Life Insurance Agency Contracting for Agency Owners

Q: What should agency owners review in a carrier contract or upline agreement?

Commission level by product and age band and whether it is advanced or as-earned; chargeback periods and who carries the debt; book ownership and release terms for the agency and its agents; production minimums, lead-purchase requirements or lock-ins; the override structure across your downline; and the back office support, training and technology included.

Running a life insurance agency? Bring your team and keep your book.

Our job is to beat your agency’s current commission level. With our life insurance agency contracting, you earn overrides on your downline’s production, bring your existing agents over, and get up to 160% across 14 carriers.

Your agency owns its book of business, and we provide back office support (a guided contracting roadmap, a members portal, a carrier resource directory and help with carrier appointments, transfers and contracting questions; sales training, telesales scripts, objection handling, closing strategies, personal coaching and ongoing professional development; an agent management system with production, commission and book-of-business reporting; the CallWave inbound call platform with lead strategy and ROI guidance; and recruiting, training and retention resources for agency growth) for your team.

Independent, non-captive contracting: agents, new agencies, established agencies and healthcare agencies own their book of business, renewals and hierarchy, even upon release. Release requests are never held for payment, and releases are granted as long as there is no outstanding debt to the carrier. Tell us about your agency and we’ll follow up with you directly.

Agency Contracting for Established Agencies: Final Expense, Term, IUL, UL and Whole Life

BetterLifeQuotes.com is an NGA / IMO Hybrid & Distribution Partner for final expense, term, IUL, UL and whole life commissions, and our job is to beat your agency’s current commission level.

We handle life insurance agency contracting for new and established agencies directly, across final expense, term, IUL, UL and whole life; new agencies can share their agency plan on our For New Agencies page. An established agency gets access to 14 carriers, up to 160%, overrides on downline production, and ownership of its book of business.

What does an established agency get with BetterLifeQuotes.com?

Downline overrides: you earn overrides on your agents’ production across final expense, term, IUL, UL and whole life.
Commission: up to 160%; the 100% starting commission applies to individual agents, and the guarantee above 100% to solo agents who meet our minimum requirements, not to agencies.
14 carriers for your whole team, with Fidelity & Guaranty (F&G), InstaBrain, National Life Group and Symetra on the way. See the carrier list.
Your book: your agency owns its book of business.
Contracting handled: carrier contracting, appointment and onboarding support for your team, plus a carrier resource directory with carrier-specific training materials and contacts.
Training and technology: sales training for new and experienced agents, telesales scripts, objection handling, closing strategies, personal coaching and ongoing professional development; an agent management system with production, commission and book-of-business reporting; and the CallWave inbound call platform with lead strategy and ROI guidance.
Agency growth: recruiting, training and retention resources to help your agency build a productive, sustainable team.
Independent, non-captive contracting: agents, new agencies, established agencies and healthcare agencies own their book of business, renewals and hierarchy, even upon release. Release requests are never held for payment, and releases are granted as long as there is no outstanding debt to the carrier.
No lead purchase requirement and no CRM mandate: your agency keeps running its own lead sources and tools.

All the support your agency gets

Everything below comes with our life insurance agency contracting on every product we contract: final expense, term, IUL, UL and whole life. Training is limited to agents who meet our minimum requirements and the new agents recruited by them or by a new, established or healthcare agency.

Carrier access and streamlined contracting

Simplified onboarding: register and get immediate access to a guided contracting roadmap that walks you through the onboarding process.
Dedicated members portal: once contracting is complete, you unlock the full members portal, with centralized access to the tools, training and resources you need to succeed.
Carrier resource directory: carrier-specific training materials, contact information, department emails and phone numbers for service and support needs.
Contracting support: help with carrier appointments, transfers and contracting questions.

Agent training and development

Comprehensive sales training on every product for qualifying agents and the new agents recruited under them.
Proven telesales scripts, objection-handling techniques and closing strategies.
Personalized coaching and ongoing professional development.

Agent management system

Simple and easy to use: a straightforward system focused on the essential tools agents and agencies need to manage their book of business, without unnecessary bells and whistles.
Production and agent management: agency management tools to monitor production, track performance and manage agent relationships.
Commission and book-of-business reporting: commission reporting and book-of-business management.

CallWave inbound call platform

Comprehensive inbound calls: adjust inbound call specifications to suit your preferences and business needs.
Inbound final expense calls from $25.00: inbound final expense calls are available starting at $25.00 per inbound call. It is an option on the table for you, and there is no requirement to buy them.
Lead strategy and ROI: guidance on lead strategies, conversion optimization and maximizing return on investment.

Support for agency growth

Recruiting, training and retention resources to help agencies build productive, sustainable teams.

Leads are not included. Agents bring their own lead source, and inbound final expense calls are available starting at $25.00 per inbound call. It is an option on the table for you, and there is no requirement to buy them.

Agency Owner Questions

What does life insurance agency contracting involve for an agency owner?

Life insurance agency contracting is the paperwork and approvals that let an agency and its producers sell for a carrier and get paid.

For an agency owner it usually includes an agency (entity) producer license in each state you sell in, a designated responsible licensed producer, E&O coverage, carrier contracts that set your commission level, appointments for the agency and for each writing agent, and a hierarchy that tells the carrier how to split commission between you and your downline.

Through BetterLifeQuotes.com, one agreement gives your agency access to 14 carriers instead of negotiating carrier by carrier.

Should a life insurance agency contract directly with carriers or through an IMO or NGA?

Going direct makes sense only once an agency produces enough volume with a single carrier to qualify for a top-level contract on its own, and it means negotiating and servicing every carrier separately. Most agencies get higher levels and wider carrier access through an upline.

BetterLifeQuotes.com is an NGA / IMO Hybrid & Distribution Partner for final expense, term, IUL, UL and whole life, so your agency gets 14 carriers and back office support (a guided contracting roadmap, a members portal, a carrier resource directory and help with carrier appointments, transfers and contracting questions; sales training, telesales scripts, objection handling, closing strategies, personal coaching and ongoing professional development; an agent management system with production, commission and book-of-business reporting; the CallWave inbound call platform with lead strategy and ROI guidance; and recruiting, training and retention resources for agency growth) through one relationship.

See IMO vs FMO vs NGA for how the models differ.

How do commission levels and overrides work for agency owners?

Each carrier pays a percentage of first-year annualized premium based on the contract level in the hierarchy. The agency’s level sits above its agents’ levels, and the difference between the two is the agency’s override on that agent’s production. A higher agency contract means more override for the owner, more room to pay agents competitively, or both. With BetterLifeQuotes.com, your agency gets up to 160%. Levels vary by carrier, product and state and are subject to carrier approval.

LOA model or direct-to-carrier payout: which works for my agency?

Under a licensed-only agent (LOA) model, agents write under the agency’s contracts and the agency pays them. Under a direct-to-carrier model, each agent is appointed individually and the carrier pays each level in the hierarchy directly. BetterLifeQuotes.com handles life insurance agency contracting for agencies running either model or a mix of both; the form asks which one you use so your contracts are set up to match.

What should agency owners review in a carrier contract or upline agreement?

Commission level by product and age band, and whether it is advanced or as-earned
Chargeback periods and who carries the debt
Book ownership and release terms for the agency and its agents
Production minimums, lead-purchase requirements or lock-ins
Override structure across your downline
Back office support, training and technology included

Can my agency leave BetterLifeQuotes.com?

Yes. Contracting is independent and non-captive: agents, new agencies, established agencies and healthcare agencies own their book of business, renewals and hierarchy, even upon release. Release requests are never held for payment, and releases are granted as long as there is no outstanding debt to the carrier.

How do I move my agency to BetterLifeQuotes.com?

Fill out the agency form on this page to start life insurance agency contracting with us. It asks for your current contracted carriers, the number of agents in your downline, and whether you run an LOA or direct-to-carrier payout model. We follow up with you directly. Applications are accepted only from agency owners applying through this website, not through third-party recruiters.

Will I keep my agents and my book if I move my agency?

Yes. You bring your existing agents over, your agency owns its book of business, renewals and hierarchy, even upon release, and you earn overrides on your downline’s production. Releases are granted as long as there is no outstanding debt to the carrier.

Do my agents need to meet the solo agent minimum requirements?

No. The solo agent minimum requirements, including at least 6 months of continuous sales, apply to agents who apply on their own. Agents in your downline who do not meet them, including newly licensed agents, can join through your agency.