What Makes A Broker A Great Broker?
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011I just cannot imagine my life without my broker! I truly can’t grasp why many people opt to handle their insurance policies, medical aids and other important financial matter by themselves.
After speaking with a couple of my friends and family I’ve come to the realization that people possess a false impression of precisely what a broker does and “how expensive” brokers are. Hopefully the information below might be valuable in explaining why a broker is a “must have” contact in any person’s life!
To begin with, you should understand the distinction between a broker and an agent. An insurance agent is employed by a specific firm. Because of this an agent will only sell you insurance policies with the company he/she works for. A broker however, isn’t employed by a specific business. They are able to provide you with various policies from various companies and since they can look around, they will be able to assist you with getting better and more cost-effective policies than you would be able to get hold of on your own.
Second of all, using a broker is not (necessarily!) going to set you back more! There are actually only a couple of brokers who impose a fee for their expert services. Most brokers however work on a commission structure. This commission is payable by the insurance provider and is already calculated in the insurance premium. Simply put, you will not be paying extra when dealing with a broker and you will not spend less when attempting to source insurance on your own.
As with all things in life, practical experience plays an important role in choosing a broker to take care of your needs and requirements. Remember that these brokers need to build up relationships with the insurance providers and that takes time! The longer the broker has been in the industry, the broader his portfolio will be and you will be able to choose from a wide range of products and services.
A good portfolio is however useless if the broker doesn’t know the industry and his products. You have to be 100% sure that the broker has knowledge on the item he is recommending and that he/she can guarantee you that the particular policy will meet your needs and requirements.
Another positive thing about using a broker is that your questions can be answered with a simple telephone call. We all from time to time have a question which needs to be answered, or advice with a specific claim or other service. Why spend hours on the phone trying to find the correct person to speak to at the insurance provider if you’re able to simply leave this in the capable hands of your broker?
Different brokers specialize in various fields. Our broker for example, handles our life insurance, our medical aid and our retirement annuity. When scouting for a broker be sure that he/she will be able to help you properly. If a broker specializes in annuities, don’t expect him/her to offer expert advice on short term insurance!