What is it called when you sell life insurance?
Asked by: Darren Shanahan | Last update: July 19, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (51 votes)
What is selling life insurance called?
A life settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy to another person or company in return for a cash pay- ment of less than the full amount of the death benefit.
What is the title of someone who sells life insurance?
Life Insurance Agent
Life Insurance Agents assist clients in planning for financial security, covering areas such as term life, whole life, and universal life insurance.
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 becoming a life insurance agent worth it?
Becoming a life insurance agent can be a promising career for some people, as it can provide a steady income and the opportunity to help others. However, it may not be a good fit for everyone, as it requires strong sales and communication skills, as well as the ability to build and maintain relationships with clients.
The Easiest Way To Sell Life Insurance
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.
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).
How much can you sell a $100,000 life insurance policy for?
A typical life settlement is worth around 20% of your policy value, but can range from 10-25%. So for a 100,000 dollar policy, you would be looking at anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 dollars.
How hard is it to start selling life insurance?
There are many challenges facing new life insurance agents. The pay is usually straight commission. Finding qualified customers yourself is notoriously difficult, and the few leads that your company may give you have usually been contacted by dozens of agents already.
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.
How many hours a week do insurance agents work?
How many hours per week does an insurance agent work? Most agents work full time and some work over 40 hours per week.
What is the failure rate for life insurance agents?
More than 90% of new agents quit the business within the first year. The rate increases to greater than 95% when extended to five years.
What is churning in insurance?
Churning is when a producer replaces a client's coverage with one from the same carrier that has similar or worse benefits. Twisting in insurance is when a producer replaces a client's contract with similar or worse benefits from a different carrier.
Is it illegal to sell life insurance?
Most types of life insurance that an individual purchases directly can be sold once they are no longer needed. Term, whole life, and universal policies can all be sold on the secondary market. However, you will likely not be able to sell any life insurance policy provided by your employer or issued by the government.
Do insurance agents get a base salary?
Insurance agents usually make money through commissions, with the commission amount often depending on the type and number of insurance policies they have sold and whether these policies are new or renewals.
How many policies does an insurance agent sell per month?
How many policies does an insurance agent sell? According to the financial reports, the Official Number is 2.5 policies per month. However, many people just do it part-time.
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.
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.
Can I 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 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.
How much commission do you get for selling life insurance?
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."
Why are insurance agents so rich?
One of the primary reasons insurance agents can accumulate wealth is their commission-based income structure. Unlike salaried employees, agents earn a percentage of the premiums they sell to clients. As they build a client base and generate more sales, their income potential increases.
What are the cons of being an insurance agent?
Cons of working in insurance sales
For some people, the thought of earning commissions is appealing. For others, it can cause stress and worry about their future financial situation. New insurance agents often work long hours to build and strengthen relationships and get their names out in the industry.
How many people fail at selling life insurance?
A more accurate statement is that 93% of agents choose to leave within three years.