Equita Vs Fexcontracting Vs FEAgentMentor Vs Theinsurancesquad?

[Toranaga]

I am the best work with me.

Thread winner!!!

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Mods - I just logged in to search something before an appointment. I saw the title of the thread but do not have time to read it till this evening. Having a pretty good idea where this will end up Please do not delete it. Fight Club is lacking in good reading material.

Runner up!!!!!!

 

[Prtzl]

I read spur city wrote 500k in a year. I didn't believe it at first but seems that many validated it so must be true. How much production have you done and what levels do you consider "successful"

I mean no disrespect to SpurCity -- being a successful agent doesn't necessarily translate into being a great mentor. This is why many "great" athletes don't necessarily make great coaches..

Again- no disrespect and I'm sure SpurC is a very good mentor. Just making the distinction between being a top level producer vs top level mentor..

 

[Newby]

I actually appreciate the extensive post - but a few things seems odd.

1 - If Tim Winders has a company 'allegedly' selling old leads as new, how do you square that business practice with being 100% honest? Admittedly I'm probably missing something here - I don't understand 'why' you have to be 'under' Tim(anyone) to sell a Trans policy?

I don't know about how Tims agency runs their leads. We don't have anything to do with that. I know Josh Jones had an issue with them several years ago which Travis resolved. we haven't had anything to do with their leads since then. We have our own lead program. I've had some agents transfer to us from YIG that ran their leads for a couple of years and loved them. I've had another agent that recently signed on with us that swears he has absolute proof that another one of the four forum agencies is selling him and others resold leads at $31 each. I don't know what the truth is but I know he is 100% convinced. But none of that has anything to do with us.

2 - I read your 'Intro' on your website and one of the things your company says to "stay clear" from are those who offer "multiple" things to sell and are not FE 100%. It specifies "annuities" as one of those "other things" to sell but you in fact sell them as well. Again, I'm probably missing something here. The obvious answer is these are supplemental to the FE but still .. it sounds like there's a lot more than FE with Fex. Which is probably a very good thing. Should the "Intro" on your website specify when "not" to stay clear of an agency that offers "everything under the sun?"

We are laser focused on FE. That is the beauty of our agency. There probably isn't an agency with more of a laser focus. And we have always preached hard to ONLY do one thing until you are killing it with that. But once an agent is good he will run into cross sales without even trying. We have the knowledge and experience to walk agents through sales they aren't familiar with. Sometimes that involves using our products that we already have. Other times I guide them to outside products with people who are top producers there. I've used Jeff Root for years for term cases for instance. I use strategic partners to have experts where we need them. The Jack of all Trades agencies don't do anything like what we do. They always contract an agent with UHL and MOO and say go get em Tiger!

3 - The whole down line thing was refreshing to here that Fex doesn't rely on multi level structure but at the same time there is definitely "that down line" set up with your company. Would you say it's, again, not your focus but your company is multi level like all the rest-you just do "it" differently?

Nope. We are not involved in multi-level recruiting with our FexContracting agents. Here is the difference. Agencies that do that crap not only allow recruiting but promote it as the way to get rich. That stuff is crap. Agents who come to us are direct to us and their commission levels are posted right on our website for all to see. No one is ever 5-points down because he got there a week after his upline like those agencies do.
Our main agency is National Underwriting Service. We have broker agents under that agency that are not a part of FexContracting. Many of those are referred to us by the carriers. We may have Oxford or Trinity or Settlers or KSKJ refer an agency to us that needs to contract. We give it to them. We have no more control over what they do that Winders would have with us. It's just a contract that leverages our commission levels. We also do have a number of funeral homes that have their agencies set up under us. Their agents are usually licensed only. That's none of our business. We are just an upline contract for them. Their agents did not come to FexContracting they went to work for that funeral home owner.
If we have one of our own high producers come to us and wants to put an agent under him we have no problem IF he has strong production himself and has bumped up contracts so he can put the agent at our contract levels either initially or after a short ramp up period. We only have a couple that even want to do that. Recruiting on a small scale is not profitable.
Where we are different is that when agents want to recruit downlines and they aren't even successful themself (this comes up every week) I first talk reality to them which works for the smart ones. If that doesn't work I ask them to find another agency. This shocks the hell out of them every time but I don't want this agent who is still asking me basic questions to have some victimized downline under the FexContracting brand. It's not good for anyone and those agents will go broke and roll up debt 100% of the time.

For the record, I am not involved in the FE industry - so I'm not trolling in any way. If my questions seem self evident to answer that's only because I'm not familiar with the business.

I appreciate that.

So, you are multi level, you do offer many more insurance options other than FE, and your company is hitched to YIG - regardless of any alleged wrong doings with falsifying lead status?

again I wouldn't associate us as multi-level because our agents are direct to us. But the industry is set up where all agencies do have uplines. We just choose to be transparent with ours where most do not.
Hitched to YIG is not a term I would use. Tim has a Huge TransAmerica contract. We had it under EFES before him. Tim is an agent that Travis trained that is a great guy and offered us a bump up that is higher than EFES has themself (or did at that time. ) In addition we put value on rewarding producers rather than your standard recruiters. Tim is a producer and is/was TransAmerica's top producer in the US for several years. That's a guy who can probably teach me something about working with Trans.

Now compare that with the uplines of the other forum agencies (360, Todd, EFES) . First of all you don't even get to know who you are under because those agencies don't like their agents to know. But we all know. And they have much more gossip and baggage than Tim's. Do google searches on One Life and Amerilife and others and report back to me.

But the bottom line is our agency is FexContracting. It doesn't affect our agents in any way who our contract is through and those things change anyway. We have shuffled contracts around several times. Never had an agent that was affected or gave a ****. Many of you here on the forum have contracts under me and don't even know it. Do I affect you in any way. At one time both 360 and Todd had their 5-Star contracts under me. Did that mean I controlled what they did? No. It was just a contract. They had to be somewhere.

I was urged to dig more on Tim Winders so I did and like anyone I guess, there's two sides to his legend status. This actually revolves around Multi level Marketing/FE. Allegedly an up line/company as the power to release you of your services and retain all of 'your' work/clients renewals. Allegedly there was a sever mix up with Mr. Winders and some other high producing agents. They allegedly, pulled the rug out from underneath them and guess who keeps the business...?

Don't believe everything you get in private messages. As long as you don't assign commissions no one can steal anything unless you roll up debt and owe them money.
I've heard versions of the story that there was a group of captive telemarketers under a forum regular that were on real low commissions with free leads. They were shopping their contracts around and getting ready to jump ship.

The version I heard was that Tim brought them on to YIG but at first didn't know that they were already three levels down under YIG. If that's true I agree. He should never have done that. But I heard basically the same story about one of the forum agencies (EFES, 360 or Todd) last month. A high producing agent was under one of their managers (we'll call him Boomer) and was not happy with him for whatever reason. So he was checking around and found FexContracting. He decides to come on with us. But the agency owner (we'll call him Broadrick) HATES to release agents to us. So he moved Boomer's agent to a different manager (we'll call him Spin City) against Boomer's wishes plus bumped the agent's commissions up to match our posted commissions. Isn't this exactly the same thing? Where is the scandal police on this one.

I guess my question is - regardless of who you're "under" - if person XYZ is acting deceivingly and ruining families by wrecking their financial stability, but getting away with it using a "loop hole" - how can you be "transparent/honest" if the company's still hitched to the evil wielding wagon? Are you not able to sell Trans anymore if you leave Tim Winders? If so, that seems odd.

I don't know about any "acting deceivingly" or "ruining families" or drama that you speak of. No one that you know has a direct contract with Trans. Show me any agency that has our contract level and a less scandalous upline than Winders and I'll move mine right over. Believe me, Winders is a choir boy compared to the others.

For the record, I listened to Tim interview and I was wondering why he was fixated on selling Trans - now I know why. And I say this again--for the 1200th time - these are allegations-word on the street(google) etc. Can't you sell Trans without him?

Sure. We can do anything we want. Who do you prefer? Do you think Todd, EFES or 360 are direct to Trans? Do you think there is less baggage with their upline? Do you think it's better to just not even tell the agents who they are under? Seems to work better for you doesn't it?

To be very open/blunt - FE seems shifty. All I hear about with whomever I'v communicated with via telephone call, emails, PM(not just on this forum) everyone talks about how FE is infested with unethical, $$$ stealing shysters. This very post was about how with the exception of the four(which is an odd statement) 90% plus FE companies are thieves and liars.
FE and many parts of the insurance and financial industry are full of slime balls. Doesn't mean YOU or ME have to be that way. I've made my fortune selling in my hometown with 1,000s of happy customers. My home phone number is still listed in my local phone book and I don't get any irate phone calls. So I have to think this business can still be profitable to ethical and honest people. But it does attract a LOT of scum.

How can anyone promote this niche with this type of reputation. I'v learned it's a small world in FE and I'm almost 100% positive that everyone - everyone has skeleton's in their closets selling or setting up FE agency.
The niche is not unethical just because some people may be. I'm mainly a desk jockey these days but over the last few years most of my business comes from referrals calling in to me from my base. How would that happen if people were not happy with what I do? It wouldn't. What business are you in that has no dirt bags? I'd love to hear about it. The dirt bags don't affect what honest people do.

Battling personal "demons" and making personal mistakes is one thing-we've all done wrong in our lives - some with more serious consequences than others - but setting up an entire business that's sole purpose is to take advantage of it's agents and clients is a sad sad commentary on the FE industry as a whole.
I've had a life that would seem pretty boring to many people. I'm not a risk taker and haven't had to ever deal with "personal demons" that I know of. The advantage of being boring is that I'm rock solid. My business has always been to help people get a better value on insurance that they qualify for. There is no version of what I do that takes advantage of clients or agents. I have saved MANY agents from bad situations. My website that I created, I made at a time when there was no honest information available to agents like that. You can't believe the feedback I have always gotten through that information on that site. Today there are a number of them and some much slicker than mine.

Again, just because there are many scum balls in the insurance industry doesn't mean you or I have to be one.

It's becoming more and more evident why insurance agents who are not in FE view this niche in such an unflattering way.

And many times we view them the same way. Some of them anyway. There are dirt balls in every part of the financial industry. Working with more affluent people doesn't make you saintly or superior.

I don't know - It's a market that's only going to grow, great product in the most important time of need with great $$ potential -- all sounds good.. but there's this other side to FE that churns your stomach.

What is that side exactly? Is this the info from the gossip girls PMing again?

Anyway, I don't expect an answer to any of my questions.. I did enjoy reading the post.

I actually enjoy clarifying your questions. Bottom line is, honest people don't hide behind PMs. Honest people are pretty open book.

I'll say again that the agencies that are active on this forum are top of the top. They don't stick around here long if they are doing bad stuff. None of us are perfect and there will always be an agent here or there that didn't find us to be his ideal spot. But the beauty is that he can easily move on and set up camp at the next place. I'm very proud of who we are, what we've built and the reputation we have in the industry both with agents and with the insurance companies.


Cheers...

Cheers to you too. Have a great day.

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Sounds like you try to paint your agency as something different yet here we are discovering you all do the EXACT same thing everyone does lol

Not even close. See above ^^^

 

[NSRH]

You missed my point. Hacks was referring to agents recruiting with the promise of training, whose "success" is suspect. There have been a couple in the last couple years that EFES allowed to carry their flag on here that I hated to see.

I would not have even posted in this thread, but it is important to point out, that other than being in the same market (Final Expense) EFES is very different than FEXcontracting.com and 360.

That is why we can all get along... Each organization has different strong suits in-which the contracting agent has to consider and determine what is important for them.

All organizations are funded from Mildred's monthly premium that was generated from her kitchen table, with a carrier of the agents choosing... How it gets whacked up, and how much the agent thinks they deserve is up to the agent.

TT

A hack is someone that is politically biased and more interested in pleasing a group of people than by sticking by their own convictions.

I believe you've used the word "hack" incorrectly in this context.

My comment was specifically geared towards the hack that FEX has on here doing all there dirty work, much like a political party would.

I have no reason to believe that FEXContracting isnt one of the best IMO's in the country, other than the fact you have a hack who comes on here and bashes many for no reason. He is classless, vulgar, unprofessional, and has been caught in many lies. I believe that is an extremely poor look for your brand. Especially if he is one of the best you got.

Moreover, the thought process of this hack and how he recommends picking an IMO is counterproductive to FEX. You see, Matt and Doug write more business than anyone else on this forum, and they train agents. Using the philosophy that the FEX hack spews around here, FEX would not be a viable choice for agents.

Couple that with some discrepancies that your partner and you are sharing about your organization in this thread, and the deafening silence from the biggest critic on this forum (who writes all his business through you) should give many agents pause in my humble opinion.

I believe there are MANY difference between your organization and other IMOs, class being the biggest one.

Now, Ill wait for your lap dog to come out and prove my point.

 

[Newby]

I read spur city wrote 500k in a year. I didn't believe it at first but seems that many validated it so must be true. How much production have you done and what levels do you consider "successful"

What Spur has done is impressive. He's definitely one of the good ones.

I've never done those kind of numbers with FE only. I absolutely have with multiple products. But I never tracked sales numbers. I track income numbers. And my income numbers have renewals included. I also brought my wife into my business several years ago and our sales and income is all paid to our corporation.

I'll tell you this much I've slowed down now but I have paid more than six figures in taxes annually off personal production several years. That's as close as I'm going to give you but you have to be doing a lot of business to pay that in taxes after all deductions.

This business has been very good to me.

As far as FE production. That's always been tracked in a strange way to me. It's apps taken, not issued/paid/minus chargebacks. That's always seemed kind of BSey to me but it is the standard that all FE agents go by.

In Spur's case, it's obvious that he does huge production because of the multiple company trips he wins. He's a real deal agent. I know Doug was real with his 5-Star numbers too. I was in his upline at one point and 5-Star never completely separated those 360 agents so I saw all his sales reports. He did the numbers. Duggers numbers are real too and he really does only take 10-leads per week which is impressive. But most agents on here BS their numbers by around 300%. It's funny knowing the backstory on many of them.

Hitting those huge FE numbers is impressive and great for recruiting. But it's not a long term plan. Spur has said he will never do it again. I think Doug has too. You burn out. And if you think your upline can hit $500,000 in production and still answer ever downline agent's call ... well OK. So it's great that they have done it. They will always have it. But a long time sustainable model is what most agents are seeking.

The guys who can write between $200,000 to $250,000 every year and do it year after year without burning out are more the goal for us. They can do this with way fewer leads and way fewer days in the field and have a very enjoyable life balance. Travis stresses this to our agents. You don't live to work. Work is just to give you a lifestyle 2nd to none.

I Believe that our agency has more $200,000 producers than any other FE agency that I'm aware of. Could be wrong. And we have a lot of $100,000 plus producers which used to give bragging rights on the forum a few years ago now that's just an average agent.

But the goal for everyone needs to be income in your checkbook AFTER all expenses and a lifestyle that you love and can do year after year. I think we've knocked it out of the park in that area. Less flashy but it works for me.

 

[goillini52]

A hack is someone that is politically biased and more interested in pleasing a group of people than by sticking by their own convictions.

I believe you've used the word "hack" incorrectly in this context.

My comment was specifically geared towards the hack that FEX has on here doing all there dirty work, much like a political party would.

I have no reason to believe that FEXContracting isnt one of the best IMO's in the country, other than the fact you have a hack who comes on here and bashes many for no reason. He is classless, vulgar, unprofessional, and has been caught in many lies. I believe that is an extremely poor look for your brand. Especially if he is one of the best you got.

Moreover, the thought process of this hack and how he recommends picking an IMO is counterproductive to FEX. You see, Matt and Doug write more business than anyone else on this forum, and they train agents. Using the philosophy that the FEX hack spews around here, FEX would not be a viable choice for agents.

Couple that with some discrepancies that your partner and you are sharing about your organization in this thread, and the deafening silence from the biggest critic on this forum (who writes all his business through you) should give many agents pause in my humble opinion.

I believe there are MANY difference between your organization and other IMOs, class being the biggest one.

Now, Ill wait for your lap dog to come out and prove my point.

You're still here Hackim? I thought JD ran your ass out of town.

 

[BibH]

Spot on. Doing $200k with 50 leads a week is not making much money. The key word you said is burn out. Thats why most of the top producers on here recruit. Its impossible to keep huge #'s yr in yr out without sacrificing either your sanity or health. I think a very under talked about item on here is windshield time. The amount of driving can we tough at times.

 

[jdeasy]

A hack is someone that is politically biased and more interested in pleasing a group of people than by sticking by their own convictions.

I believe you've used the word "hack" incorrectly in this context.

My comment was specifically geared towards the hack that FEX has on here doing all there dirty work, much like a political party would.

I have no reason to believe that FEXContracting isnt one of the best IMO's in the country, other than the fact you have a hack who comes on here and bashes many for no reason. He is classless, vulgar, unprofessional, and has been caught in many lies. I believe that is an extremely poor look for your brand. Especially if he is one of the best you got.

Moreover, the thought process of this hack and how he recommends picking an IMO is counterproductive to FEX. You see, Matt and Doug write more business than anyone else on this forum, and they train agents. Using the philosophy that the FEX hack spews around here, FEX would not be a viable choice for agents.

Couple that with some discrepancies that your partner and you are sharing about your organization in this thread, and the deafening silence from the biggest critic on this forum (who writes all his business through you) should give many agents pause in my humble opinion.

I believe there are MANY difference between your organization and other IMOs, class being the biggest one.

Now, Ill wait for your lap dog to come out and prove my point.

Who are you calling a hack for FEX? There's no one here that meets your description.

But you are a known liar and a thief.

Here's some proof;

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...m-insurance-marketing-joke-beware-t30017.html

 

[goillini52]

Who are you calling a hack for FEX? There's no one here that meets your description.

But you are a known liar and a thief.

Here's some proof;

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...m-insurance-marketing-joke-beware-t30017.html

You spelled his name wrong JD...........it's Hackim.


Say, did any of those agents get their money back.....or did they all get :bump:

 

[Newby]

A hack is someone that is politically biased and more interested in pleasing a group of people than by sticking by their own convictions.

I believe you've used the word "hack" incorrectly in this context.

My comment was specifically geared towards the hack that FEX has on here doing all there dirty work, much like a political party would.

I have no reason to believe that FEXContracting isnt one of the best IMO's in the country, other than the fact you have a hack who comes on here and bashes many for no reason. He is classless, vulgar, unprofessional, and has been caught in many lies. I believe that is an extremely poor look for your brand. Especially if he is one of the best you got.

Moreover, the thought process of this hack and how he recommends picking an IMO is counterproductive to FEX. You see, Matt and Doug write more business than anyone else on this forum, and they train agents. Using the philosophy that the FEX hack spews around here, FEX would not be a viable choice for agents.

Couple that with some discrepancies that your partner and you are sharing about your organization in this thread, and the deafening silence from the biggest critic on this forum (who writes all his business through you) should give many agents pause in my humble opinion.

I believe there are MANY difference between your organization and other IMOs, class being the biggest one.

Now, Ill wait for your lap dog to come out and prove my point.

Ramez you have always had an issue with me stemming back to you trying to recruit ForeThought and then Funeral Trusts and you got called out for not knowing what you were talking about. You've never taken the approach of being a producer 1st and learning what you are doing.

JD may be a little extra hard on recruiters like you. He's been the same with me at times. So what? He's one guy with strong opinions. Why does that bother you so much? YOU seem to be the one with an agenda. Why are you trying to associate me with your fight with JD? I wasn't involved. FEX wasn't involved. JD isn't FEX. He's JD. That's on you. I know your history. I didn't bring it up. Had no reason to.

You seem to have not learned much through all your struggles. I figured you dumped your old forum name and were trying to make a fresh start. Nope, same old Ramez Hakim we've all seen before. Up to your old BS.

Good luck with your phone room.