Many insurance companies offer life insurance policies, each one trying to make its offers sound more lucrative than those of its competitors. Before buying a life insurance policy, the client needs to find out the best rates available at various insurance companies and the best coverage or benefits offered by them. But equally important are some other considerations like the knowledge of a company’s reliability and selecting a trustworthy insurance agent or an insurance salesperson.
Reliability of a Life Insurance Company
Before buying a life insurance policy, one must view the history of the insurance company that is offering the policy. Insurance companies with several decades of stable financial strength are usually reliable while those having many ups and downs should be kept at the end of one’s choice list. Most life insurance companies guarantee some kind of state-guaranteed fund sponsored by industries (except in a few states like Colorado, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Washington DC). Still, it is not a very welcome possibility to risk one’s money and wait for its return in case the insurance company collapses. Hence one should always choose to buy a life insurance policy from a renowned company with a long and stable history and good ratings.
Buying a Policy from an Insurance Salesperson
A selected life insurance policy may be bought from the insurance company directly or through an insurance salesperson. The cost of the policy does not change in the second case but the client gets some useful information quickly from the salesperson. However, it is important not to blindly trust any insurance salesperson but try to judge his/her integrity and straightforwardness. Asking questions and demanding information about alternatives really count in selecting the right kind of life insurance policy. In addition, the client should critically examine a salesperson’s own suggestions, e.g. emphasis on buying a high premium policy or stress on not opting for term insurance etc. Many salespeople are paid higher commissions for selling ‘whole life’ or ‘universal life’ policies and therefore the client should choose his/her own preference rather than the salesperson’s recommendations.
Finding the Right Insurance Agent
To find the right insurance agent for buying a life insurance policy, the prospective client should seek references from family, friends, and/or acquaintances. Searching online for licensed insurance agents is also helpful, though the client should always call the state licensing agency to verify the authenticity of the insurance agent’s license. A critical approach to finding the best insurance agent is to find from the local consumer affairs agency the number of complaints made against the salesperson in question. In general, the client should buy a life insurance policy from an agent who cares about the needs and preferences of the client instead of being bent on selling a particular policy for personal gains.
Reliability of a Life Insurance Company
Before buying a life insurance policy, one must view the history of the insurance company that is offering the policy. Insurance companies with several decades of stable financial strength are usually reliable while those having many ups and downs should be kept at the end of one’s choice list. Most life insurance companies guarantee some kind of state-guaranteed fund sponsored by industries (except in a few states like Colorado, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Washington DC). Still, it is not a very welcome possibility to risk one’s money and wait for its return in case the insurance company collapses. Hence one should always choose to buy a life insurance policy from a renowned company with a long and stable history and good ratings.
Buying a Policy from an Insurance Salesperson
A selected life insurance policy may be bought from the insurance company directly or through an insurance salesperson. The cost of the policy does not change in the second case but the client gets some useful information quickly from the salesperson. However, it is important not to blindly trust any insurance salesperson but try to judge his/her integrity and straightforwardness. Asking questions and demanding information about alternatives really count in selecting the right kind of life insurance policy. In addition, the client should critically examine a salesperson’s own suggestions, e.g. emphasis on buying a high premium policy or stress on not opting for term insurance etc. Many salespeople are paid higher commissions for selling ‘whole life’ or ‘universal life’ policies and therefore the client should choose his/her own preference rather than the salesperson’s recommendations.
Finding the Right Insurance Agent
To find the right insurance agent for buying a life insurance policy, the prospective client should seek references from family, friends, and/or acquaintances. Searching online for licensed insurance agents is also helpful, though the client should always call the state licensing agency to verify the authenticity of the insurance agent’s license. A critical approach to finding the best insurance agent is to find from the local consumer affairs agency the number of complaints made against the salesperson in question. In general, the client should buy a life insurance policy from an agent who cares about the needs and preferences of the client instead of being bent on selling a particular policy for personal gains.
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