Kentucky Licensing Fees

[JCIns]

Hello,

I have spent many hours reading posts on the forum and decided to start an account today. I won't bore you with my personal story but I have lots of related experience. 23 years B2C face to face sales, 25 years small business management and 31 years customer service. I am very eager to get into the insurance business and believe that my work experience would serve me well.

I am looking for a company or agency that will pay for pre-licensing training and licensing/testing fees for new agents. I am hoping that if such a business exists, someone on this forum will be able to steer me in their direction.

Thanks in advance for any input I might receive.

 

[WinoBlues]

.............

Nope, better not.

 

[DHK]

I will. Don't bother with this industry if you can't handle the few hundred dollars to get a license. There may be companies that will REIMBURSE you upon passing, but that's not the same thing as outright paying for your license.

Obtaining your license is a kind of "rite of passage" that you have to earn. If you've been in B2C sales and small business management as you say, then you understand the concept of having "skin in the game".

This thread just might go double for you. At least this guy was willing to get licensed on his own while still working a job.

https://insurance-forums.com/community/threads/im-planning-on-becoming-an-agent.90417/

 

[JCIns]

That wasn't my reason for asking. I will elaborate. I have done enough research into the industry to know that it's standard for a new agent to pay for the fees and get the license on his or her own time. I had requested more information from some of the companies that are actively recruiting in my area. Of course most of them contacted me and I explained to them that I was not yet licensed but expected to be licensed within a month and wanted to spend some time during that month researching the available opportunities. Some were happy to provide links and pdf files of some of their recruiting materials and asked me to contact them once I had the license. Some asked for an interview, and I took the interviews, and again, they asked me to keep in touch and contact them once I had the license. Most provided a discount code to get the pre licensing education at a reduced price.

I spoke with one today who asked for my mailing address so that he could mail a check to pay for the education. I thanked him for his offer and told him that the discount code was appreciated and it was sufficient help and I would rather pay for the training myself. He then told me that it's not uncommon for companies to sponsor a new agent that they see promise in, and that he had a portion of his budget earmarked for that purpose. He said that he preferred to pay for the fees and education. Again, I told him that I appreciated the offer but I would much rather pay for it myself. He insisted once more and once more I refused and he ended the topic by saying that he would like to bring me on board, and if I chose to join his company he would love to pay for my fees.

It seemed odd to me but not completely out of the question that one company would not only offer to pay, but insist on paying while no others even mentioned it. I was wondering if anyone else had encountered a situation like that before and if so if it was the same recruiter, or even a different recruiter with the same company. I am just puzzled by what his motivation would be to insist on paying and was hoping maybe someone who had experience with a situation like that could shed some light.

I had just gotten off of the phone with him about 30 minutes before I posted and had pondered it a while, then got the idea to make the post. I was thinking if it's not an uncommon thing, as he said, for companies to offer to pay for the fees, then it is very likely that many on this forum would have received the same kind of offer when they were just getting started. I was expecting to either have many replies naming companies who had made the offer to them, or have replies saying that it's almost unheard of for a company to pay.

 

[Newby]

You understand that if you ever went to prison there are guys who will want to give free packs of cigarettes to you on your 1st day too, right?

Don't take them!

 

[WinoBlues]

You also realize that he wanted your 'mailing' address to door knock you, right?

Was that recruiter from Primerica?

 

[DHK]

Hmmm... so you wanted us to read your mind with your first post? I don't read minds. I just read what's there.

There are THOUSANDS of agencies representing any number of insurance companies. It's far easier to ask if anyone has had experience with XYZ insurance agency than ask a blind question.

Always remember two things: "If it sounds too good to be true..." and "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."

If an agency or manager is "too willing" to bend over backwards to recruit you... generally something is wrong. Either it's a recruiter with too low of a standard, too much turnover, or something.

 

[jdeasy]

Hello,

I have spent many hours reading posts on the forum and decided to start an account today. I won't bore you with my personal story but I have lots of related experience. 23 years B2C face to face sales, 25 years small business management and 31 years customer service. I am very eager to get into the insurance business and believe that my work experience would serve me well.

I am looking for a company or agency that will pay for pre-licensing training and licensing/testing fees for new agents. I am hoping that if such a business exists, someone on this forum will be able to steer me in their direction.

Thanks in advance for any input I might receive.

I started my career, {In Ky}, with American General. I started on salary and they paid for all of my training and licensing. Best of my memory I had to pay for my background check but that was only something like $10.

They paid for my travel to Frankfort to take my license test. It seems I did have to pay something for the test but it's been almost 14 years.

I do remember getting bills from them for my licensing after I quit. There was no contract that said I had to stay there for a period of time or pay them back so I didn't pay them. Never got any more bills and they never vectored it.

 

[BADTROUT]

When I hire a new producer or CSR I typically hire unlicensed contingent on them getting the license. I pay for the pre-licensing, I pay for exactly one test. They pay for subsequent tests and the actual license. If they fail, they must schedule at the next available testing opportunity. (Fortunately Pearson Vue just so happens to be in suite 101 and I am in suite 100 of my building). If they fail to pass or if they pass, and quit within one year of obtaining the license, the are obligated to pay back 100% of the prelicensing, expense. The prospect is paid minimum wage for the couple weeks it takes and they do menial jobs in exchange for the minimum wage and study.