But times have changed. Technology has transformed the cumbersome process of quoting and activating a life policy. Here, we’ll show you what that means for your business.
Today, P&C agents can easily attach life to their home and auto book of business, with Ethos. Our digital sales platform radically reduces time to issue with an over 90% instant approval rate.
You’ve got a first-time homebuyer on the phone discussing a policy on their home. What better time to talk about life insurance, right?
But as every P&C agent that’s taken even a casual glance at life insurance has learned, underwriting is a hassle. A big, time-wasting, invasive hassle.
Typically, carriers dive deep into your client’s medical history, send a medical professional to their home for a physical exam and blood draw, and then make everyone wait for weeks or even months—sometimes only to end in a decline. It’s rarely worth risking your time and your client’s goodwill, even if they really need coverage. That’s why many personal lines agents don’t bother to get a life insurance license at all.
But what if life insurance was worth your time?
What if quoting and activating a life insurance policy was simple and straightforward? You could offer the peace of mind your clients need and the protection their families deserve.
Ethos has transformed life insurance sales, enabling P&C agents to tap the potential of life insurance without the pain. Even if you’re not licensed to sell life insurance, referral bonuses can make it well worth your time to explore.
Consumers overestimate the cost of life insurance by more than 300%.
If you’ve built your business around home and auto, explaining the benefits of life insurance can feel daunting.
Often, customers wonder if they even need a policy, and many people have group life coverage at work. But that coverage is rarely enough—typically just 1x or 2x annual salary. And leaving a job usually means leaving that policy behind, making this benefit more of a nice-to-have than true protection.
A life insurance face amount ‘rule of thumb’ is 10x annual salary. Add up the cost of a mortgage and other debts, ongoing expenses, and future goals such as college education and retirement, and you’ll see why.
Many clients balk, assuming they won’t be able to afford life insurance—until they go through the application and see the quote. According to LIMRA, consumers overestimate the cost of life insurance by more than 300%. Most millennials overestimate the cost by 5-10 times!
With Ethos, your clients can find out the true cost right away and get a policy in minutes, presenting your business with a game-changing opportunity.
What about Mortgage Protection Insurance?
Many lenders offer mortgage protection insurance (MPI) to homebuyers, which covers the mortgage payoff amount if something happens to the lienholder. Problem is, MPI proceeds only cover the mortgage, and are paid to the lender—not the family in need. Term life insurance
generally offers higher coverage amounts and gives beneficiaries the flexibility to use the policy proceeds as they see fit.
When a customer is buying a home and shopping for homeowners insurance, it’s a natural time to bring up life insurance.
Life insurance can be a personal topic, but it doesn’t have to be hard, and it can help position you as a trusted partner.
After all, while they’re insuring against risks to their property, wouldn’t they want to insure against risks to their family?
Usually, your clients are required to buy home and auto protection. So life insurance can feel like a luxury. That’s why it’s important your clients understand their vulnerability.
How to open the conversation
Let them know you’d like to talk about mortgage protection for a moment, to make sure their family has flexibility and options. Life insurance protection means their family can stay in their new home and remain financially stable if something happened to a breadwinner, or even a stay-at-home parent. The tax-free proceeds of the policy could be used to pay off debt, meet day to day expenses and fund future dreams, such as educational goals.
Remember, you’re protecting families. And you’re offering your clients the peace of mind that their loved ones will never be plunged into financial chaos due to an unexpected death.
We're a digital life insurance partner you can stand behind. We work with top-rated carriers, enjoy high customer service ratings, and offer strong support for P&C agents.
Once you decide on a digital life insurance provider, make sure every client knows:
That means many of your home and auto clients are already thinking about it. They may not know where to start, and have held back due to lack of time, or concerns about the cost and hassle. Stress the speed, the simplicity, and the high approval rates that come with your new offering. It could be just the nudge they need.
Set a small goal, such as an attach rate, campaign conversion rate, or referrals made in a specific timeframe. As you learn what works, you can apply your insights to scale your business to heights that were never possible before.
*A note about soliciting life insurance
If you’re not life licensed, you can’t quote, solicit or sell life insurance. But you can still let your clients know you’re able to refer or connect them with a trusted life insurance partner. At Ethos, we offer every agent a unique referral URL that can be shared with clients to start an application.
Ethos handles quoting and sales, and all policy activations made through this link generate trackable earnings.