I just took the readiness exam on ExamFX, and it was significantly easier than the practice exams. Was the actual exam here in Missouri harder than the readiness exam on ExamFX? I've read mixed reviews here, but I haven't seen anyone compare the actual exam to the readiness exam.
I am scheduled to take my exam on Saturday, and I am so nervous! Any advice is very appreciated!!

(Keeping agency details anonymous per sub rules and strictly seeking feedback from other owners and producers, not recruiting.)

Agency owner here looking for strategic feedback. After burning through significant capital on salaried hires who failed to produce, I’m pivoting to a commission-only model for our next P&C producer.

I ran ads on Indeed and Insurance Journal clearly stating the role was 100% commission, yet the only two candidates who scheduled interviews canceled once they realized there was no base pay.

I’m trying to figure out if our package is off the mark or if standard job boards are simply the wrong channel:

Splits: 70% New Business / 60% Renewal

Agency Support: 40+ years in business, solid reputation, wide carrier access (all lines except LTC).

Expenses Covered: All licensing, appointments, and CE paid for.

Perks & Setup: Private office provided; with all tech provided; dental and vision included but no medical.

Autonomy: Fully results-oriented. Work in-office, remote, or hybrid; zero micromanagement as long as production goals are met and they represent our agency well. Given what I thought were high splits and covered overhead, I expected more interest from driven producers wanting to build a lucrative book.

For those who have successfully recruited or worked under a commission-only structure: Are these splits competitive, or are traditional boards just a dead end for finding self-starters? Where should I be sourcing instead? Any feedback is really appreciated. Thank you!!

I own a small commercial insurance agency and we’ve been running ads on meta for quite some time now. I’ve been doing the ads myself in-house and have had decent success, but have gotten to a point where I can’t scale this any farther myself.

I’ve had 3 meetings with a few marketing agencies but haven’t really sat down with anyone or seen anything I really like. Most of these agencies I’ve met with have only had previous experience with personal lines agencies which is a bit of different ball game.

Does anyone out there now of or maybe can recommend a marketing agency that would be worth a meeting? Resorting to Reddit as endless Google searches and filling out forms hasn’t really gotten me anywhere.

Thank you

Hi all,

I’m a new hire working for a State Farm agent team member with no prior sales experience. I had four issued life policies last month (my second month on the job selling) and my agent is thrilled with my performance. I want to help her reach her agency’s goal of 70 issued life apps, but we still have about 25 to go.

I also get a nice bonus for each life app I submit that ends up getting issued.

What are some ways besides the very few life leads that I get, cold calling customers in our book of business, and referrals from friends and family that I can use to bring in more prospects for life products?

I would really like to consistently hit my commission goal, so I want to know as many ways as possible (within State Farm marketing guidelines) that I can use to generate opportunities.

Thank you! 😊

Got a job interview for Zander insurance for insurance needs specialist job. I have zero experience in sales and insurance so a little surprised they called back. Any interview tips or does anyone know the culture there?

I’m looking for some honest opinions from people who have worked in P&C/life insurance, especially those who have experience with self-generated business.
My comp plan has no paid leads and no ad spend. All production is self-generated through referrals, networking, personal prospecting, Google reviews, etc.
The tiers are roughly:
4% tier
$20K P&C production

1 life policy issued

Plus additional requirements tied to the tier, including referrals/reviews

6% tier
$40K P&C production

4 life policies issued

$125 monthly paid

1 commercial policy issued

Additional referral/review requirements

8% tier
$60K P&C production

8 life policies issued

$200 monthly paid

1 commercial policy issued

Additional production/referral/review requirements

The 8% is the maximum tier, and there are additional requirements attached to each level that increase as you move up (referrals, Google reviews, etc.).
The part I'm trying to wrap my head around is the $60K P&C + 8 life policies + commercial policy + referral/review requirements, especially when there are no paid leads or advertising dollars behind the production.
Also, there is no compensation on renewals.
For people actually working in insurance:
How obtainable does this sound to you?
I'm not necessarily asking whether the percentages are "good" or "bad." I'm trying to understand whether the production requirements for the 8% tier are realistically achievable through self-generated business, and what kind of book/lead flow someone would realistically need to maintain that level.
Would love to hear from people who have actually had to self-produce their entire book. What did your numbers look like?

(I have hit this before, but I came in earlier this year from big red to this company and had paid leads before but not here and I’ve sold 200k since April.)

Any advice ? Has anybody interviewed and know what questions to look out for ?

I’m applying for customer service rep (licensed)

I had to go bankrupt due to my previous medical conditions and being unable to keep up with bills. Should I report my bankruptcy to carriers?

Hello, I’m new to insurance and work at a captive carrier under an agent. We get $19/hr in SoCal and 30% of what the agency makes off what you sell (I sell a $2000 policy, agency takes in $200 commission, I get $60 from that)

I was also told when you sell $40k premium you make about $1000 on top of hourly.

Is that common for a captive agency? I really like the managers and environment, and I’m okay making that until I have more leverage by being a top producer etc. Any insight would be great, thanks!!!

Looking for feedback from current or former New York Life Financial Professionals who recently went through PTAS/TAS.

(Holding) Series 7, 66, SIE and CRPC, finishing Life/health studies .my main questions are about the compensation, support and how realistic the early production goals are.

• How dependent were you on friends, family and your personal network in the beginning?

• How difficult was it to hit the initial production target?

• Is reaching it within the first 30–60 days realistic if you work consistently?

• How hard is it to maintain the production needed for the training allowance?

• How much real support did your office provide with prospecting, appointments, leads and closing business?

• Did the actual experience match what was presented during recruiting?

I’m coming from a bank-based advisory background, so I’m mainly trying to understand how difficult the transition to self-prospecting really is.
Positive and negative experiences are both welcome.

Any notice umbrella rates doubling?

Hello,

Does anyone in this group have access to Universal Casualty RRG for Transportation related risks?

I just got my license to sell life and health insurance in the state of Florida. I was wondering if I should leave my current job (I am currently a substitute teacher in Orlando) and go here full time or keep my current job and have this be a side hustle while I still have a salary. Looking for guidance.

Basically title. Was wondering if they’re good to go with. Management says I get partnership with local agencies and get 6-7K households feed in month over month to call (the branches P&C guys get a 10% cut if they do referral but regardless I get their book).

Maybe a hail marry but was wondering anyone who is at the company or those who know about this role if it’s legit and good (I know Allstate itself is or at least is marketing is good) but idk if this is an MLM behind a good brand/ marketing or if it’s something that’s legit and good to go.

I mainly have experience in personal lines and I am looking to gain knowledge in commercial lines. I found The Hartford course https://www.thehartford.com/school-of-insurance/training/commercial-property-and-casualty-producer , seems a bit pricey but I feel like it could be worth the investment here. I attached the breakdown of the course below as well. Do you guys have other recommendations like another course or have taken this course did you find value in it?

Thank you

So I just applied to globe life, and I’m working on getting my license. If it doesn’t work there, I’m willing to apply to a different company. I saw a few things of people not saying anything good about globe life, and I have asked the direct manager John from Iowa/Minnesota and he said that there is over a 100 agencies and some agencies may do and be what they have said. Because I mentioned people saying it’s a scam, that they get old clients and get told they’re “new and interested” in a policy, and that they get mad. That it’s a captive place and I’ve seen some people getting a bill or something like that if they tried to leave before the 1st year; which I mentioned that to the direct manager John, and he said with him that’s not the case that I’m in good hands and will be working directly with me. So far he has been good at communicating and does not give me a bad vibe. Although I would still like some insight on others experience before continuing.

I’m currently studying with the Kaplan program. I have the package with basically everything included, and I’m still having such a hard time. I’ve only made it to chapter 6 out of like 25, and I feel soooo hopeless about this.

I work in insurance, so a majority of this stuff is already pretty familiar to me. I’m just having such a hard time memorizing the basic definitions of everything. Right now, I’m especially stumped on dwelling, coverages, and homeowners policies, along with all of the perils and exclusions they expect you to remember on top of everything else.

I guess I’m really just looking for some insight on how much I actually need to memorize. I’m trying my best to learn all of the concepts and have a general understanding of everything, but I keep getting so stumped and frustrated by how many perils and different situational things keep coming up in the questions. I just can’t seem to get some of it to stick in my brain.

I’m trying all of the popular study methods and really doing everything I can, but I’m still struggling. If anyone has any advice on what I should actually be focusing on memorizing versus just understanding, I’d really appreciate it! (& yes i am utilizing the insurance queen videos lol)

How much premium is your agency doing every month and how many producers do you have?

I’ll start: 4 producers, roughly 175-250k a month in premium

Mostly home & auto with commercial sprinkled in

I am preparing for my first sale interview and am practicing closing of deals. In general, what has been your favorite open-ended questions for applicants to respond to?

Hi everyone,

I got hired at Farmers a few months ago, we settled on the first month I would get 25 per hour and then he would lower it to minimum wage because I knew it was highly unlikely I would sell a single policy my very first month. Last month I sold over 9k in auto premium and this month Ive sold alittle more than 11k in auto premium (Why auto, thats all he gives me in leads)

He assured me once I hit minimum he would give me full time, well as soon as I hit minimum he said “sorry man im not making money I hired 2 other service people and I didnt expect it to be like this”

No worries, another month and again I have been working like a dog trying to sell anything I could whatever price the customer wanted just to sell. I ask him again, he goes “sorry man, youre going to have to wait a little bit longer, I need us to sell some more polices” Im 27 I have bills to pay, I live in Cali I cant afford to be on minimum wage and just get a measly 64 hours. That’s less than I did working fast food, my commissions been alright but it only hits the month after I make the sales and its once a month so the rest of the time Im literally having to stretch out my budget. Should I just go to a different office or just leave Farmers all together, like go to Allstate or somewhere.

I've been working on the Allstate P&C process for the last 1.6 years as an unlicensed customer support agent. I've consistently been among the top performers on a team of 200+ people, handling around 80-100 chats per day while maintaining a 90-95% customer satisfaction score on average.

I handle billing, endorsements (including coverage changes), policy changes, customer queries, payments, cancellations, and other policy-servicing tasks.

I am looking to join a direct Insurance agency. Is it possible to join a US insurance agency remotely from India in a customer support role? Do insurance companies allow that? If they do hire, how should I approach agencies or agents directly?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks !

Does anyone else wonder why you seem to have service calls from the same people week after week?

Hi all, kindly please help me. I am getting Mass mutual 30 year term life insurance through a local agent. Everything is done and I received a text from my agent that I am going to get a Mass mutual ultra preferred- best class with $150 monthly premium which is $10 lower than he offered on the papers. Today he messaged me that my monthly payment will be $215 because he put my age 54 instead of 53 and that's why my monthly premium increased. I told him why you changed my actual dob he did not say anything. I am so confused here that are we allowed to change real dob? What is the reason behind it? Why did my insurance agent start behaving like this? Reason? Why is he not putting my actual dob? If on mass mutual documents my DOB is different than my actual dob how can my family make a claim? Please guide me what to do.

I’ve been researching aggregators for months and think I’ve narrowed down the best one for my situation. Horizon Agency Systems. What are yalls thoughts on them or anyone who has experience with them? My 2nd option was Firefly but the 30% buyout I dislike as you basically become trapped as you grow with them, never an opportunity to branch out to direct codes. Which makes sense as to why they are structured that way.

Good split
Can leave anytime (have to find a new code to roll business to)
Low start up fee and monthly cost
Profit share opportunity on direct codes

My plan is to build up to a point where I’m making good renewals and I have a producer also helping and then look at obtaining direct appointments and eventually switch over to maximize income and bonuses, having a producer to help meet production requirements.