How much of my insurance premium goes to my agent?

Asked by: Austin Herzog  |  Last update: May 7, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (68 votes)

Commission structures vary by policy and company. But typically, life insurance agents receive as commission 60% to 80% of the premiums you pay in the first year. They collect smaller commissions in subsequent years. Added up, 5% to 10% of all the premiums you pay over the life of the policy could go to commissions.

How much do insurance agents get paid per policy?

The average commission rate for insurance agents ranges from 10% to 20%, with some agents earn as much as 30% or more. For example, if an agent sells a policy with a $1,200 annual premium, and the commission rate is 15%, the agent would earn $180 per policy.

What percentage do insurance brokers take?

They typically earn 5–10% of the premium as a commission. Business insurance brokers may charge a broker fee for complex risk assessments or securing specialized policies for unique business needs.

Do insurance agents make money off of you?

Agents typically get paid through commissions, which are a percentage of the insurance premium or on a federally regulated standard. This doesn't mean you should always try and sell the most expensive policy. When agents sell a new policy, they earn a higher commission rate compared to when that policy is renewed.

What percentage of insurance premiums go to the agent?

The common range is between 5% and 10% of a policy's total premiums for the first year, with the percentage going down after a plan is renewed.

My First 90 Days To Six Figures As An Insurance Agent

25 related questions found

What is a good commission ratio in insurance?

"An ideal ICR range should be between 75 and 90%, which indicates a healthy settlement of claims by the insurer against the premium collection," says Narula.

Do you pay more for insurance if you go through an agent?

Myth: It costs more to use an agent because you have to pay a commission. Fact: The insurance company pays the commission. You will pay the same amount for your health plan whether you use an insurance agent or buy it yourself. The difference is an agent can save you hours of time wading through choices.

How to calculate insurance agent commission?

Take the premium paid on an insurance policy and multiply it by your base commission amount. Then, take the premium and multiply it by your override amount. Add the two together. This represents your total commission.

What are the disadvantages of using an insurance broker?

The advantages consist of cost-effectiveness, expertise and the capability to provide a broad range of policy alternatives saving consumers time and effort associated with finding coverage. Similarly, disadvantages include decreased professionalism and sometimes high broker fees.

Who pays an insurance agent?

Do I Have To Pay The Insurance Agent A Fee? Insurance Agents get paid a commission (percentage of your premium) from your insurance carrier. You do not pay insurance agents directly. Instead, every time you make a premium payment, the insurance carrier pays the set commission rate to the agent or agency.

What is a normal brokerage percentage?

Some firms may charge a flat fee for their services, while others may charge a percentage of the overall value of the transaction. The average fee charged by brokerage firms is typically between 1% and 2% of the total transaction value.

Who is the highest paid insurance agent?

Gideon du Plessis failed in the 10th standard and never went to college. He is today the highest earning insurance agent in the world, with annual commissions amounting to Rs 7 crore (Rs 70 million) plus.

What is the most profitable insurance to sell?

Life insurance is the most profitable—and the hardest—type of insurance to sell. With the highest premiums and the longest-running contract, it brings in cash over a long period of time. In the first year, agents make the largest annual sum on a policy, bringing in anywhere from 40–120% of the policy premium.

Which insurance company pays the highest commissions?

Some of the companies that offer high commission rates to their agents are HDFC Life, Max Life, ICICI Prudential, and Kotak Mahindra. These companies also have attractive incentive schemes and bonus programs for their top-performing agents.

What percentage of insurance policy does agent get?

For auto and home policies, captive insurance agents earn about 5% to 10% of the entire premiums paid for the first year, while independent agents receive about 15%. Commission rates for renewals range between 2% and 15%, averaging around 2% to 5%, regardless of the type of agent.

Is it cheaper to get insurance through an agent or online?

Buying insurance online can often result in lower customer costs due to the elimination of commission fees for the insurance agent. However, buying insurance through an agent can offer a more personalized experience and in-depth policy analysis, leading to finding the most cost-effective coverage options.

How do insurance agents make so much money?

As an insurance agent, you'll earn commissions on the policies and products you sell, including property-casualty, life insurance and financial services. Commissions are usually a percentage of the premium that a client/member pays.

How much do car insurance agents make per policy?

This is the most common way car insurance agents make money. For captive agents, the commission rate is from 5% to 10% of the total premiums in the first year and about 2% to 5% for every renewal. The figure is slightly higher for independent agents at 15% for new policies.

Why did I quit being an insurance agent?

There's two big reasons why insurance agents quit: they don't feel valued, and they aren't given the technology they need to do their jobs well. In addition, managing commissions while hitting performance goals is a stressful part of the job for many insurance agents.

What is an insurance premium?

An insurance premium is the amount you pay each month (or each year) to keep your insurance policy active. Your premium amount is determined by many factors, including risk, coverage amount and more – depending on the type of insurance you have. This does not apply to all types of life insurance.

What is a reasonable commission rate?

A reasonable commission rate depends on the base salary offered, the value of the sale, and the time required to close a deal. A range of 20%-30% is most often cited as a reasonable commission rate. The average salary-to-commission ratio in the U.S. sits at 60:40.

What is the commission rate for insurance agents?

They usually range from 2% to 5%. Under health and motor insurance policies, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance agent commission rates are for the policies that you sell. Renewal of these plans is treated as a new plan.

What is the claims to premium ratio?

Claims Ratio Metric

Measures the number of claims in a period and divides that by the earned premium for the same period.