New Career In Insurance, Need Opinions On Companies

[dentonagent]

I signed on with Farmers at the first of this year. I was in the military for 5 years and wanted to get into insurance when I got out. I also talked to a few of the big companies; Allstate, Nationwide and State Farm. The best starter opportunity (unless you have a lot more money than I did to invest) was Farmers.

There are a lot of DM's out there so if you're going to try Farmers shop your area DM's. As posted previously, they can make a huge difference in your success. The technology has been updated and still is being improved at a rapid pace, so that isn't much of an issue anymore.The training took a few months and you'll need to keep a PT or FT job for the first few months of your "reserve program" but I have been very happy with Farmers so far.

If I can help you make a decision about Farmers, feel free to contact me. I can give you an honest assessment of the dreaded first year with them.

[Joe Agent]

How have you done so far? What is your annual volume?

[vicious503]

Thanks for all the information from both sides of the fence.

I'm halfway into my third week as an officially licensed Farmers agent. I seem to be doing better than some of the other agents who have been here several months ahead of me. I believe if I didn't have to learn at the same time as I sell, I would be much more efficient. I wish they had a two weeks training course to get me used to everything. I hear you guys on the amount of agents that go through this office. I've seen several new faces in the office as well as new people being interviewed. Honestly, alot of these people I think won't last very long. I'm hoping that doesn't hold true with me.

My DM is good but not great. He gets a little repetitive answering the questions I have and keeps trying to push me to buy things like lead which I feel I have no use for. I actually learn more from this one other agent in particular and his assistant than I do from the DM and the assistant of the DM. So I'm happy about them being around.

I'm using this opportunity to learn as much as I can and soak up everything.

So how many policy a week is a good? Can someone give me a good number so I can gauge how efficient I am?

Thank you.

[joeagent]

Farmers ? You would be wise to go somewhere else. Their management is insane. Their technology, although better is still sub-par and slow. Claims used to try and find a way to pay. Their new credo is not to pay one penney more than they have to. I wonder what that means? If you can survive you will be fortunate indeed, or have a disrict manager feed you policy's from "DARGED" agents. See ufaa.com for the thing Farmers management never tells - the truth!

[ogrey]

I can tell you this. I spent 5 years with Farmers before they let me go. I was a model agent. I started with them 5 years ago and I was new to the state, I had no natual market. I was lied to from the get go. I kept telling myself that Thinks would come around for me. Everytime I would get a ahead Farmers would knock me back down. By the time I left them I was the #1 or #2 agent every month for production in our district and the Top 5 for fire policies in the state. I meet my life numbers by leaps and bounds every year. I supported Farmers in everything, i bled blue. If they asked me for money I gave it to them.

There was one time a DMM even told me to pay for policies to win a Life contest. I did not do that but I can tell you that it happens a lot with Farmers.

Well I am happy to be independant now - thank god!

[Headhunter94501]

As a veteran Executive Recruiter I would say that Liberty Mutual's training program is the most highly regarded of those you have mentioned.

Good luck!!!

[cgb]

Ok, you're working at Farmer's. From here you need to learn everything you can, and it'll be tough since you're trying to sell to make a living as well. The more you learn about coverages, the better an agent you'll be. Why? Because then you can sell what your insured's need, and also protect yourself from e&o exposure. Having underwritten for years, the best agents were the ones that really paid attention to coverages and u/w requirements. They had excellent loss ratios (something EVERY company LOVES) and solid books of business. Read your policies, know what's covered and more importantly what's excluded.

[hk997]

As a veteran Executive Recruiter I would say that Liberty Mutual's training program is the most highly regarded of those you have mentioned.

Good luck!!!

wow, it's good to know, how about amica?

[AlstonCPCU]

I started out at Farmers and they gave me a manual and a phonebook and said, "good luck." This was in 1999.

Liberty Mutual is a good company.

[jinman]

I have to agree about Liberty Mutual. I started with Liberty 7 years ago as an adjuster and quickly learned that the commercial sales side is where I wanted to be. The training that you receive is bar none per my conversations with others in the industry. You are basically paid to learn for the first 6 months or so of your career with Liberty - they set you up well to succeed.

[houstonagent]

wow after reading all these comments,I thank the lord that he opened the doors for me to be independent and not have to go trough hell and back.

[sanddog1]

Hello not trying to bash the newbe farmers agent, the company absolutely sucks. The DM's goal is to get as many agents on line as possible. They get 1 % commission of the agent earning. If the agent fails the company keeps the book. Win Win..The farmer agent is capture and an employee. They want you guys to sell life Ins only, to all your friends and family and then P &C . And guess what now you have to go do some real sales. One year down road 98% of you will be gone or working for me. Farmers is not and institute for higher learning of the insurance industry.