{"id":18942,"date":"2021-09-09T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifehappens.org\/?p=18942"},"modified":"2021-09-22T09:54:25","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T13:54:25","slug":"what-to-expect-when-youre-shopping-for-life-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifehappens.org\/blog\/what-to-expect-when-youre-shopping-for-life-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Expect When You’re Shopping for Life Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Let\u2019s face it: most people don\u2019t get excited about the idea of buying life insurance. But for many, the pandemic has given them pause. A recent survey<\/a> shows that 45% of younger Americans (ages 22-40) are more likely to buy life insurance today than they were before COVID.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re finding yourself in the \u201cmore likely\u201d column these days, knowing what to expect can make it easier to get started. So we asked Paul Dougherty, a veteran life insurance agent based in Maryland and past president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, for his insights. We also talked with Marilyn Gill, a 48-year-old life insurance shopper in San Francisco, about her recent experience buying a policy through an online broker.<\/p>\n

Understand the role of an agent<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are at our best when we are solving a problem for a customer that they may not even know they have,\u201d says Dougherty. \u201cOur job as agents is to get to know you and to be able to look around the corner for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A licensed insurance professional will conduct a comprehensive financial needs analysis, and walk you through the questions that will help you determine how much and what kind of insurance is right for you. This consultation is free.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not transactional professionals,\u201d says Dougherty. \u201cYou have a thousand things on your to-do list. We have the luxury of looking at this through the lens of where the potential downfalls are, and helping you solve those risks before they become catastrophic. When we can shine light on some of those questions that maybe you\u2019ve never even asked yourself, and then turn that light to some solutions, that\u2019s a great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Online coverage is always better than none<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best type of policy is the one that\u2019s there when you need it,\u201d says Dougherty.<\/p>\n

If a new customer has an online policy, \u201cWe let them know they made a good choice. We often just leave that in place and build a plan around it to supplement what\u2019s there. I tell people I\u2019m either going to give you a better package, or I\u2019m going to make you feel better about what you have. In some cases, they may have exactly what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Gill, \u201cI would love to have someone handling all my insurance needs, but I didn\u2019t have an existing agent, and I would have felt way too awkward calling one and going into all my health history. I also like to research things online.\u201d A sales and design consultant for a commercial gardener, she spent evenings and weekends gathering information before submitting an application.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look for help from a licensed agent<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur language is unique to our business<\/a>,\u201d says Dougherty, \u201cand it\u2019s not common for customers to understand it. We explain how different policies work and show our customers how we can get to a solution through a variety of different methods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expect help from a licensed agent even if you\u2019re shopping online. Says Gill, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have moved forward with an online policy if I didn\u2019t have the option to talk to people on the phone. It\u2019s too big of a decision to do completely online.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Five tips in choosing an agent:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n