Do We Lift Dumbbells

[JSJAG]

I was just reading about Primerica is supporting a term only life insurance sales license. We all remember good old AL Williams and his revolution? Wasn't his organization branded with an army of tire changers in the day / insurance sales by night? The organization finally morphed into Primerica..thanks Sandy W.

Here's the rub. If you can't pass a life licensing test, I'm sorry but maybe this isn't the right profession for you. I've taken life insurance licensing tests it in several States and there is no easier licensing test out there.

Is Primerica saying that they can't find people to pass the test or do they want to recruit people that they know can't pass the test but could pass the term only test. Yep, that should make the consumer feel confident. Someone that only knows what his up-line person tells him and he goes about believing it.

If I sell life, 99% of the time it is term, so I'm not some wide eyed whole life is the only insurance, agent. BUT...I do feel that we need intelligent people in our business and making the licensing test easier isn't going to take us to that goal.

Do we lift dumbbells or just give them a term only test?

[Cullen]

Well said,

The point of being a financial professional is to be a resource to your clients. You have to know all the available tools and strategies in order to help your clients reach their goals. If all you know how to do is fill out a term app, then you are a detriment to the industry.

A term only license is a dumbing down of the industry and should not be allowed.

Like you, the vast majority of the insurance I sell is term, but I understand how to use conversion options to give my clients flexilibilty in planning. A term only license would not allow for this adaptability and in the long run, consumers would suffer.

[independent guy]

Uh, there are people NOT passing the state life insurance exams?!?

I crammed overnight and passed the exam the next day. Did I really know very much about the types of life insurance? Not really. Did I know enough to fool a multiple-choice exam? Yes.

If a person can't pass the life license exams, they really don't have any business being in this industry. Any person who knows how to work a multiple choice exam and has MINIMAL knowledge of life insurance should be able to pass a life licensing exam.

I managed to do it, and am pursuing the CLU designation now to REALLY learn about life insurance.

[Grant]

The life isn't that tough of an exam, but it also depends on your state.

In FL, life, health, and annuities are combined, now it isn't that tough, but there is a lot of information that is covered.

[independent guy]

<!--QuoteBegin-Grant+Mar 16 2005, 09:38 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Grant @ Mar 16 2005, 09:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The life isn't that tough of an exam, but it also depends on your state.

In FL, life, health, and annuities are combined, now it isn't that tough, but there is a lot of information that is covered. [/quote]
Its the same here in Illinois, but I guess they let you divide them up if you're only going for one license. Either way, still pretty easy.

[JSJAG]

<!--QuoteBegin-Grant+Mar 16 2005, 07:38 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Grant @ Mar 16 2005, 07:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The life isn't that tough of an exam, but it also depends on your state.

In FL, life, health, and annuities are combined, now it isn't that tough, but there is a lot of information that is covered. [/quote]
I would guess that most all States include annuities because annuities do have a death benefit. Because they have a death benefit they are considered part of life insurance.

Everyone knows that the TEST IS NOT HARD. Who the heck does Primerica want to license, that they need to dumb down the test.....rabbits?