Life Insurance Agent Sales Slump - What’s Happening to the Life Insurance Industry
Posted by admin on October 18th, 2008 filed in Insurance | Comment now »

In the life insurance business, there are highs and there are lows in activity. There are several factors that traditionally contribute to this ebb and flow, but lately there have been some anomalies that are affecting the life insurance sales industry. In this article, I will examine some reasons why insurance sales would be on the rise or why they are currently in a lull.

Back a few months ago, when it was the beginning of summer, I expected a downturn in business as I always can anticipate in the summer season. Summers are slow as far as life insurance sales because people are either on vacation or they’re just too darn hot to get out and meet with a salesman. What’s more, the life insurance salesman too is on vacation. The agents usually go out and enjoy the nice weather and take the summer off to golf or maybe meet with prospects in a more relaxed atmosphere. Well, the summer is over (as far as the calendar is concerned), but the weather is still fine outside - at least in the South. At any rate, business is still running at a slow pace.

Speaking for this particular month (September 2005), it very well may be that since consumer confidence is down to an all time low since 1990, hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina just ripped through, and the fact that gas is at an all time high, consumers are thinking less about the future (life insurance) and more about how to keep afloat right now.

On a more global scale, perhaps life insurance sales are down because of the war in Iraq or the tension between the USA and other Countries.

Also, could it be that the “me” generation is getting its way? Are folks just not thinking about the welfare of their families as much?

One thing that has impacted the service industry in a huge way is the “do not bother me” mentality that we’ve all adopted. The do not call list, do not fax list, and no soliciting signs are crushing an industry that once thrived and depended upon these methods of communication. The life insurance agent or broker faces a real challenge where this is concerned.

So what can we do to boost sales? Can the companies help? My opinion is “yes”, the insurance companies CAN help to boost business. Just recently, Prudential has aired a consumer awareness commercial about the importance of life insurance where a boy asks his Father “Dad, do you have life insurance?”. I propose that we, as agents and general agents rally the insurance companies and get them to raise awareness and create desire to protect wealth, secure businesses well-being, and promote a better future.

By: Ashley Brooks, CLTC

Ashley is the marketing vice president for the Family Life Insurance Brokerage Business and has a background in Health & Financial Underwriting, Insurance Plan Design, and “best deal” shopping. Brokerage Services carries only A rated (or better) companies in their product portfolio and has been serving the needs of Independent Insurance Agents since 1977.

Get a free online term life insurance quote from Ashley Brooks here Term Life Insurance Quote

General Life Insurance Quote Agent Online Here: Life Insurance Quote

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The Life Insurance Quote Business is Booming, but is the Insurance Quote Accurate
Posted by admin on September 15th, 2008 filed in Insurance | Comment now »

The life insurance quote business online is booming. Not only are life insurance agents quoting a more diverse portfolio of companies, but consumers are also now able to quote life insurance online for themselves. In this article, I will analyze the impact of the life insurance online quote on the insurance industry, the insurance broker, and the consumer looking for insurance.

In the not so distant past, life insurance was sold, not bought. The typical agent would travel door to door, network locally, and perhaps meet with potential policyholders for dinner at their home. The “debit” agent was also a common profession. These agents would actually go to their clients and collect the premium on a weekly basis. The life insurance quote came from a person back then, not a computer.

These days, consumers can go online for a life insurance quote. The ability to readily compare the cost of life insurance among hundreds of life insurance companies has dramatically changed the environment.

The biggest impact to the insurance industry is the fact that the cost of coverage has decreased significantly. This is good for the client, but is in effect shutting smaller companies down as the claims to revenue ratio is converging.

Another impact is the fact that when consumers get an online life insurance quote, they are rarely coached as to what is the better deal for them. Often times, term life insurance is the only product that they are offered. The customer is not being told about the advantages of whole life insurance or the flexibility of universal life insurancethey are often just given a term life insurance quote as requested. The life insurance agent of past would have talked to the client and done some fact finding before selling them something that may not fit their particular situation.

The online Life Insurance Quote industry has also affected the independent insurance broker. Often times, the local broker is not trusted with the quote because the consumer has gone online and gotten a cheaper quote from an online quote service. Misquotes are usually the result of the lack of fact finding on the part of the online insurance quote companies. Customers would be much better off dealing with a licensed life insurance agent (who can broker any company out there; whatever suits the customer best) for their life insurance quotes.

So the next time you go online looking for the best term life insurance rate, consider that you may be making a mistake by dealing with a “call center”. Consider that the life insurance quote that you are receiving is only from the companies that they carry. Consider calling on an independent life insurance broker for your term, whole life, and universal life insurance needs and information.

By: Ashley Brooks, CLTC

Ashley is the marketing vice president for the Family Life Insurance Brokerage Business and has a background in Health & Financial Underwriting, Insurance Plan Design, and “best deal” shopping. Brokerage Services carries only A rated (or better) companies in their product portfolio and has been serving the needs of Independent Insurance Agents since 1977.

Get a free Life Insurance Quote at my new website - especially for Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, or Universal Life Insurance!

We are currently seeking Insurance Agents to grant brokerage contracts to. If you are an insurance agent and you would like to work with an Insurance General Agent who cares about you and your clients, please contact us today!

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How To Protect Your Life Insurance Policy While Going Through A Divorce
Posted by admin on August 30th, 2008 filed in Insurance | Comment now »

Life insurance, more than most things you buy, relates to the circumstances of your life. You buy life insurance to protect your family from financial loss stemming from your death. You tie the amount of your life insurance to the money your family will need to provide an income, pay off debts, put children through college and cover financial commitments.

But what happens to life insurance when you’re about to dissolve your marriage? How do you deal fairly with a soon-to-be ex-spouse, yet still make sure you have coverage for the future? Is there a way to provide for adult children of a previous marriage without going broke — especially if you have children through a second or third marriage?

Here are a number of considerations you should be aware of:

- Don’t assume that your insurance agent or company knows about your circumstances. If you don’t change your beneficiary, your former spouse may receive the proceeds of your policy upon your death. If the designation simply reads, “husband of the insured” or “wife of the insured,” and there is no new spouse, the secondary beneficiary receives the proceeds.

- You may be able to transfer ownership rights of the policy as part of a property settlement or to ensure continuation of alimony payments. Your ex-spouse may not press as hard for more support or a greater slice of an ongoing pension if he or she remains the designated beneficiary on a permanent life insurance policy. Of course, you need to ensure that your policy remains a valuable asset by keeping up premium payments.

However, transferring an existing cash value policy (as opposed to a term policy, may carry with it the burden of federal gift tax, unless you transfer the policy prior to divorce. Be sure to discuss this option prior to the finalization of your divorce.

- Don’t overlook the possibilities life insurance may provide for dealing fairly with children from your previous marriage. If you’re paying alimony to your previous spouse and have a second family with your new spouse, adult children from your first marriage may sue your estate after you’re gone if they aren’t dealt with at least as fairly as the children from your subsequent marriage(s).

A permanent life insurance policy can be an immediate “estate replacer” to children from your first marriage — it helps you replicate accumulated assets that you wish to pass on to the children of your first family — but can’t afford to without neglecting the needs of your new family. Essentially, you purchase a permanent life insurance policy on yourself and designate your adult children as beneficiaries. When you die, proceeds bypass the probate process and pass directly to your adult children. Your immediate spouse and any children from that marriage are left with your accumulated property and assets — so you’ve provided for both families.

If you’re contemplating divorce, don’t forget the options you may have with respect to your life insurance coverage. Divorce is tough enough — don’t overlook the flexibility and security this valuable asset can provide.

Matt McWilliams is one of the co-founders of HometownQuotes.Com, an online insurance quotes web site. He is originally from Pinebluff, NC and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2002. He is considered an expert in the field of online insurance shopping and finding new ways to help consumers save money on their insurance. For more information visit http://www.hometownquotes.com

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