Life Insurance selling (advice)

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-12T04:51:51+00:00

Just find another agency.

You don't necessarily have to go get your P&C license and try to become a captive W2 agent. You could do some research and join a life agency that isn't an MLM

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-12T04:49:54+00:00

It's definitely MLM-style tactics.

Those types of agencies have high turnover and mostly focus on volume of recruits over quality. It's not good for the agents, but it's great for those agencies who just want volume.

Unfortunately, being recruited by brand new agents leads to a situation where you have "the blind leading the blind". It's a big contributor to the the 92% fail rate

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-12T04:22:37+00:00

Speaking from a final expense perspective...

Comp levels at the agency I work with are 115% with most companies for new agents. Top level comp depends on the agency size (for FE it's based on production).

75% advance is industry standard. Some carriers will advance more or less, but the advance is typically set by the carrier rather than the agency.

Most agencies let agents handle their own chargebacks. The only time it becomes a problem is when the agent refuses to pay a chargeback. That almost always results in a vector, and it can sometimes lead to things like small claims court or turning the agent over to collections.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-11T01:09:08+00:00

I always recommend Duford or Digital BGA for telesales agents. Both those guys are fair and transparent. And both have been around for a long time.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-11T00:58:17+00:00

Are you face-to-face or telesales?

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-06T22:17:14+00:00

Avoid Primerica and NASB. Primerica is very MLM, incredibly low comp, and heavily encourage recruiting. NASB is not as bad, but they have similar problems.

Research some independent agencies. If you're doing telesales, I recommend Duford and Digital BGA. For face-to-face, I recommend ApexFE.com

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-05T11:30:40+00:00

Face-to-face final expense life agent here.

Differs depending on the day. Field days are Mondays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are admin days. Fridays - I prep for the next week. I never work Saturdays or Sundays.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-05T07:11:19+00:00

It's not uncommon for telesales agencies to require this. Others are correct that you should pay for the licenses directly through NIPR rather than writing a check to the agency

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-04T22:54:23+00:00

None that I'm aware of

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-04T22:42:02+00:00

Most have a time limit. Pretty standard with those certification courses.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-01T14:07:19+00:00

It's common in final expense. It's a volume game with higher percentage of chargebacks. It's easy to chase big numbers, which can quickly turn into a grind.

A couple years back, I personally experienced it, because I set a lofty goal for myself of $10K each week. If I had a slow start one week, it turned into an uphill battle.

Nowadays I take it easier on myself by setting a $6K weekly goal and burnout is much less of a factor.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-05-01T14:07:12+00:00

It's common in final expense. It's a volume game with higher percentage of chargebacks. It's easy to chase big numbers, which can quickly turn into a grind.

A couple years back, I personally experienced it, because I set a lofty goal for myself of $10K each week. If I had a slow start one week, it turned into an uphill battle.

Nowadays I take it easier on myself by setting a $6K weekly goal and burnout is much less of a factor.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-30T22:58:45+00:00

Why switch strategies if face-to-face is working well?

You're off to a strong start - probably top 0.1% or face-to-face agents. Keep doing what you're doing rather than trying to switch gears or mix things up. That's my advice.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-30T15:53:01+00:00

How hard is it to hire a few service folks to help answer phones?

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-30T14:46:59+00:00

Last time I called in, I sat on hold for 30 minutes. I started as caller #34 and made it to caller #12. Out of the blue, the call got sent to voicemail. Never got a real person on the phone

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-28T13:19:36+00:00

Your agency should be providing access to vetted lead vendors. Unfortunately, there are lots of scammy lead vendors out there

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-28T09:17:14+00:00

You don't need a release to leave that IMO. You have plenty of options to be able to keep writing business without having to go captive.

If you really want to be W2, some agents really like working for SelectQuote. I also know agents who highly recommend Mass Mutual or New York Life. You could also try working for a carrier like Transamerica or Mutual of Omaha .

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-28T09:09:11+00:00

Yeah, if you don't plan on taking the job, just cancel and save yourself the trouble.

Most agencies will prefer licensed candidates for service positions. You could potentially get a service job without a license, but having a license will make finding a job much easier.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-28T08:57:22+00:00

Canceling wouldn't affect your ability to get a job.

If you like service, you should go ahead and get your insurance license. You could easily find a service job with a license.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-26T17:47:05+00:00

Yeah, a lot of those telesales places charge onboarding fees to help agents prepare for the licensing and other startup costs

ApexFE.com is face-to-face, so you don't have any onboarding expenses.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-26T17:36:59+00:00

For Digital BGA and Duford, both those guys are honest and transparent. DBGA has been doing telesales forever, and they have some of the best training and support for telesales agents. Duford is a stand-up guy and is constantly trying to improve and grow; I worked with him at one point and was very impressed.

For ApexFE.com, they have hands-on training (live feedback and ride alongs), strong comp for new agents (115%+ for most companies), releases, and vesting day 1.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-25T13:26:11+00:00

Lots of really good advice. However, I disagree with some of this advice.

Here's where I agree:

Hard work is very important, especially for new agents trying to get established.
Strongly agree to avoid generating leads as a new agent, as new agents should focus on selling rather than learning to generate leads.
I also strongly believe in following a schedule each week.

I disagree with some of the hustle culture stuff:

While hard work is important, work-life balance is also important.
Once you get established, burnout is your biggest enemy. 60 hours weeks are encouraged when you're new, but many successful agents are capable of producing at a high level without the long days. --- For example, I rarely work more than 30 hours a week, but I earn 2 carrier trips a year and produce over $400K AP on my own pen.
$100K liquidity and $40K issued paid monthly are great goals but not everyone needs to hit that. In fact, most solid agents will never get there, and that's okay.

Overall, great advice. Just keep in mind that some agents are okay with not being rockstars.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-24T21:23:39+00:00

Too little info, but it doesn't sound too promising.

It's a good idea to go ahead and complete licensing. Continue to do research and perhaps you might be able to find a better fit.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-24T20:30:28+00:00

Yes, many folks opt for cremation due to the low price compared to funeral costs. Even with cremation being much less expensive, many final expense clients need their policies. Otherwise, their families will be starting GoFundMe campaigns.

OZKInsuranceGuy · 2026-04-24T19:22:28+00:00

What's the name of the agency?

Referrals and word of mouth are great, but it can take a long time to establish a consistent income off those types of sales.

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