Life insurance agents assist those to ensure they’re financially prepared in case someone they love dies, making this an extremely satisfying and lucrative profession if one can take rejection well – although not without its challenges.
Life insurance providers take your credit report into consideration when underwriting your policy and application, which can impact both premiums and eligibility for coverage.
How to Get a Job
Life insurance sales is one of the few professions with immediate potential to provide inexperienced professionals with substantial income immediately upon starting. But this career path may not be for the faint of heart – agents often hear no more often than “yes”. Additionally, it requires entrepreneurialism and perseverance but those willing to see it through can reap immense rewards from life insurance sales.
insurance agency managers seek applicants with strong work ethics and the capacity to build strong relationships. Interviewing is common, and applicants who stand out will ultimately become part of their team based on interviews alone. Therefore, having an enthusiastic outlook when applying is essential when seeking work in this industry.
Many candidates for life insurance agent roles come to their first job without prior financial services industry experience, yet many go on to experience great success – sometimes earning over $100,000 during their first year on the job! Success requires hard work, excellent people skills and a focused marketing approach – these attributes are particularly key in an industry as highly competitive as life insurance is in finding leads while meeting sales quotas or targets.
Take the time to study for your state licensing exam thoroughly. Utilizing an in-depth preparation course with comprehensive coverage can significantly increase your odds of passing on the first attempt, including practice tests and an outline of any state-specific regulations that might come up during testing.
Once licensed, an individual can decide between becoming either a captive agent – employed by one insurance company – or an independent agent selling policies from multiple partner insurers. Independent agents generally command higher commissions but must cover expenses such as office supplies and rent themselves, while captive agents usually receive a salary payment with profit-sharing incentives attached.
Life insurance brokers provide another option, similar to an independent agent but acting for their client instead of the insurance company. Brokers usually form more intimate relationships with their clients and are better equipped to find policies tailored specifically to each one.
Licensing Requirements
Poor credit can make it challenging to gain approval with insurance companies to sell life insurance products. Most firms only work with agents with proven sales experience who have consistently generated new business, met client service expectations, and paid their bills on time.
As part of your requirements to become an insurance agent, one of the key requirements is passing your state’s licensing exam. However, this can be challenging if you have poor credit and many states also require background checks and fingerprinting as part of their application process.
Many aspiring insurance agents and brokers take prelicensing courses that prepare them for state insurance license exams, which vary according to line of insurance. New York requires applicants for Life, Accident & Health policies (LA&H). Those selling health policies also must pass Health & Life policies (H&L). Most prelicensing courses include practice tests designed to replicate the format of state exams (usually multiple choice and computer based).
Once you have successfully completed a prelicensing course and taken and passed your state exam, you must fill out an insurance license application. Once submitted to the state for review and background checking (this typically takes between three to five weeks), any issues with your application will be identified and provided an opportunity for resolution.
There are certain crimes that will prevent you from receiving a life insurance license, such as those related to moral turpitude such as theft, forgery and breach of trust. You should disclose any convictions on your license application form and be ready to explain why these issues do not interfere with doing your job well. Furthermore, lying on an application can result in serious disciplinary actions from state regulators as well as having your license taken away altogether.
Insurance Company Requirements
Credit scores play an integral role when applying for mortgages, car loans and life insurance policies. A strong credit score can help you qualify for lower loan rates and save you money overall; on the other hand, poor scores could make you appear like a high-risk customer and lead to higher premiums.
As a life insurance agent, you are accountable for providing clients with services related to their finances and must be trusted by them. A strong work ethic and track record of financial responsibility are prerequisites for this position; furthermore, an understanding of complex life insurance topics such as cash value coverage is also a necessary skill set for this career path.
With bad credit comes greater difficulty in finding employment as an insurance agent or being accepted into a life insurance policy. Credit is only one factor considered when assessing potential risks to an insurer’s business; depending on your case it might even allow bankruptcies or other credit issues on your report to purchase coverage; in any event it’s wise to speak with an independent agent as soon as possible to see which options might be available to you.
Insurance companies use different credit scores than lenders do, with differing scoring ranges as well. Your insurer provides a snapshot of your history that changes every day with new information added or how you handle debt management changes.
Life insurance companies don’t just rely on credit reports when selecting applicants; they may also look at information such as your application and medical records, including a potential medical exam and hazardous hobbies. Life insurers obtain this data through consumer reporting companies such as MIB Inc and Milliman IntelliScript which compile reports about your medical condition, hazardous activities and prescription drug history. You have the right to view your consumer report for free once per year and dispute any discrepancies directly with credit bureaus or companies providing data.
Working Conditions
Life insurance sales is one of the few careers that offers newcomers rapid success at earning substantial income quickly, yet can also be extremely challenging. Most life insurance agents are paid solely on commission and must find customer leads themselves – which may prove expensive due to exclusive customer opportunities that only benefit one agent at once. Furthermore, customers are sometimes reluctant to discuss mortality with salespeople; not to mention life insurance being purchased only occasionally as products that appeal to impulse buys.
Though life insurance agents can make a good living from sales, most newcomers find themselves struggling within one year. Unlike some finance careers, life insurance salespeople do not receive any guaranteed base salary and must meet strict production quotas each month; failing to do so too frequently could result in termination from employment.
Prior to approving an applicant for life insurance coverage, life insurers will often perform a credit review in order to gain a better understanding of their finances and assess overall insurability. While bad credit reports won’t lead directly to rejections or increased premiums, they could result in the policyholder paying higher premiums as a result of being rejected altogether.
Life insurance agents often rely on traditional marketing methods, like cold calling and door knocking, to secure business. While this approach can be time consuming and frustrating, successful life insurance agents must build up a substantial professional network while building rapport with clients – especially when working with friends and family who may be uncomfortable discussing their mortality or hearing about death benefits.