What does a life insurance agent do?

Asked by: Jameson Sauer III  |  Last update: February 11, 2022
Score: 4.4/5 (57 votes)

The main tasks of a life insurance agent are to: 1) sell life insurance policies and annuities to clients; and 2) to work with clients and beneficiaries to process insurance claims promptly. Being a life insurance agent involves a lot of selling, which means an interest in and knack for marketing is a must.

What are the duties of a life insurance agent?

What are the responsibilities of a life insurance agent?
  • Providing insurance purchasing advice to clients.
  • Providing good customer service to maintain and retain your client base.
  • Expanding your customer base.
  • Maintaining electronic and paper records.
  • Assisting clients with the claims process.
  • Recruiting new talent.

Do life insurance agents make good money?

Life insurance agents can make good money, because their salary is often largely based on commission, even when an employer pays them a base salary. If you are an independent insurance agent, commission rates become even more important because you will only be paid based on commission.

Is it hard to be a life insurance agent?

Compared to most finance careers, becoming a life insurance agent is easy. No educational requirements exist beyond a high school diploma at most. Some states require you to take a licensing course and pass an exam, but truthfully, these are as easy as a fifth-grade spelling test.

How much do life agents make?

The national average salary for a Life Insurance Agent is $53,910 in United States.

Life Insurance Agent Job Description

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Why do insurance agents quit?

Most agents quit because they can't get enough sales to support themselves and their families. The only way to change that is to learn how to get more leads, better leads, and follow up on them. People go on fact-finding missions online. They don't care who answers their question, as long as they get answers.

Is insurance agent a good job?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for insurance sales agents is positive, with an estimated growth rate of 5% between 2019 and 2029. This number amounts to 27,500 new jobs, marking a higher growth estimate than average for all occupations.

Can I sell life insurance from home?

In general, you can sell insurance from home as long as you are licensed to do so in your state. The average annual income for a “Licensed Insurance Agent Work From Home” in the US is $64,435. The most common insurance to sell is auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance and health insurance.

What type of insurance agent makes the most money?

Overview of the Insurance Field

While there are many kinds of insurance (ranging from auto insurance to health insurance), the most lucrative career in the insurance field is for those selling life insurance.

Can you get rich selling insurance?

There's no limit to how much you can make selling insurance provided you have the passion and commitment to put in the extra work. However, insurance sale is a lucrative business that can earn you substantial profit margins once everything is up and running.

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.

Can insurance agents make millions?

Insurance agents can make more than a million dollars per year, but most don't because they focus on marketing to people they know and rely heavily on referrals. Insurance agents that obtain online insurance leads open the door to becoming financially free.

Where do life insurance agents work?

A captive insurance agent works for one insurance company and exclusively sells that company's products. An independent life insurance agent works for a brokerage and is able to sell multiple companies' products.

What skills do you need to be an insurance agent?

Below are some of the characteristics a successful insurance agent needs to complete their puzzle:
  • People Skills. People skills are the number one characteristic of a successful insurance agent. ...
  • Good Salesmanship. ...
  • Customer Service Skills. ...
  • High Energy Level. ...
  • Honesty. ...
  • Knowledge on a Variety of Products. ...
  • Choose the Right Carrier.

Are insurance agents in demand?

Employment of insurance sales agents is projected to grow 7 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 50,400 openings for insurance sales agents are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Why do insurance agents earn so much?

Because the amount of money insurance agents earn is comprised largely of commissions and bonuses, the number of sales an insurance agent makes is the biggest factor that contributes to the disparity between the highest and lowest paid of insurance agents.

How much do insurance agents make per policy?

Annual commissions for auto insurance range from 10 to 12.5 per cent, although a few firms pay up to 13.5 per cent. Property insurance offers commissions of 20 to 23 per cent. So if you use an insurance broker and pay $1,000 annually to insure your home, upward of $200 a year would be going to the broker.

How much does it cost to start a life insurance company?

Depending on which state you choose to operate, the start-up costs will vary. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 to start your insurance business.

Is selling your life insurance policy a good idea?

If you need cash quickly, selling your life insurance policy may seem like a smart move. However, it is only a good option in certain situations. If you can no longer afford to pay your life insurance premium, selling the policy might relieve the monthly payments and put some money back into your pocket.

What is it like to be a life insurance agent?

Life insurance agents enjoy a lucrative career, but it does involve a constant hustle, networking, and sales in evenings and on weekends and general hard work. And there can be a lot of rejection before each sale. Rejection is standard in every sales career, but insurance sales set you up for significant rejection.

Do you need a degree to sell life insurance?

You don't need a college degree to become an insurance agent; some agents just have a high school diploma. However, completing a bachelor's degree in a business-related field can prepare you for your career in insurance. ... “They might consider hiring a high school graduate who has proven sales ability.”

Are insurance agents happy?

Insurance sales agents are one of the least happy careers in the United States. ... As it turns out, insurance sales agents rate their career happiness 2.3 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 2% of careers.

Why do most life insurance agents fail?

The number one secondary reason agents quit selling insurance was that they ran out of money. The second most common secondary reason agents failed selling insurance was that they ran out of prospects to sell to. The third reason was the agency wasn't a good fit. And the fourth was personal issues.