How to Become an Insurance Agent

A successful insurance agent must be an excellent salesperson with an outgoing personality. The agent must also possess superior mathematical skills and constantly keep up-to-date on any changes within the Insurance Industry.

Instructions

Step 1

Familiarize yourself with the insurance field. Life, health, property and liability insurance are the areas in which most agents currently work.

Step 2

Receive a bachelor's degree in business or economics. Insurance companies prefer to hire individuals whose academic background includes courses in finance, math, accounting, economics, business and public speaking.

Step 3

Become proficient with the computer software used by the insurance industry.

Step 4

Work part time for an insurance agency while you're in college. Ask your guidance counselor if there are any agencies in your area that have training programs for college students.

Step 5

Expect to take your state's exam for the mandatory insurance license after an agency hires you. Classes for the exam are offered in pre-licensing schools of insurance agents associations and in offices of some insurance companies. Make sure you will meet all the licensing requirements of your state.

Step 6

Be prepared to take continuing education classes for years to come. Many states require these on a regular basis.

Step 7

Obtain certification to further your advancement within the industry. By taking intensive courses and examinations after you have had considerable experience as an agent, you can obtain the highly respected designation of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter.

Insurance Agent: Career Information

Job Description of Insurance Agents:
Insurance agents, who may be referred to as insurance sales agents, help clients choose insurance policies that suit their needs. Clients include individuals and families as well as businesses. Captive agents work for an insurance company, and only sell that company's products. Independent insurance agents, or brokers, represent several companies. Types of insurance include property and casualty, life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance. Many insurance agents also sell mutual funds, variable annuities and other securities.
Employment Facts for Insurance Agents:
Insurance agents held about 436,000 jobs in 2006. About half of them worked for insurance agencies and brokerages and about 23 percent worked for insurance carriers. More than a quarter of all insurance agents were self-employed.
Educational Requirements for Insurance Agents:
Employers prefer to hire insurance agents who have college degrees, particularly in business or economics. They might consider hiring a high school graduate who has proven sales ability.

How to Become an Insurance Agent

A successful insurance agent must be an excellent salesperson with an outgoing personality. The agent must also possess superior mathematical skills and constantly keep up-to-date on any changes within the Insurance Industry.

Instructions

Step 1

Familiarize yourself with the insurance field. Life, health, property and liability insurance are the areas in which most agents currently work.

Step 2

Receive a bachelor's degree in business or economics. Insurance companies prefer to hire individuals whose academic background includes courses in finance, math, accounting, economics, business and public speaking.

Step 3

Become proficient with the computer software used by the insurance industry.

Step 4

Work part time for an insurance agency while you're in college. Ask your guidance counselor if there are any agencies in your area that have training programs for college students.

Step 5

Expect to take your state's exam for the mandatory insurance license after an agency hires you. Classes for the exam are offered in pre-licensing schools of insurance agents associations and in offices of some insurance companies. Make sure you will meet all the licensing requirements of your state.

Step 6

Be prepared to take continuing education classes for years to come. Many states require these on a regular basis.

Step 7

Obtain certification to further your advancement within the industry. By taking intensive courses and examinations after you have had considerable experience as an agent, you can obtain the highly respected designation of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter.

Parents:What Amount Should You Have in a Life Insurance Policy?

Life Insurance Policy Needs for Parents

As a parent, you know you need a life insurance policy, but how much? What is the minimum amount your survivors would need for the monetary loss of you or your spouse? It is estimated to raise a child from birth to college can cost anywhere in the neighborhood of $700,000! Here are some quick and simple ways to get an idea of how much your life insurance policy should be:

Option 1: Determining Expenses (-) Assets: Figure a rough estimate of your annual family budget. This would include your mortgage, child care, insurance, and basic living expenses. Don't forget to include expenses such as vacations, and future education plans such as private school and college. Next, estimate a figure for your assets such as savings, social security benefits, or any other income that will be there such as the income of a surviving spouse. Remember, stay-at-home spouses contribute a lot to the family income by by-passing child care, travel, cleaning, cooking, tutoring and associated costs, therefore would need to be insured also.

Option 2: Salary Estimate: Another quick, but more general way, would be to take your current annual salary and multiply that by 7. For example, if you make 60,000/per year then I would recommend buying a minimum of $420,000($60,000 X 7= $420,000).
If your estimate is high, good, it's probably right. If you are worried about the premium cost, I would recommend choosing term life insurance. You can get a policy for the time you would need it (the amount of time your kids would depend on you) for a lower premium than other insurance options.

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10	Life Insurance FAQ on Claims
11	What is Insurance?
12	Charges In ULIP
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14	What is ULIP?
15	Life Insurance FAQ on Premiums
16	Last Minute Tax Planning
17	Insurers See Less Policy Lapse in 2008-09, Despite Hard Times
18	Life Insurers' Losses Mount 43% in FY09
19	Health Insurance and Income Tax
20	Income Tax
21	TDS provisions on Pension Payments
22	Are You Paying Your Income Tax?
23	Reduce Your Tax Liability By 20%
24	New income tax slabs introduced:- Budget 2010-11
25	Income Tax Refund-Till 31st March 2010
26	Deadline Approaching for 2006 Refunds
27	Children Plan Comparison Chart
28	Income Tax Return (e-filing)
29	Important dates for income tax return
30	Maximum Deduction of Income Tax From Life Insurance Plan
31	5 Good Reasons to File an Income Tax Extension
32	Prepare for Income Tax Season
33	VAT Changes from 1st April 2010
34	Financial planning tips for IT
35	Why Do You need Life Insurance Policy?
36	Due Date Table for TDS and TCS
37	Insurance - A Tax Planning tool cum Investment Plan
38	Life Insurance Corporation Of India
39	Life Insurance Policy Needs for Parents
40	The History Of Life Insurance
41	How to Select a Life Insurance Product
42	Life Insurance Policies – Making the Best Choice
43	What Is Your Investment Style?
44	Life insurance for a small business
45	Are life insurance quotes useful?
46	Settlement Loans Vs. Traditional Loans
47	Long Term Investments for the Future
48	Why You Should Invest
49	ULIP Vs Fixed Deposits
50	Filing Your Income Taxes - How To Identify The Right Time