10/3/1977
- Thread starter billyb
- Start date
- 4,024
Yes, things were VERY different, yet much has stayed the same.
There are still people who would rather pay in cash.
There are still people who have no financial discipline.
There are still people who manage their checking account well, but won’t trust a company to draft their premium.
There are still people who want their receipt book marked. (Even some that pay with a debit card over the phone!)
There are still people who just like having their agent come to visit every month. (Sometimes we’re the only visitor they’ll have all month.)
There are still people who won’t trust an agent unless a friend recommends them.
There are still people who love recommending their agent.
And there are still debit agents making a good living by serving those people.
There are still people who would rather pay in cash.
There are still people who have no financial discipline.
There are still people who manage their checking account well, but won’t trust a company to draft their premium.
There are still people who want their receipt book marked. (Even some that pay with a debit card over the phone!)
There are still people who just like having their agent come to visit every month. (Sometimes we’re the only visitor they’ll have all month.)
There are still people who won’t trust an agent unless a friend recommends them.
There are still people who love recommending their agent.
And there are still debit agents making a good living by serving those people.
Last edited:
- 24,978
And still people that say it can't be done.
And people doing it.
I love this business.
- 24,978
If you had to pick a few things that were good changes. What would they be?
- 4,024
My favorite thing is my iPad.
When I first started on a debit agency in 1992, I had a big leather debit book, which was really a satchel style briefcase with notebook type rings in the middle, and pockets on either side for apps, rate book, notepads, etc. In the notebook section was a printed page for every client with basic policy and payment info. That dang book weighed at least 50 lbs! I have back trouble to this day from it!
Now all that stuff is available on my iPad at the touch of a screen. I carry that in my “man bag” along with a notebook, business cards, and a couple other things. Weighs less than 10 lbs.
- 4,575
Pretty sure that was a Monday if i recall. I remember it like yesterday watching the news of India Prime Minister Gandhi being arrested while i listened to Silver Lady being sung by my favorite actor from Starsky & Hutch, David Soul. Good times, Good times
- 29,489
I always wore a suit and tie back then.
I might try that again this winter (if I can remember how to tie a tie) .
I might try that again this winter (if I can remember how to tie a tie) .
- Thread starter
- #8
- 4,024
I write for 2 non-captive debit companies. My go to is Liberty Bankers Life. Todd Stone runs the home service division. He actually lives and works out of Stuart, FL. His office number is 772–334-3830. There are quite a few older agents writing for them. You probably know some of them!
I also write for Security National Life. The home service division is run out of Mississippi. I’m pretty sure they’re in Florida, but not 100% positive. The division head is Jason Richardson. The home office number is 800-826-6803.
(BTW, if you talk to Todd or Jason, please tell them Everett Thomas referred you!)
Kemper likely still has debits in Florida. I think they used to operate as Union National. I worked for the predecessor to Kemper for a couple of years. Old school captive debit company, growth contract. Unless they’ve changed a lot in the past couple of decades, I wouldn’t recommend working there.
I started with a debit in 1984. All those things were true. About 80% of the people were great. The other 20% were troublesome. I learned a lot about the financial ignorance in that job. I just figured the customers were like me and knew they had certain bills to pay, and would set aside the money to pay those bills. NOPE. If I showed up two weeks into the month, they would tell me that they "already spent the insurance money." Mind you, these are people who had their policies for 10 years, but the simple fact that their debit agent (me) didn't show up they day after they cashed their government check was reason sufficient to them to spend the money on something else. I didn't handle that 5% of customers very well; most lapsed out. The lapses were costly to me, as I was charged back for policies I never sold. But worse, a former agent had gone to work with Woodman of the World, and was systematically replacing business left and right. Wasn't much I could do about it, as Woodman's rates were about 30% lower, they offered the possibility of dividends, and these customers knew him better than then they knew me. I quit after six months; the chargebacks on policies I never sold and had little hope of saving were eating me alive. Went independent, and well, I'm still at it today.
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