10 Reasons to Work With an Independent Broker
Updated September 22, 2026
Coverage guide
10 Reasons to Work With an Independent Broker
You can buy guaranteed issue life insurance from a TV ad, a mailer, or a carrier’s website without ever talking to a person. The price is the same either way. What changes is whether someone checks first that guaranteed issue is the right policy for you, and whether your family has a person…
What a broker is for when the policy has no health questions
A fair question. If guaranteed issue accepts everyone, why would you need help buying it? The honest answer is that the hardest part of guaranteed issue is not getting approved. It is figuring out whether you should be buying it in the first place, which company to buy it from, and how to set it up so the money actually reaches your family. Those are the three places people get hurt, and none of them show up in a 60-second commercial.
Below are the ten things I do for every client, in plain terms. I have also included the three situations where a broker adds nothing and you should just buy direct, because a page like this is worthless if it only tells you what you want to hear.
The ten reasons
I check whether you need guaranteed issue at all
Most people who call me about guaranteed issue can qualify for something cheaper. A simplified issue policy asks a handful of health questions and often covers you from day one at a lower premium. I walk the ladder in order every time: fully underwritten level coverage first, then simplified issue, then graded, and guaranteed issue only if the others say no. A carrier’s own website has no reason to point you down that ladder.
You see the whole market, not one company’s product
A captive agent or a carrier’s phone line can only sell you that carrier. I am appointed with multiple companies and compare them side by side for your age, state, and coverage amount. Guaranteed issue premiums for the same face amount can differ meaningfully from one carrier to the next, and the cheapest one changes by age band and by state.
The price is identical, and you pay me nothing
Life insurance rates are filed with your state insurance department. The premium for a given policy is the same whether you buy it through me, through the carrier’s website, or over the phone from a TV ad. The carrier pays my commission out of its own pocket. There is no broker fee, no consultation fee, and no markup. If that ever changes, it will be printed on this page.
I verify the carrier’s financial strength and state license
Before I place a policy, I confirm the company is licensed in your state (which is what puts it under your state’s guaranty association) and check its independent rating agencies financial strength rating. My floor is A-. You can do this yourself, and I explain how in the guide on what happens if your insurer goes out of business, but most people never do.
I read the waiting period and graded benefit fine print with you
Every guaranteed issue policy has a waiting period, usually 2 years (varies by carrier), during which a natural-cause death returns premiums plus interest rather than the face amount. Some “graded” policies pay a rising percentage instead. Some carriers count the period from the issue date, some from the first premium. I explain what yours says before you sign, not after a claim.
I make sure the beneficiary form is done right
More guaranteed issue money gets delayed by a bad beneficiary form than by anything in the policy itself. A named minor, a missing contingent, or an ex-spouse never removed can send a $15,000 benefit into probate. I fill the form out with you, and I explain how to name a beneficiary and keep it current so it stays correct.
Your family has a person to call at claim time
When the time comes, your beneficiary will be grieving and holding a policy from a company they have never dealt with. If they bought through me, they call me. I tell them which forms to use, how many death certificates to order, and I follow up with the carrier until the check arrives. A call center does not do that.
You can verify who I am in about a minute
I am a licensed broker with National Producer Number 8895251, licensed since 2008, based in Pennsylvania and licensed in multiple states. Anyone can look that up free at nipr.com. Insist on the same from anyone who calls you about life insurance. If they will not give you an NPN, hang up.
I will tell you no
Some people should not buy guaranteed issue. If you are in hospice, a policy with a 2-year waiting period is unlikely to pay more than your premiums back. If you are 82 and the premium would exceed the death benefit within a few years, I will show you the math. Turning away a sale costs me a commission. Placing a bad policy costs you more.
The policy gets reviewed, not filed and forgotten
Health changes. Two years after a heart attack, many carriers will consider you for simplified issue at a lower premium than your guaranteed issue policy. I check back in so the policy you own still makes sense. I also tell you when it does not make sense to switch, because replacing a policy restarts the waiting period and is usually the wrong move.
Broker vs. captive agent vs. buying direct
None of these options is wrong. They are different, and the differences matter more than the ads suggest.
| What you get | Independent broker | Captive agent (one company) | TV ad / carrier website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of carriers compared | Multiple | One | One |
| Told if a cheaper simplified issue policy fits | Yes, every time | Only if that company offers one | Rarely; the ad sells one product |
| Premium for the same policy | Same | Same | Same |
| Fee to you | None | None | None |
| Carrier rating and license checked for you | Yes | Not applicable, one carrier | No |
| Help with the beneficiary form | Yes | Usually | Self-service |
| Person to call at claim time | Yes | Yes, if still with the company | Call center |
| Pressure to buy | Should be none; if there is, leave | Varies | Scripted urgency is common |
One thing the table cannot show: what the “per unit” pricing in some TV ads actually buys. A fixed dollar amount per month “per unit” sounds simple until you learn the coverage per unit shrinks with age. I lay out what to ask for in the guide on how to compare guaranteed issue quotes honestly.
3 situations where you do not need me
A page titled “reasons to work with me” should also say when not to. Here are three.
- You are under 50 and reasonably healthy. You should be buying term life insurance, probably in a much larger amount, and guaranteed issue is the wrong product entirely. I can help with that too, but you do not need this site for it.
- You have already priced a very small policy and are happy with it. If you want $2,000 or $3,000 of coverage from a carrier you have already checked, and the premium fits your budget, buying direct is fine. The savings from comparing carriers at that size are small.
- Your employer or union plan lets you convert group coverage. A conversion privilege often gives you permanent coverage with no health questions and no waiting period. Use it before you buy any guaranteed issue policy. Ask HR for the deadline; it is usually 31 days after you leave.
If you are in one of those three groups, you have my honest answer. If you are not, the rest of this page is why a ten-minute call is worth your time.
What a call with me actually looks like
People put off calling because they expect a sales pitch. Here is the whole process, so there are no surprises.
- Minutes 1 to 3: Your age, state, and how much coverage you have in mind. Usually that is a funeral, sometimes a small debt or a gift to a grandchild.
- Minutes 3 to 6: A few health questions. Not to decline you, but to see whether simplified issue would accept you. Often, it will.
- Minutes 6 to 10: I quote the two or three carriers that fit, tell you which one I would pick and why, and tell you the waiting period on each.
- After the call: You get the numbers in writing. You decide on your own time. I do not call you back three times a day.
You can start with the 60-second quote form instead of calling. Either way, nobody is charged anything and nobody is obligated to buy.
Common questions
Does buying through a broker cost more than buying direct?
No. Life insurance premiums are filed with your state, and the rate for a given policy is the same regardless of who sells it. The carrier pays the broker’s commission. There is no fee to you.
How do I verify you are actually licensed?
Go to nipr.com and search National Producer Number 8895251. It shows my license status in every state where I hold one. Do the same for anyone who contacts you about life insurance.
Will you push me toward the policy that pays you the most?
Guaranteed issue policies are small, so the commission difference between carriers is small too. My recommendation is based on your premium, the carrier’s rating, and the waiting-period terms. I also tell you when a policy you do not need would pay me more.
Can you help if I already own a guaranteed issue policy?
Yes. I will review it at no cost. Most of the time the advice is to keep it, because replacing a policy restarts the waiting period. Sometimes a health change means you now qualify for cheaper simplified issue coverage, and I will show you the numbers either way.
What if I am not in Pennsylvania?
I am licensed in multiple states. Ask when you call or submit the quote form, and I will confirm whether I can write in your state. If I cannot, I will tell you that rather than refer you to someone I do not know.
Is guaranteed issue ever the right first choice?
Yes, for a narrow group: a recent serious diagnosis, a prior decline, dialysis, active cancer treatment, or a condition that simplified issue carriers exclude. Even then, I check simplified issue first, because carrier rules differ and the answer is sometimes surprising. See the complete guaranteed issue guide for how eligibility works.
Sources
- NAIC, “Life Insurance Buyer’s Guide” (shopping, agents, and replacement)
- National Insurance Producer Registry, verify an existing insurance license
- NOLHGA, “How You’re Protected” (why buying from a state-licensed carrier matters)
- independent rating agencies, “Guide to Best’s Financial Strength Ratings”
The bottom line
Working with an independent broker does not lower the price of a guaranteed issue policy. What it does is make sure you are not buying guaranteed issue when simplified issue would take you, that the carrier is strong and licensed in your state, that the waiting period is understood before you sign, and that your family has someone to call. If you are under 50, already happy with a tiny policy, or can convert group coverage, you do not need me.
For everyone else, the call takes about ten minutes and costs nothing. Request a free quote or call me directly at (215) 999-3168.
See Your Real Guaranteed Issue Rates in 60 Seconds
Multiple carriers compared, no health questions, no broker fees, and a straight answer if a cheaper policy would cover you.