Untold Secrets
Untold Secrets of Life Insurance:
Learn Before You Buy
By Mike Emrani
In my over forty-five years of working as a life insurance specialist, teaching insurance, mentoring new agents, and dealing with different characteristics of clients, I have learned many truths and secrets about life insurance. I have tried to make sure that your loved ones are protected when the time may rise.
1. Separate your emotions from logic in any business, especially in life insurance, When you buy life insurance from a close friend or relative, to protect loved ones, transact with them as a stranger and as a professional-act as if you do not have a special relationship.
2. Do not become a prisoner to the opinion or advice of your professionals, such as your attorney, accountant, broker, etc, in regrets to your life insurance policy; they may know insurance in general but not in deep details. Show your policy to ANOTHER life insurance EXPERT for a second opinion; two heads are better than one.
3. Do not blindly trust your agent, no matter how well you trust him/her. Ask questions and ask him/her to show you in writing every single subject or promise that he/she orally represents to you; especially in your life insurance policy. A lot of FLAWS occur in an insurance policy when clients blindly trust their trusted agents and do not carefully REVIEW their policy (ies).
4. When your agent shows you an ILLUSTRATION make sure that he/she shows you ALL of the pages of the illustration and NOT a few pages. All of the pages of the illustration are numbered on the bottom of the pages.
5. Do not be fooled by the non-guarantee column ad figures. You should only focus on the guarantee part of the illustration. Who knows what will happen in the future, on returns, or prediction of returns. The amount of CASH VALUE show in non-guarantee column are assumptions that could or could not be met. If it performs as predicted, good for you! But do not rely on it.
6. Non-Guaranteed rates could be easily manipulated by anyone, therefore research whether those rates are really indicative of the past experience of that kind of policy or are just ASSUMPTIONS!
7. Make sure the coverage in the guarantee section will cover you for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! people are living much longer and mortality rate has gone drastically down, and as such we do not know how long we will live for. You want to be covered for at least until 100-120 years of age.
8. Review your existing life insurance policy every five years. Do it while you are younger and healthier, and also when your financial situation changes. You may be able to get better new plans. In some cases you may save on your premium even when you are a few years older.
9. You do not have to buy only permanent or only term insurance, make plans according to your needs and liabilities and buy a combination of different plans. There are many insurance plans for each need. Some BAD APPLES think only about their commissions???!!!
10. Make sure you can afford the premium payments, you have to pay them for a long time.
11. In this uncertain financial market, every single year, as your insurance company, or your agent, to prepare a comprehensive "ENFORCE ILLUSTRATION" to make sure that your plan performs as expected.
12. If your existing life insurance is not compatible with the newest plans, convert it (if possible) or change it to a new life insurance policy where it has all NEW coverage and benefits in it (new policies with more options and benefits come to market constantly).
13. In any written contract, such as insurance policy, beware of and pay special attention to the FINE PRINT. Read it carefully, most problems in contracts arise from these fine prints.
14. Before you buy any kind of insurance, ask your agent to educate you about life insurance in general and the plan you are going to buy and if there are any other good options.
15. In the application, when your agent is asking you all different kinds of questions, and before you sign the application, read all of the answer and make sure that the written answers are exactly what you have told him/her. Do not let your agent rush you to sign or ignore any questions. I have seen, in my practice, that many agents cannot complete the application correctly.
16. His/her lack of knowledge and experience could cause many problems in issuing the policy as well as payment of the proceeds to the beneficiary (refer to my website for copies of LA. Times investigative reports). Unfortunately, the nature of life insurance is not like the fire and casualty insurance, in case of death, there is NO chance to correct the FLAWS or mistakes !!!!
17. Do not lie, mislead, or conceal and material in your answers in the application, specifically medical answers in your application.
18. Do not eliminate or conceal and medical records where you have been treated. Do not conceal your old medical records. Insurance companies have many ways and systems to find them out.
19. If you have any medical problem or concern, do not be convinced that you are uninsurable, your insurance agent may find you some insurance companies where they insure people with such problems with higher premium. Paying a little more premium is better than rejecting your application or denying payment of the proceeds.
20. When you sign any contract, including insurance application, it means that you have read and understood it perfectly, and answered them correctly.
21. When you receive your life insurance policy, make sure the promised coverage is in the policy. If you are not satisfied with it, or even if you change your mind, you DO have a certain amount of time to review and return your new policy as "NOT WANTED" without any charges, fees, or penalty. The time period is written in the policy; you are not obligated to take it.
22. After you receive your new life insurance policy have ANOTHER qualified, knowledgeable life insurance expert review it; two heads are better than one.
23. Always check the education, knowledge, reputation, and experience of your agents and other experts who will DOUBLE CHECK your new policy.
Mike Emrani has been a licensed independent life insurance agent (CA.LIC# 0639309) for over forty-five years. For a short period of time, he offers a free review of your existing life insurance policy. For more information he can be reached at memrani@socal.rr.com or (310)560-4141
Comments:
Thank you, Mike!
What an excellent and valuable resource you are to the public. I wish you had been around years ago when I was swindled by greedy life insurance salesmen. The list is heartfelt, accurate, and important. I am recommending that we add this to our collaborative tool locker.
Ron
Ronald Melin Supancic
Certified Family law specialist
The Law Collaborative, LLP
21051 Warner Center Lane, Suite 100
Woodland Hills, CA. 91367-6566
888-852-9961
ron@thelawcollaborative.com
www.thelawcollaborative.com
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Hi Mike,
I read your article in the Warner Center News (6/16/11) and I must say ... I was impressed with the content of your message!
Clear and to the point... the world needs more agents that conducted their business in a transparent method ... honest and through when marketing life insurance products!
Great read ... Kudos to you
Regards,
Mike
Michael Strickler
Director
Lytespeed Learning
17401 Ventura Blvd. A-35
Encino, CA. 91316
