Kicked to the Curb?

[bluemarlin08]

I thought it was interesting that this was even an article NOT in an insurance publication. Surprised they even were interested in agents enough to be interested in writing about it.

I thought the same thing. Many agents have left the business so we have a limited voice. I will continue selling but cross selling is the only reason. You have to be able to change to other products, its not that difficult. Trying to understand annuities better.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

You're right. Change is not difficult since they are all somewhat related.

Of course, those that started the transition a year ago or longer are in better shape.

 

[stuy119]

I spoke with my accountant today, who was just "educated" on the aspect of having to know where every employee's family stood on the income spectrum and their requirements for health insurance issues moving forward after 2014. She said it was laughable and unmanageable, but it would require major effort among the business, HR, and their accountant to keep it all straight.

That's either a perfect way to get to know a sector that can make you very referrable (assuming you're competent), or that DC is actively working to destroy the employer-based health insurance model (which would make more sense to collect more taxes, duh!).

 

[bill3173]

Of course, those that started the transition a year ago or longer are in better shape.

Yes, exactly right, if you started the tranisition last fall, you should be in decent shape. However, it has never been more important to scrutinize commission schedules and understand how you are paid and exactly what the client is paying for, on ancillary, life and annuities.

It is not a sit back and everything pays the same type of deal, if you don't pay attention, you can screw yourself and the client at the same time.

If you're lazy, the party is over.

 

[djs]

If you're lazy, the party is over.

Dang it!!!! I was just about to get ready to go to the party...

 

[pahealthquotes]

Whining, moaning, and complaining may feel good, but won't do any good.

Things change... for better or worse. There is not much "little people" like us can do about it.

I simply do not see a groundswell of public sympathy for insurance agents of any kind. I'm not saying we are not liked personally or professionally; it's that people just don't see a huge value in what we do and even if they did, I don't see anyone willing to demonstrate on a cold winter day outside the Capitol on our behalf.

The political establishment makes decisions based on money, as Dave020 said. Corporate interests "own" both the state and federal governments. At one time it was the railroads, later on it was the unions, later on it was the military-industrial sector, now it is the banks and Wall Street (of which the large carriers are part of.) I don't know what will be next but I would not be surprised to see the tech industry become more influential in the years to come.

No matter what happens with health care, I just don't see where health agents are going to have much of a stake in the sector. The carriers don't like us, they feel they don't need us, and the regulators see us as premium-increasing bloodsuckers.

Add to that mix the facts that health agents are NOT organized, have have neither an eloquent spokesperson, nor a dedicated association or union (NAHU? Ha!) nor do we control a pot of money we can use to bribe with (like NAIFA.)

When I was first married in 1981 and we moved here my first friend was a guy who sold pension plans or something like that. One day the Reagan administration passed some law (I think it was TEFRA or something that sounded like that) and overnight the guy was out of biz. Mentally he never recovered. It just "ate" him alive... and he died not too many years later of cancer... he could not have been more than 50.

My point is that perhaps it is time to throw a handful of dirt on the health insurance coffin, wipe our eyes, and just walk away and "get on" with life.

For those of you who have the ability and energy to form a "mega-agency" that can do large volumes of apps at very low margins via a call-center or maybe dozens of low-paid, part-time "order takers" the future might be bright. I don't know. But I am fairly certain that the future for the rest of the health-agent sector is not going to be very bright.

You know the saying. It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. Ed (Chumps) jokes here to "Leave health care now. Don't wait!" Well, I think for most of us it is good advice. I took it last year when my comp was cut in half and spent most of this year retraining.

The skills that health agents have are transferable to other sectors. I don't think most of "us" will starve selling traditional life or DI or FE or LTC, etc. Maybe there is an income paradigm selling what the health GAs are flogging us with... ancillary product-packages... dental, vision, etc. I don't see it but I've not run the numbers.

One thing I'm certain of is that what has happened to our comp in IFP will be followed by similar cuts in Medicare, and certainly group (which will go to zero when all our small group clients send their employees to the exchanges.)

Look at the calendar.

It's a new year. I think it is time to turn our backs on the past. We can raise our glasses and drink a toast to the good 'ole days... but at the same time we should drink one to "better days ahead."

As they say on ESPN Monday Night Football, "C'mon Man!"

Look. There are 10,000 boomers like me turning 65 every DAY. They need help... and they want help. Are you going to tell me you can't retrain yourself to help them make sure they don't outlive their money? It's their biggest fear. How do I know. Ask me how old I am. (In dog years... it's dead!)

Kicked to the curb? Sure. But I believe most of us can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and find a good income in another sector of the industry... or leave it entirely and use our sales skills in another industry.

(I told my wife (of 30 years now) that I wanted to quit this biz and become a Mary Kay rep. She simply did not see the "sales concept" of me going to young women's homes and putting body-lotion on them. I don't know why. Sounded like a good op to me! Wives. Can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em!)

So my message is to, as the song says, look on the sunny-side of the street. There is plenty of opportunity out there. It may take a year or two of "hard times" to retrain and re-deploy, but it is surely within the capacity or ability of most health agents that I know personally as well as most of those in this venue.

I've done it. There is no reason you can't as well. Just "do it." If you fail you fail. So what. You know how many failures Edison had before he had a viable light bulb?

You can do this. It's a new year, a new dawn... you can do this.

Al
My contact info is at this site.

A good man measures his religion by comfort and faith. Nor does he proselytize or demean another's religion. We are all brothers and sisters, just heading to a different cloud. Let this be our collective New Year's resolution. - stormtracker

those who can adapt to their surroundings will be the only ones left standing. There's Gold in them thar hills.

 

[xrac]

What the government giveth they can also take away. For ten years I worked in environmental consulting engineering cleanup. That industry was created from nothing out of government regulations. For about 15 years it was boom times and then for a time things almost disappeared. There is still work there but the dollars are much less than it once was.

 

[GeminiGroup]

Insurance companies don't like us and Al is joining the Mary Kay business...

Hilarious............I almost choked,

Thx for making my weekend, Senior