Life insurance has a lot of intricacies to it, and for most, it helps to have a skilled life insurance agent in your corner to help you navigate any potential pitfalls. Not all are created equal, though, so while you’re looking for a life insurance agent to help guide you through the process, you’ll need to be as discerning about them as you would be a new policy.
How, precisely, should you be evaluating potential agents? By asking questions, of course. When it comes time to check out life insurance, make sure you ask your potential agent some of the following important questions.
What Type of Agent Are You?
It bears repeating that not all insurance agents are the same. Some are independent (representing a range of companies), while others are representative of a single company. Some specialize in a particular kind of insurance, but others might have a wider array of insurance products that they work with.
The point is that the skills of agents can run the gamut, so you’ll need to ask plenty of clarifying questions to make sure that they can assist you with your needs. Furthermore, a friendly upfront chat with an agent will give you a better idea of whether or not they are honest and trustworthy before you get to doing business.
What About The Company You Represent?
Similar to asking about the agent themselves, you’ll want to gain a little background on the company they are working for as well. Questions that will help you determine if they represent a company you’ll want to do business with include, the size of the company, its professional ratings, how long they’ve been in business, etc.
If your agent can’t answer basic questions about the company, then that might be a red flag, as the most professional agents are always doing research on the industry and strive to stay knowledgeable about its major players.
How Do You Determine Insurance Need?
It’s not uncommon to wonder about what kind and how much insurance you will need, and this is something an agent should be able to help you determine. You want to know how they go about making that determination, though, so that you can be sure they’re taking all the necessary factors into consideration.
How Much Will The Policy Cost
There are multiple factors that go into the cost of a life insurance policy, such as the type of insurance policy you need, your age, gender, lifestyle, medical status, etc. Be sure you talk about these with your insurance agent and ask them to crunch the numbers for you so that you can work the cost of insurance into your current financial situation.