you just met.

What are the pros and cons of selling your life insurance policy?

Selling your life insurance: pros and cons
  • No more monthly premiums.
  • Higher payout than surrendering or lapsing.
  • Use the proceeds for anything.
  • You may be taxed on your life settlement proceeds.
  • Beneficiaries may get a reduced or no death benefit.
  • You may not qualify for another life insurance policy.

Can selling life insurance be a side hustle?

Looking to make some extra cash on the side? Now's the perfect time to start selling insurance! While we would never recommend going into any profession solely for the money, some people do enjoy earning something a little extra on top of their primary income.

Why do financial advisors push life insurance?

Many financial advisors view life insurance as an important part of the financial planning and wealth protection services they offer their clients. Life insurance offers financial protection to surviving beneficiaries in the event the insured policyholder dies.

How fast can you make money selling life insurance?

Most businesses don't make any profit in their first year of operating. It could take anywhere from 18 to 24 months for your insurance sales to actually provide profit. Don't feel discouraged. Every small business owner has to clear this hurdle.