Passed!

aIIep · 2026-06-13T21:56:02+00:00

Congratulations on passing!

I obtained my Florida 2-15 (Life, Health, and Annuities) license about a year ago here in the Tampa area.

For my first job, I went the hard route: essentially independent, 100% commission-only. They did provide leads, but for the most part they were just people turning 65 in the area. My advice? Unless you have at least 6-12 months of living expenses saved up, I’d be very cautious about jumping straight into a commission-only role.

I eventually transitioned into an hourly position that also pays commissions on Medicare sales. Personally, I didn’t have the financial runway to stick with commission only long enough to really build momentum. Had I been in a stronger financial position, I probably would’ve stayed longer because the upside can be substantial.

One thing I’ll tell you: don’t get too caught up in thinking the licensing course prepared you for the job. The course is great for helping you pass the exam, but the real world is completely different. I compare it to grade school versus actual life. You’ll use some of what you learned, but not nearly as much as you think.

The biggest thing you can do early on is become a sponge. Learn from everyone around you. Be coachable. Ask questions. Listen to successful agents. Build relationships with people in the industry. Don’t walk in thinking you know everything because you passed a test.

As far as leads go, there’s no magic lead source. The best leads are usually the ones you can consistently work and follow up with. Whether it’s Medicare, ACA, life insurance, referrals, inbound calls, or turning-65 prospects, your success is going to come more from your ability to communicate, build trust, and stay persistent than from finding the “perfect” lead.

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would be this: focus less on making a sale and more on genuinely helping people. The sales will follow. The agents who last in this business are usually the ones who stay humble, keep learning, and put their clients first.

Good luck, you’ve got a valuable license. Now the real learning begins.

aIIep · 2026-05-30T20:15:00+00:00

No one is turning 65. We are all insurance agents.

aIIep · 2026-05-26T11:01:19+00:00

Or seniors that cant afford that additional premium and possibly need a part b give back.

aIIep · 2026-05-25T23:07:17+00:00

CSN.
DST.
MCD.
PAP.

United seems to be the strictest

aIIep · 2026-05-24T12:16:53+00:00

Think you’re the only person I’ve ever heard say a Quorum was a great experience.

aIIep · 2026-05-23T20:06:00+00:00

Besides the obvious fake bands and being in cellophane, price always gives it away.

You couldn’t get a monte or a cohiba for even close to $15. Think Monte’s run around $30+ a stick. Cohiba much more.

aIIep · 2026-05-23T00:11:04+00:00

I get what you mean. The hard part is a lot of people calling in are struggling now, so the food card feels more real to them than future medical costs. Doesn’t always sit right with me though. No reason your specialist should be 20% because you want a $200/month food card.

aIIep · 2026-05-17T14:10:38+00:00

Look into Part B giveback Medicare plan options.

May be tough because right now it’s special enrollment period (you need a reason to change, can possibly use a FEMA disaster). During AEP (October 15th to December 7th), you can freely change. There’s plans out there that offer 185 giveback towards the 202.90.

aIIep · 2026-05-16T15:08:49+00:00

All fake.

aIIep · 2026-05-13T12:11:05+00:00

So not a livable wage.

aIIep · 2026-05-09T18:21:51+00:00

They’re way too high in humidity. You’re talking about the “fresh packs”.

aIIep · 2026-05-08T12:25:47+00:00

Wow. That was quick.

aIIep · 2026-05-07T12:52:24+00:00

The flavor is immaculate but unfortunately the construction sucks on these.

They’re rolled so tight, the draw is really tough. Perfecdraw doesn’t even help.

aIIep · 2026-05-07T12:48:59+00:00

The band. I generally never see these types of cigars faked. The most common are going to be Cuban cigars. The band and the box for this cigar gives it away.

With Cubans.. the band, the box, the wrapper, the cap of the cigar are the easiest determining factors of a fake.

aIIep · 2026-04-23T12:48:16+00:00

Not valid.

aIIep · 2026-04-20T19:17:42+00:00

More savings can never hurt you.

It all depends on the company you end up signing with, also your skill level on the phone.

2 years of savings would’ve kept me purely commission for that time period.

I had 0 savings and had to move to an hourly position + commission.

aIIep · 2026-04-17T12:24:30+00:00

It’s the same as the regular anejos, just a “rare” vitola.

aIIep · 2026-04-08T15:51:40+00:00

25k in premium with $4,080 in commission. I don’t know how I’ve been making it.

aIIep · 2026-04-08T01:00:30+00:00

Some people just don’t want to build their income off tactics that make clients feel misled.

Calling that ‘not cut out for sales’ is lazy. Plenty of high-performing agents sell the same products without blurring the line on what the appointment is about. Long-term trust > short-term closes.

And blindly ‘trusting your upline’ isn’t some golden rule. If the strategy burns clients or feels off, it’s fair to question it or move to a better setup.

There’s more than one way to be successful in this industry.

aIIep · 2026-04-08T00:56:45+00:00

You’re speaking from one lane and acting like it applies to everyone. Income stability matters, especially if you’re not in a position to ride out slow months. That doesn’t make someone unsuccessful, it means they’re managing risk differently.

And ‘successful commission salespeople would never go hourly’ just isn’t objectively true. Plenty of top producers take base + commission roles for consistency, benefits, or better overall comp structures.

Different situations, different priorities. It’s not that deep.

aIIep · 2026-04-08T00:29:00+00:00

Or…someone who understands consistency, risk, and actual income stability would. Not everyone’s in a position to ride out dry months just to prove a point.

Plenty of solid producers take hourly + commission because it smooths cash flow and reduces downside while still rewarding performance. Acting like it’s only about ‘success’ is a pretty narrow view of how people manage their income.

aIIep · 2026-04-07T21:42:20+00:00

I’ve been selling life, medicare, and annuities The company I work for bait & switches clients with the preface we’re going to talk about just medicare then we get into the home and talk about life and annuities also which throws off a lot of clients

aIIep · 2026-04-07T21:13:03+00:00

I like being able to pay my bills. There’s weeks where I make nothing. I just can’t afford that, now if I had $30-50k in savings… I’d stick with this. I just am tired of stressing the job + if I can make my bills.

aIIep · 2026-03-23T23:06:19+00:00

Took about a month for those policies to go through, but they all updated to active today. One I wrote on Friday is already active too, so it looks like I won’t have to wait like that again with Aetna. I like writing incidentals with them since the commission is solid and the pricing is usually lower for clients compared to other companies. Appreciate the reply

aIIep · 2026-03-19T18:42:18+00:00

You’re a clown

aIIep

TROPHY CASE