Is it illegal to sell life insurance?

Asked by: Devan Metz  |  Last update: May 10, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (59 votes)

A life insurance policy, whether it's a term life or whole life policy, is your personal property. You can sell it just as you would anything else you own, but there are some things to consider.

Is it legal to sell your life insurance policy?

Life settlement:

Term policies can sometimes be sold, especially if they're convertible to permanent coverage or if the insured is terminally ill. However, offers may be lower. In a life settlement, you usually receive more than the policy's cash surrender value but less than its full death benefit.

How much can you sell a $100,000 life insurance policy for?

Just like any other insurance policy, a life settlement payout for a $100,000 whole life policy would depend on your age, health condition, and policy premiums. A typical life settlement is worth around 20% of your policy value, but can range from 10-25%.

Can anybody sell life insurance?

Depending on where you live, you might need to complete pre-licensing education requirements and pass the life insurance licensing exam, or you just need to take and pass the exam. The exam tests your knowledge of state laws and regulations pertaining to selling life insurance.

Can selling life insurance be a side hustle?

Earn Supplemental Income

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.

Is selling life insurance a scam?

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How hard is selling life insurance?

Life insurance is a very difficult product to sell. Simply getting your prospect to acknowledge and discuss the fact they are going to die is a hard first step. When and if you clear that hurdle, your next task is creating urgency so they buy right away.

How do life insurance agents get paid?

Typically, a life insurance agent receives anywhere from 30% to 90% of the amount paid for a policy (also known as the premium) by the client in the first year. In later years, the agent may receive anywhere from 3% to 10% of each year's premium, also known as "renewals" or "trailing commissions."

Can you become a millionaire selling life insurance?

If you have a great work ethic and are willing to place yourself out there to establish relationships with clients, you will get more opportunities to earn a higher income. Selling insurance may even make you a millionaire.

What is the downside of selling your life insurance policy?

Not all proceeds received from the sale of your life insurance policy are tax-free. It is important to know that the proceeds you receive from a life settlement may be accessible by your creditors.

What's the best 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.

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.

Is it legal to sell life insurance as an investment?

A securities license allows you to sell insurance products that have an investment component, such as variable life insurance and registered indexed-linked annuities (RILAs).

Why do people sell their life insurance?

Selling an insurance policy through a viatical settlement is one option that may be used to provide cash to help with current medical and living expenses. Like life settlements, viatical settlements involve the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party.

Can I cash out my life insurance?

If you've had your life insurance policy for several years, the insurance company may allow you to borrow from your policy's cash value. In most cases, you won't have to pay taxes on the money you borrow, but the insurance company will deduct interest payments from your cash value balance.

How long does a life settlement take?

Life insurance settlements can take up to a few months to finalize. Additionally, many states have waiting periods that must pass before you can sell your policy in a life insurance settlement. Policies with larger death benefits may sell faster since they are more attractive to settlement companies.

Is selling life insurance a good hustle?

In our opinion, it doesn't hurt that insurance is a lucrative business. You can gain commissions on the plans that you sell, so it's entirely up to you how much you want to hustle. You can also make more money with consistent renewals, so it pays in the long run to have loyal clients.

Do I have to pay taxes if I sell my life insurance policy?

The portion of the sale amount you receive that is equal to what you've paid in premiums (your “cost basis”) will not be taxed. The portion that exceeds your cost basis, but is less than the cash value of the policy, is subject to income tax. Lastly, any amount above the cash value is subject to capital tax gains.

What is the hardest part of selling life insurance?

Building trust with potential clients is perhaps the most demanding part of selling insurance. It requires more than just pitching policies and presenting numbers; it's about establishing a personal connection, actively listening to their concerns, and providing them with comprehensive solutions.

Why is selling insurance so hard?

The hardest part of being an insurance agent often revolves around the constant need for lead generation and sales. Many agents struggle with the cold calling aspect, where rejection is frequent, and maintaining a steady stream of new clients can be challenging.

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.

How do you get paid to sell life insurance?

For every policy sold, the insurance agent earns a large upfront commission. This rate can range from 40% to 100% of the first-year premium, the amount the policyholder pays for the policy. The rate is set by the insurance company, and each state has its own commission limits.

Why do most life insurance agents quit?

Research shows (opens in a new window) that 80% of finance and insurance agents feel they aren't valued at work; they feel they are “only evaluated on what went wrong or could have been done better.” This is a major issue for finding and retaining top talent, which is more important than ever (opens in a new window).

Who is the highest paid life insurance agent?

Meet the world's highest earning insurance agent
  • Meet the world's highest earning insurance agent.
  • Gideon du Plessis failed in the 10th standard and never went to college. ...
  • A record he has maintained over the last 12-14 years, selling 700 policies yearly. ...
  • What is Plessis' secret of success?

What is the commission for selling life insurance?

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.