Season's Greetings

Happy Holidays everyone.  I've been in the industry since 2005 when I got my series 7, 66 and life licenses.  Started at NMFN, went independent selling life insurance over the phone - I've sold close to 2,000 policies working with a direct marketer, but my heart lies in more of an investment advisory role.  So I'm taking courses for my CFP and still deciding what route to take - wirehouse, indy, fee-only, commish etc.  

Interesting perspective. Insurance knowledge will definitely propel your success in the planning side of the investment business because so many of the guys I know with 7's ignor insurance for the first few years... big mistake.

Sportsfreak wrote: Welcome Hawkhouse, and happy holidays! How do you work with a Direct Marketer selling insurance. Can you expound on that?

It really just fell in my lap.

In life insurance, the big direct marketers are Matrix Direct, SelectQuote and Accuquote.  Those are the ones that everyone has heard of at least.  These agencies/direct marketers have massive call centers - (mostly populated by the agents who failed out of the business).

These agencies/direct marketers also purchase leads when lead flow is light.  In '07, I was purchasing leads from a vendor who would sell leads to these massive call centers.  I was killing it - until they realized they were selling them too cheap and could make more money converting them on their own.  So they stopped selling to me and offered me a 1099 independent agent role - basically giving me all the leads I could handle if I ran all my biz through them for a reduced commission.  I took it. 

In the end - I've made decent money, but I start over every month in production.  Sure I get referrals and repeat business, but I'm not building anything.  I'm really just a glorified telemarketer who knows everything about life insurance.  I'm great on the phone, so I'm hoping that translates well when asset gathering wherever I end up.