Navigating Release Policies: Tips, Experiences, and Uplines to Watch Out For

[briangreenberg]

The Importance of Release Policies in the Insurance Industry: Protect Yourself

One of the most frustrating challenges when contracting with a General Agency (GA), BGA, or IMO is navigating their release policies. I’ve been in the business since 2003, and during that time, I’ve encountered both fantastic and terrible uplines. My biggest piece of advice to any agent is this: get their release policy in writing before signing anything.

Why a Written Release Agreement is Crucial​

Without a written agreement, your upline could have the ability to hold your contract hostage for 3 to 12 months of no production if you decide to move to another upline. This means you won’t be able to write business with the insurance company you’re trying to move contracts for during that time. Worse, if you do sell a policy, the clock resets, and you’ll be stuck again.

The time restriction varies by insurance company. Some companies allow agents to hold multiple writing numbers with different uplines, while others strictly prohibit this. Trust me, being at the mercy of an upline who refuses to release you is a nightmare.

How to Protect Yourself​

The best way to protect yourself is to get written confirmation that your upline will sign a release form upon your request—as long as there’s no debit balance on your account. Email confirmation has worked for me in the past, but phone promises are worthless. If they tell you over the phone that they’ll release you, they can easily deny it later (and yes, this has happened to me).

Here’s an example of wording you can use:

"Can you confirm that you agree to sign a release form within 48 hours of my request, provided there is no debit balance on my account?"

Do not sign any contracts until they agree and send it to you in writing. Save this email or signed document for future reference—it may be your only line of defense.

If you have the leverage, I strongly recommend getting them to sign an official document.
Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney, but in my experience, having this in writing via email has held up in the past.

If You’re Stuck: Strategies for Getting Released​

If you find yourself stuck with an upline refusing to release you, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to share some strategies to help get your release signed. I’ve dealt with this situation recently with a General Agency denying my agency’s release request. Fortunately, I had their release agreement in writing via email, but they’re still making me jump through hoops. It’s a frustrating process, but preparation can save you a lot of time and headaches.

A Call to Action: Share the Good and Bad​

I think this thread can serve as a valuable resource for agents. Let’s share our experiences—good and bad—with various uplines to help others make informed decisions.

Uplines to Watch Out For:​

These are agencies I recommend avoiding based on personal experiences. If their policies have improved, I’d be happy to hear it.

• Ryan Wilken
  • One Point Insurance Strategies, Inc
  • onpointagents.com
  • Agents Insurance Sales / agentsinsurancesales.com
  • Anything associated with Ryan Wilken.
• Pinney Insurance
  • Anything related to Ryan Pinney.

Feel free to add to this list or share your updates.

Uplines with Fair Release Policies:​

These are uplines I’ve had good experiences with regarding their release policies:

• Digital BGA
• E-Financial

​

Have Policies Changed? Let Us Know!​

If you’ve worked with any of the uplines listed here, and their release policies have improved or changed, we’d love to know about it. It’s always encouraging to hear when agencies adopt fairer practices, and sharing those updates helps everyone in the community make better decisions. If an upline you’ve had challenges with has taken steps to improve, please share your experience here—it could benefit countless agents!

Let’s Build a Resource for All Agents​

This thread can be a living resource where we keep adding both positive and negative experiences with uplines. If you’ve had experiences with an agency—good or bad—please share them here. The more we help each other, the fewer agents will find themselves stuck in difficult situations.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!





Brian Greenberg, Founder of Quoteplcity Insurance Quoting Software

 

[Tahoe Ray]

Some companies allow agents to hold multiple writing numbers with different uplines, while others strictly prohibit this.

Also note that even if you can have a dual writing number, you often can't be contracted at a higher commission schedule until after a period of time.

I have had agents dual-contract with my agency and the carriers have rejected the schedule that I wanted to put them on because the original upline had them on a lower schedule.

 

[briangreenberg]

I want to note that Ryan Wilken signed our release document. It was not a fun experience. Ensure you get any upline to put in writing (email is ok) that they will grant you a release at any time.