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Life insurance policies are agreements for insurance companies to pay money to a person's beneficiaries upon his death. Life insurance agents obtain state-issued licenses to sell life insurance.
Function
Life insurance agents help clients choose the best type of policy to fit their needs. Agents also provide counseling about how much insurance clients should buy.
Types
Some life insurance agents own their agencies or practices, while others work for agencies owned by other people. Others find work at banks and other financial institutions.
Features
Successful life insurance agents have effective verbal communication skills and can explain complicated insurance concepts in simple terms. Many agents travel locally or regionally to meet with customers. Evening or weekend work is sometimes necessary to visit customers who work daytimes and weekdays.
Education
Although employers tend to prefer agents with bachelor's degrees, high school graduates with proven sales ability can also find work in the field. For college graduates, employers generally are more concerned that agents have a degree than with the field they majored in.
Licensure
To obtain a license to sell insurance, agents take a written examination administered by the state.
Compensation
As of December 2009, life insurance agents averaged annual salaries of $72,000, according to Indeed.com.
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