How can I go about finding an agent for someone who is looking for life insurance?

Many times, the search for a life insurance policy begins by talking with friends, family, and coworkers. This can give you enormous insight into the customer service aspects of a particular insurer so that you know which companies might be trustworthy and which ones are not. Word of mouth, as they say, is the best advertiser, but it is also important to look at the prices offered by different companies as well as the financial standing of the company you choose to purchase from.

Once you have a little public opinion to work from, use this site's free online life insurance quote system to help you determine which companies offer the best rates. The process is easy, and once your data has been calculated you will be presented with comparison quotes from multiple insurance companies to help you find the lowest premiums possible.

Companies like the A.M. Best Company provide easy to understand grades for insurance companies. Look for ratings of "A++" down to "A," but be wary of companies that have negative long term outlooks regardless of the current rating. The reason an insurer's financial rating is important is because of the long-term nature of a life insurance policy. If you purchase from a company with a low rating, you could find yourself looking for another in a few years, or find out that your policy has been sold to one of the companies you had already chosen to stay away from.

One thing to remember about buying life insurance is that a dedicated agent is going to more limited in what they can offer and how they can modify the basic policy to suit your needs. Typically, dedicated agents are limited to only a few options and a single insurance company, while a broker or independent agent is able to help you choose from several different companies, and can give you a wider range of options as a result. Independent agents work directly for you while dedicated agents owe their loyalty to the company, so you will often find better deals with brokers.