Why are insurance agents wealthy?

All around the world, insurance agents have thrived on the ignorance of consumers. They used the risk of premature death to get consumers to part with a large part of their savings to be invested to get a poor yield. The consumers are not aware that they can buy term insurance to cover the premature death for 7% of their savings and invest the 93% to get an attractive long term yield. Buy putting their savings with the insurance company, they stand to lose 40% of their savings.

The difference of 33% make the insurance agent a top income earner and give a lot of profit to the life insurance company - but make the ignorant consumer that much poorer.

The insurance agents are trained to tell all types of stories to get consumers to part with their savings in a low yield policy, such as insuring the child, protection against critical illness and health. The consumers are not aware that they are paying far too much for the insurance, and that they can buy the insurance at much lower cost, if they buy a pure term or critical illness rider (covering a short term). Most consumers need insurance fo 25 years only, as their accumulated savings will be more than sufficient to provide for their financial needs, without insurance.

By insuring for the whole of life, the consumer becomes poor for life. My remarks apply to whole life or investment linked policies that take away 40% of the accumulated savings over a 25 year period. It does not apply to a life insurance policy that takes away 20%, which is a fair rate to give away for the insurance cover and the investment service. If you can find an insurance policy that takes away 20% after 25 years, it is all right to buy that insurance policy.

My new book, "Get Value on your Life Insurance" shows how much is taken away from you - based on the popular life insurance policies sold in the market today. Most of them vary from 35% to 50%, which is far too  high. If you have bought a life insurance policy, you will probably find it mentioned in a case study in this book. The book will be available on 15 Febuary 2011 (tentative).

Read my book on financial planning for guidance on how you can buy term insurance and invest the savings on  your won - if you cannot find a life insurance policy that takes away less than 20% over 25 years.

Tan Kin Lian