How to Find a Good Life Insurance Agent
Finding a life insurance agent is not difficult. In fact, you have probably been approached via mail or a phone call by one already. However, finding a good life insurance agent is not as easy. If you are looking for a life insurance policy, make sure that you get a good life insurance agent. Otherwise, you will pay more than you can afford for a policy that does not provide the coverage you really need.
The first place to go when looking for an insurance agent is your friends and family members who already have life insurance policies. Talk to them about their experiences. Get referrals from those who are happy with the cost of their policies and the service they have received from their agents.
Don't stop with friends and family members, though. If you have someone else that you work with who is a professional in another field, such as your lawyer, talk to them about the agents they know. Professionals tend to have connections with each other. Also, your lawyer or other professional will have contacts with more than one agent, so they can give you a less biased referral.
Once you have located a couple of agents, find out some information about them. Find out what they have as far as education and training. Look for professional titles, such as Certified Financial Planner or Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow. If they have some of these qualifications, it likely means they have had extra training specifically in the life insurance field. Additionally, learn what types of insurance they specialize in, and make sure that they specialize in life insurance products.
You may also want to find out if they have professional memberships. Organizations like the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors are excellent sources for up-to-date information for insurance agents. If your agent has memberships to these types of associations, it can show that he has a commitment to keep up with the changes in the industry. Also, in order to be part of many of these organizations, agents must commit to following a certain code of ethics.
Once you have the answers to these questions, schedule an interview with two or three agents. Choose one that you are comfortable with, and ask for references from other customers that you can check. Be sure to look at more than just the fees the agent charges. You want to know that your agent is handling your needs professionally, not just cheaply.