How should I explain to my family that after 5 years of traveling level 2 etc. being top 100 THAT I STILL MAKE NO MONEY and borrowed over $200,000 because I am not related to anyone and don't get any cars asigned?
Even with my realistic $40,000 scorecard bonus which i have gotten since that was fixed two years ago I am always borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. That does nothing except pay down some of the credit cards I need to run up all year round to live off of!!!
I closed a $1,000+ A MONTH "lifesaver" to day and made NOTHING because I have no bloody VUL to sell which is what the guy needed. That should have been life premium - instead it was just MF & term. Who is "Leaving money on the table" NOW???
So glad I became a scratch agent 5 years ago. . . NOT! I was told I could sell financial products and my team could take orders on all the auto that walked in. Lies Lies Lies. Now I don't even have a financial product to sell.
I hope you are from the DAFO now send me some freaking cars!
Get back to fixing some SFPP problems Beeoch!
Also it has been 5 years since AA05 "rolled out" or over me. Isn't it time to have that 5 year review and fix the bloody contract??? Mr. Leadership
SFTICA you sound like someone with balls! I respect that!
SFTICA is dead on. AA04/5 are never going to break the cycle of debt. I will do what ever it takes to get that GD contract then start another business to pay off the $150K debt. Scratch is such a screw job!
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I read this thread about once a week and realize what a mistake to believe SF on what they sold. I had friends who were agents and everything sounded like a great opportunity. Sure, you would have to work and struggle -- according to SF about 2 years, but then you would be back to earning what you were making in your previous career. I gladly took the risk and the income step back to be in my own business. What a load of BS. You don't own or run anything. You have debt and have helped State Farm grow and all you get is threats of no contract and rising debt. Almost 5 years of this and still waiting to make $$. It would kill me to quit and give State Farm the accounts. Every year I think we will turn the corner, and nothing changes. Can't believe we are a top producer in the AFO and make nothing. Scorecard is impossible to meet if you are scratch.
Where is my assignment??? No one has retired because its too good a deal for the older agents. Hell, I wouldn't retire either if I could make $20K a month on renewals alone!
Last edited by wornout : 08-18-2009 at 10:03 AM.
Reason: Posts merged
I knew that if I had anything good to say about the Farm I would take a lot of heat for it. Of course, the same old tired "Mr. Leaderhip" comes out. This has to be one of the funniest situations I have found myself in a long time. Me being accused of being a kool aid drinker... so this is what it feels like to be thrown under the bus...ok.
I
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I never said that it has been a joy ride. I think corporate has made a big mistake with the new contract and have gone too far. I hope like hell they make some changes in the future...I am not counting on it though. They have changed the culture here at State Farm with this new contract and I think in the long run they will regret it. I also don't agree with the way they approach financial services. It appears they use it more as a retention tool for mutual auto than as a stand alone profit center. That is why they ended the CFP program and disolved the Phoenix relationship. I was a player in Phoenix and it hurt like hell to loose that. My wholesaler was one of my good friends, I have all of his policies. Now he is going to be working with Allstate agents...are you kidding me. I am over a $100,000 into my agency as well. I got killed on my scorecard last year because the majority of my premium was in variable...it sucked...yeah. They introduced the ASE auto model in Arizona (we were on of the first) and now 30-40% of our auto is going into standard. I just watched my lapse can climb to 20%. Now I am doing everything I can to bleed the standard out of my book so that I have a chance to get the 1% locked in...and with auto so goes fire, so shooting for 2% locked by dropping the lapse can. Blah, blah, blah...
What I am saying is that even with all the sh*t I have had to swallow, State Farm is still a good opportunity...warts and all. It ain't what they told you, hell a lot of management don't even know what "it" is anymore. Ok, I agree...most of the folks didn't know what they were talking about. So if you look around the industry or the job market I am happy to grind it out right here. You don't have to be a top agent in the company to pound out a 75,000 to 100,000 bonus every year. They took variable away from me, so now I am learning about whole life and will max out the points with it on the scorecard this year. I see all the major players are using moneytracks or LEAP, but they come out with a memo saying we don't have your back, so I am not renewing my LEAP license. It is State Farm's bats and balls man, but I can make good money with their bats and balls...better money than anywhere else. I have an advanced degree in economis and came from the investment field...and you couldn't get me to go back! The Farm is the best deal going still, even with all the changes. I work half as hard and make twice the money...thanks to the p&c. Do I wish that management knew what they were talking about when I came on board...YEAH! Here I am though...making it on this AA05 contract and going to do well by my family.
Best advice if you are going to come to the Farm.
1. Have $100,000 ready thru personal savings and credit lines.
2. Build your p&c (mutual auto) to make a living
3. Make travel to get your contract
4. Focus on scorecard once the bleeding stops to pay back the loans.
Good luck to all you guys
Last edited by AZAA05 : 08-18-2009 at 02:17 PM.
Reason: Posts merged
I'm not an agent yet but my understanding is that Florida before they pulled Fire and the big city markets in Texas were usually the markets that rocked it the most.
I hear that agents in the valley of Texas are rocking numbers in production. When you see top 100 new agents the majority are from texas.
Now I dont know if that equates 75k-100k in scorecard bonus but I'm sure its up there...
Again purely mentioning what's been told to me, you all would know better.
"You don't have to be a top agent in the company to pound out a 75,000 to 100,000 bonus every year." - AZAA05
How many Agents do you know that made $100,000 on the Scorecard last year? (in your AFO, in Arizona, in your zone, in the entire company)
I'll take a stab at that TICA. My AFO (GW Zone) has about 30 Agents in it. 5 of them bring in $75-125k bonuses every year. 1 regularly throws up $175k. I have 15 other Agent friends (I imagine there are many more that I'm not friends with) in my metro area that throw up $75k plus scorecards every single year. Their team produces some serious scorecard points. Just sayin' that AZAA05 isn't a nut job. It's pretty common where I'm at.
Last edited by pncplanner : 08-20-2009 at 02:12 PM.
I have thoroughly read most of the pages here. I must say that I do not see how anybody makes it. The stress that you have to live with on a daily basis is so not worth it. It should not be this difficult to make it in the insurance world. Let me tell you my story. I was hired at 21 years old by my company (not SF) to take over a dead agency in a dead little town. I got the agency solely from my previous outside insurance sales experience. I had to go through a similar hiring experience as SF, and an extensive training program. I must say that after that it was a much different experience than SF from what I have read. My company put me on salary and paid most of my expenses. I did have a quota that had to be met with life/finance products. If I did not meet the quotas I would be fired. That was stressful, but I did not have to rack up a 100k debt like many of you. My company was very supportive of me, and they motivated me to do my job. I took an agency that was dead and grew it by 30% every year. 3 years later I was awarded my contract. They did not contract me until I had enough money to pay all of my bills and still make a living. They actually cared about me. I now make 100k a year plus, and have no quotas to meet. There is always the sales pressure however. I viewed SF as the dream job before, but after what I have read here and heard from others, I am much happier staying with the little guy that actually cares about their people. Good luck.
Yeah right. Keep deluding yourself. They got threatened.
If you're looking to maintain your right of free speech, SF probably isn't the place to do it...
Cmon, guys, no place of business is going to let you run them into the ground and not do something about it if they find out. It has nothing to do with your right of free speech. You have the right to say whatever you want, but there might be ramifications. I'm sure someone in SF found out what they were writing and told them to knock it off. Nothing unusual about that. They just weren't in a position to buck the system. Me, on the other hand, can say what I want. Noone is holding anything over my head.
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Originally Posted by TICA
"You don't have to be a top agent in the company to pound out a 75,000 to 100,000 bonus every year." - AZAA05
How many Agents do you know that made $100,000 on the Scorecard last year? (in your AFO, in Arizona, in your zone, in the entire company)
I know plenty, even some TICA's.
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Originally Posted by JimmerJammer
I have thoroughly read most of the pages here. I must say that I do not see how anybody makes it. The stress that you have to live with on a daily basis is so not worth it. It should not be this difficult to make it in the insurance world. Let me tell you my story. I was hired at 21 years old by my company (not SF) to take over a dead agency in a dead little town. I got the agency solely from my previous outside insurance sales experience. I had to go through a similar hiring experience as SF, and an extensive training program. I must say that after that it was a much different experience than SF from what I have read. My company put me on salary and paid most of my expenses. I did have a quota that had to be met with life/finance products. If I did not meet the quotas I would be fired. That was stressful, but I did not have to rack up a 100k debt like many of you. My company was very supportive of me, and they motivated me to do my job. I took an agency that was dead and grew it by 30% every year. 3 years later I was awarded my contract. They did not contract me until I had enough money to pay all of my bills and still make a living. They actually cared about me. I now make 100k a year plus, and have no quotas to meet. There is always the sales pressure however. I viewed SF as the dream job before, but after what I have read here and heard from others, I am much happier staying with the little guy that actually cares about their people. Good luck.
Can you not list this most impressive company that you work for so that all of us can get in on the action?
Last edited by fastrack1 : 08-20-2009 at 09:52 PM.
Reason: Posts merged
Or were those guys made an offer they could not refuse.
Was their silence bought with a small assignment?
Is "leadership" wants me to stop posting I'd gladly do it for the million of premium minimum I should have started with.
I can promise you that noone was given an assignment to stop posting nor were they bought off in any other fashion. SF doesn't work like that. I guarantee it was "suggested" that break ties with the forum. Some of them acted like they had been agents for awhile, so I don't know why they would care, but I can understand about the newer guys. It's just not worth the hassle sometimes!
Tell us now that the AA05 is 5 years old when is it going to be reviewed by task force committee and fixed?
Aren't these things reviewed in august and fixed for 1-1-10?
I am not asking for promises guarantees or an assignment any more
I really need the $
I'll pull all my posts for 100 households
You guys are funny. I sometime posts things positive about SF and all of a sudden I'm in leadership. I'm a relatively happy agent of 10 years (just got a Ping Putter for the effort). I course I don't have your contract and glad for it. Cmon, I've already told you in other posts that I have nothing to do with management. Turned it down three times now. So, to answer your questions.....I have no clue
I am on page 7 of this. Great information. Any SF agents ever implement cold call prospecting, cold walking, referrals, etc. to a large degree? So far, the answer sounds like a resounding 'No'. It seems like a lot of money is spent on the same kind of marketing that Coca Cola and Microsoft can afford to do - branding and other high cost approaches. And the some of the core products are insurance people typically must own like Auto...
Am I missing something? Nearly everything I receive from a company that is not a statement I need to review or a valuable coupon I am already on the look out for goes straight to recycling.
I would love to hear some contrast on the typical approach State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, etc. are using vs. independent agents/advisors vs. the mutual life insurance companies like Northwestern, MassMutual, and New York Life.
Last edited by Hollywood : 08-28-2009 at 11:26 PM.
Hollywood thats a great question and I'd be interested to hear the answer of this question as well.
In my opinion State farm agents are expected and required to participate in these necessary evils...especially at the beginning in the tica stage. spend large amounts of money on branding items and giveaways and post cards that will almost automatically go into the recycling bin.
I would think the simplistic answer to this is the agent that stays hungry and markets door to door, is constantly talking to people and meeting people and asking for referrals and thinking outside of the box like an indy agent would do, would do obviously better than the agent that just follows the SF basic marketing strategy of branding and sending out millions of post card over the timeline of the agency.
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And greenboy,caliban or legion if your out there send me a PM...I'd like to be able to get a hold of you guru's in the future..
Someone needs to start a private forum for the captive agents, where they can go free of tyranny
Last edited by infoe : 08-29-2009 at 01:39 AM.
Reason: Posts merged
.....Someone needs to start a private forum for the captive agents, where they can go free of tyranny
There is already a forum that believes in anonymity. In fact it is a cardinal rule on Topgunproducers.com. Anonymity can be very important for RRs and captives.
Ned... Ryerson. "Needlenose Ned"? "Ned the Head"? C'mon, buddy. Case Western High. Ned Ryerson: I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing! Ned Ryerson: got the shingles real bad senior year, almost didn't graduate? Bing, again. Ned Ryerson: I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple times until you told me not to anymore? Well?
I am currently pursuing a State Farm opportunity as well. So far, I have made it past their LIMRA 'screen' and they are doing the background check. I received a call today about my credit. Everything is perfect except a disputed medical bill from 2001 for $300. I was told that it had to be resolved or it was a deal breaker (assuming there is a deal here in the first place).
Otherwise, I am waiting for a DVD packet to come in the mail and provide more information?
It does seem like the process is a long one so far...
I'm taking the LIMRA screen tomorrow. I met with a recruiter last week. Sadly, as I expected, my credit is going to wash me out. I am an airline pilot that has been furloughed (16 mos on the street) from two different airlines in the last 7 years. My credit since 2001 has taken some major hits that will take years to correct. Seems a persons integrity is now measured by whats in the wallet instead of whats in the soul. I am looking for a new start with more control over my fate. I would still like to pursue a "team member" position and my recruiter has offered to help find a position. Could anyone give some specifics on what average base salaries are and how much I could expect from commissions. Thanks in advance.
Ned... Ryerson. "Needlenose Ned"? "Ned the Head"? C'mon, buddy. Case Western High. Ned Ryerson: I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing! Ned Ryerson: got the shingles real bad senior year, almost didn't graduate? Bing, again. Ned Ryerson: I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple times until you told me not to anymore? Well?
lol classic....groundhog day, completely forgot about that insurance guy...
So what, did ya get a gun pointed at your head or did you get that extra assignment you were looking for?
I'm taking the LIMRA screen tomorrow. I met with a recruiter last week. Sadly, as I expected, my credit is going to wash me out. I am an airline pilot that has been furloughed (16 mos on the street) from two different airlines in the last 7 years. My credit since 2001 has taken some major hits that will take years to correct. Seems a persons integrity is now measured by whats in the wallet instead of whats in the soul. I am looking for a new start with more control over my fate. I would still like to pursue a "team member" position and my recruiter has offered to help find a position. Could anyone give some specifics on what average base salaries are and how much I could expect from commissions. Thanks in advance.
I was a State Farm Team member and I don't know for sure that what I was making was average, but I will share my experiences in an attempt to save you some misery.
I made $12 an hour plus bonuses. I made a 2% bonus on P&C and 5% on life. I was working for a TICA agent and it was miserable. He was gung ho about everyone working 5 days every week plus half a Saturday every other week. I wouldn't have minded if my average week didn't look like this so he could have me there in the evenings without paying me overtime.
M W 8-8
T T 9-12
F 8-4
Seriously, give me full days off or pay me overtime. I would have a conversation with the agent and we would come to an agreement. Later in the week the lady from AFO would come in and tell him that I was being lazy and uncommitted so he would call me in his office and yell at me for my lack of dedication which got him one of my "don't yell at me because you lack the spine necessary to defend your decisions to the boss" speeches. The same lady actually came into my office during my lunch break and starting chewing me a new one because I wasn't working while I ate. You will be constantly micromanaged by the agent and by people you don't even technically work for.
You can make so much more money being independent and be much less miserable. I will give you an example using my life insurance as an example. I bought a 20 Year Term policy from State Farm for $100k for $25 a month. I made $15. Now if I sell myself a similar policy I will pay $13 a month and make $140. If you assume you spend around 4 hours on the phone searching for a prospect and then selling them this product you made about $65 (including a $12 per hour wage) with SF. Even if you assume that you spent $40 in expenses trying to get that client you still made $35 more on that client. And depending on your sales goals you can either start calling more people or take the rest of the day off. At SF they will tell you your sales goals and you will be staying the rest of the day even if means calling back the no answers you just got when trying to reach that sale you just made (They are big fans of busy work and calling back to back until you get an answer even if just makes the prospect feel harassed)
Basically, you are going to do the work of an agent. You won't, however, be allowed to call yourself an agent . (which I just found demeaning and insulting, not to mention confusing to the customer) Even if you eventually become an agent you won't make as much as you would as an independent agent and you won't own your book of business.
You can spend the rest of your working life pursuing your financial goals or you can spend the rest of your working life helping State Farm get richer. Either way I hope you enjoy yourself and make the best of it.
I was a State Farm Team member and I don't know for sure that what I was making was average, but I will share my experiences in an attempt to save you some misery.
I made $12 an hour plus bonuses. I made a 2% bonus on P&C and 5% on life. I was working for a TICA agent and it was miserable. He was gung ho about everyone working 5 days every week plus half a Saturday every other week. I wouldn't have minded if my average week didn't look like this so he could have me there in the evenings without paying me overtime.
M W 8-8
T T 9-12
F 8-4
Seriously, give me full days off or pay me overtime. I would have a conversation with the agent and we would come to an agreement. Later in the week the lady from AFO would come in and tell him that I was being lazy and uncommitted so he would call me in his office and yell at me for my lack of dedication which got him one of my "don't yell at me because you lack the spine necessary to defend your decisions to the boss" speeches. The same lady actually came into my office during my lunch break and starting chewing me a new one because I wasn't working while I ate. You will be constantly micromanaged by the agent and by people you don't even technically work for.
You can make so much more money being independent and be much less miserable. I will give you an example using my life insurance as an example. I bought a 20 Year Term policy from State Farm for $100k for $25 a month. I made $15. Now if I sell myself a similar policy I will pay $13 a month and make $140. If you assume you spend around 4 hours on the phone searching for a prospect and then selling them this product you made about $65 (including a $12 per hour wage) with SF. Even if you assume that you spent $40 in expenses trying to get that client you still made $35 more on that client. And depending on your sales goals you can either start calling more people or take the rest of the day off. At SF they will tell you your sales goals and you will be staying the rest of the day even if means calling back the no answers you just got when trying to reach that sale you just made (They are big fans of busy work and calling back to back until you get an answer even if just makes the prospect feel harassed)
Basically, you are going to do the work of an agent. You won't, however, be allowed to call yourself an agent . (which I just found demeaning and insulting, not to mention confusing to the customer) Even if you eventually become an agent you won't make as much as you would as an independent agent and you won't own your book of business.
You can spend the rest of your working life pursuing your financial goals or you can spend the rest of your working life helping State Farm get richer. Either way I hope you enjoy yourself and make the best of it.
What you made certainly isn't average, or should I say, not average for a top producer. You sound very ignorant to assume that your experience represents a broad range of agents. Sounds like you worked for someone that didn't know anymore than you. My sales guys make $60k+. And they shouldn't be called a SF agent, because they aren't. They are insurance agents however.
My guy also works all kind of hours and never gripes about overtime because he is producing and GETTING PAID. People like you that "whine" about hours and watch the clock tick will never make it working for yourself. Don't know how long you been out of the SF "sweat factory" but I'm sure you're knocking it dead somewhere where your talent can truly be appreciated.
P.S. The same policy that you sold and got paid $15, the agent made a hundred bucks on it over time without doing anything but giving you a computer (which he didn't pay for). Man, I love agency.......
Here is a ringer for you.... Enjoy the read and I hope I can get some good advice:
A little background about myself, if you don't mind. I have a MSE in Industrial Applications Engineering from CalPoly SLO, an MBA from UCI, served 4 years in the US Army 2nd Armored 4th Mechanized Calvary SSG2, and have 5 patents in thermoplastic conveyance and molecularity. Been in business for 20 years as a General Contractor/Engineer for Fortune 500 companies and one massive Nightclub (40 acres of land and a 50k sq ft. Bar) and have made millions....
And I am only 34 years of age....
And thanks to Madoff, a bit of Code 770 and other insurance frauds committed against me, youthful inexperience, and a really nasty divorce... I am broke, not quite bankrupted, but fairly impoverished. My professional status has been tainted as is my strong reputation. I have lost everything and anything "not bolted to the floor" or my clenched fist in a matter of weeks beginning the economic crisis.
Anyways, I now have an opportunity to rebuild my life, and maybe my wealth, with State Farm. But, my circumstance is quite unique and would like some insight from you generous folks in this forum. I feel confident I may be sent off into the right direction after reading most of what is written here.
I just started in insurance for the very first time, in late June of this year without any prior experience other than as a policyholder (and I have paid millions in liability insurance over the years). I currently now have an SSA agreement with SF, have all relevant licenses required including a Series 6, and I have enrolled into American College for a CLU and CPCU designation due to be completed in December. I have started the TICA Program and have networked and aligned myself quite successfully with most State Farm Underwriters, DAFOs, AFOs, AFEs, and Claims Dept within a 150 mile radius. My unique situation and opportunity is all thanks to my Stepfather of 15 years that has been a SF Agent for well over 5 Decades now and remains under the first contract he ever agreed to endorse... in the 50's
He is an old dog and is truly convinced he can and will pass his entire book of business, the office, and commence to grandfather into his original contract.... me.
By all of your experiences, what do you think I should expect?
Will his contract from the Stepford Era be honored by SF?
Or shall I just become a Surplus Lines Broker?
Last edited by FromBarMagnate2InsMan : 09-03-2009 at 11:52 PM.
Re: Becoming a State Farm Agent
Or were those guys made an offer they could not refuse.
Hi. . . I'm new here. . . 
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