Step 2: What Are the 4 Parties in Life Insurance?
It takes 4 parties to connect you with the most affordable life insurance policies on the market.
Here's how we do it:
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1) The Consumer: The individual who buys the life insurance policy.
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2) The Agent: The carrier representative that helps the consumer get life insurance.
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3) The Agency: The organization that processes all paperwork and any lab work.
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4) The Carrier: The company that issues life insurance policies and pays death benefits.
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Understanding the four parties (companies or individuals) that participate in the purchase of life insurance will make shopping for life insurance much easier (and less confusing).
A life insurance policy is a contract between you (the consumer) and the carrier. You pay premiums to the carrier. The carrier provides a death benefit to your beneficiary if you pass away.
Why are so many players involved in the process?
During the application process, consumers rarely communicate directly with the carrier. Instead,
- The consumer communicates with the agent.
- The agent communicates with the agency.
- And the agency communicates with the carrier.
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This may seem like unnecessary levels of communication, but it actually makes the process much faster and more efficient!
Do I have to use an agent?
Some shoppers prefer to entirely avoid agents. However, most insurance carriers do not offer insurance directly to consumers and require the use of an agent.
In life insurance, agents don’t cost you any money: the policy you end up buying will cost what it costs no matter who sells it to you. Agents help process your purchase and
serve as free information resources and guides.
Independent vs. captive agents
There are two types of agents:
- Captive agents represent only one carrier.
- Independent agents represent multiple carriers.
If finding the best price is more important to you than buying from a specific carrier, working with an independent agent is the way to go. They can compare prices from
many carriers and find you the carrier whose policy will be the most affordable for you.
Back to Step 1: How to Keep Your Contact Information Secure
Continue to Step 3: Your Agent's Knowledge = Your Pocketbook's Best Friend
