FMO's

[flow6]

Hello everyone!
I am new to this site and am a fairly new agent (one and a half years in the field) I am an independent agent working under an FMO mostly selling Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage plans, Annuities, Life and Long-term Care.
I am not happy with my FMO. Although I have had good training in the field that has lead me to be able to go out and sell on my own; I've found that there is a lot of favoritism in the office. There is also too much gossip and talk that I'm not comfortable with that tends to go on. I don't feel that leads are being distributed fairly. And now of felt like I have to pull teeth to get answers or any kind of help.
My question is, Do I really need an FMO?
Can I do this job on my own and if so, how do I go about doing it?
I'd appreciate all good advice!
Thank you in advance

 

[goillini52]

Hello everyone!
I am new to this site and am a fairly new agent (one and a half years in the field) I am an independent agent working under an FMO mostly selling Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage plans, Annuities, Life and Long-term Care.
I am not happy with my FMO. Although I have had good training in the field that has lead me to be able to go out and sell on my own; I've found that there is a lot of favoritism in the office. There is also too much gossip and talk that I'm not comfortable with that tends to go on. I don't feel that leads are being distributed fairly. And now of felt like I have to pull teeth to get answers or any kind of help.
My question is, Do I really need an FMO?
Can I do this job on my own and if so, how do I go about doing it?
I'd appreciate all good advice!
Thank you in advance

The only thing you need an FMO for is to get contracts through. Some carriers will let you contract direct. As long as you as you don't need your hand held, go independent. If they won't release you, there're plenty of good carriers you can contract with. You don't need the FMO you've got.

 

[Newby]

Hello everyone! I am new to this site and am a fairly new agent (one and a half years in the field) I am an independent agent working under an FMO mostly selling Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage plans, Annuities, Life and Long-term Care. I am not happy with my FMO. Although I have had good training in the field that has lead me to be able to go out and sell on my own; I've found that there is a lot of favoritism in the office. There is also too much gossip and talk that I'm not comfortable with that tends to go on. I don't feel that leads are being distributed fairly. And now of felt like I have to pull teeth to get answers or any kind of help. My question is, Do I really need an FMO? Can I do this job on my own and if so, how do I go about doing it? I'd appreciate all good advice! Thank you in advance

If you are a self starter you don't need an office environment. My advice is to select one portion of the industry you like best. It might be Med sups and Advantage. It might be Annuities. It might be Final Expense Life. Find an Upline (FMO) that is at the top of the game with that niche. And go with them and use all the resources they have to offer. It's very unlikely that same FMO is going to be the top player in you other niches. So select other top players for that part of your biz because you will cross sell. Your main FMO should be able to refer you to the others. This is how an independent agent works.

Laser focus on one thing. Cross sell as the opportunities present them self.

 

[Jerard]

I agree with the Silly Monkey, if you don't need hand holding then uplines are as useful as boobs on a bull. As an agent you can call any company for any help and information you need.

Some life companies that will contract you directly:

Settlers
Oxford
Security National
Federal Life

There are others but these are the ones that come to mind. I realize this is in a health section but since you also sell life I thought I'd mention them.

 

[goillini52]

I agree with the Silly Monkey, if you don't need hand holding then uplines are as useful as boobs on a bull. As an agent you can call any company for any help and information you need.

Some life companies that will contract you directly:

Settlers
Oxford
Security National
Federal Life

There are others but these are the ones that come to mind. I realize this is in a health section but since you also sell life I thought I'd mention them.

You can add Standard Life & Accident and Assurant that contract direct.

I use several FMO's to get contracts through, but they have nothing to say about how I operate. The only time I even have communication with them is if I have a question(which is almost never), or if they send info on new carriers/products. To each his own, but I won't have anything to do with a FMO that has any restrictions or has a say about how I roll.

 

[flow6]

Thank you for the reply s.
I know I have a lot to learn but am willing to put in the effort.

Like I mentioned in my first thread, I am basicly on my own. Meaning I need little if any " hand holding" at this time. Although, I could certainly use some help at pitching a Annuity lol

I am appointed with about 5 supplemental plans that I believe are good. My guess is if and when I go independent I will always have them.
My only concerns are that I am also able to write several good Medicare Advantage plans and am wondering if they will take me if I leave my FMO. (Coventry, geisinger gold and highmark to name a few)
My FMO also deals through a company called Ritter Insurance Marketing.
If I go independent will Ritter still deal with me?

----------

I also am also concerned about getting leads.
Will I be able to do my own/get my own direct mail leads? (My preference)
I've used Ensureme in the past to get leads and though I had some luck with them during AEP, the rest of the year I found to be a waist of my time and money.
Is there a good company out there that deals with direct mail leads that I would be able to use?

 

[goillini52]

Thank you for the reply s.
I know I have a lot to learn but am willing to put in the effort.

Like I mentioned in my first thread, I am basicly on my own. Meaning I need little if any " hand holding" at this time. Although, I could certainly use some help at pitching a Annuity lol

I am appointed with about 5 supplemental plans that I believe are good. My guess is if and when I go independent I will always have them.
My only concerns are that I am also able to write several good Medicare Advantage plans and am wondering if they will take me if I leave my FMO. (Coventry, geisinger gold and highmark to name a few)
My FMO also deals through a company called Ritter Insurance Marketing.
If I go independent will Ritter still deal with me?

----------

I also am also concerned about getting leads.
Will I be able to do my own/get my own direct mail leads? (My preference)
I've used Ensureme in the past to get leads and though I had some luck with them during AEP, the rest of the year I found to be a waist of my time and money.
Is there a good company out there that deals with direct mail leads that I would be able to use?

Ritter is an FMO. Call them and ask them about your situation. Ritter offers many carriers, so even if you can't get a release on the one's you've got now there're plenty. They also have lead programs.

As far as needing help with annuities, contact Tahoe Ray on the Forum. He's an FMO and is willing to help you on prospects.

 

[TwiLight]

Ritter is an FMO. Call them and ask them about your situation. Ritter offers many carriers, so even if you can't get a release on the one's you've got now there're plenty. They also have lead programs.

As far as needing help with annuities, contact Tahoe Ray on the Forum. He's an FMO and is willing to help you on prospects.

Ritter will require him to get a release before side stepping an agent.....

Being with Ritter already makes me think he is with an agency and not a true FMO..... Maybe only a General Agent with Highmark BlueSheild in PA, thus the close relation with Ritter (also in PA).

Ritter does not normally give out contracts with higher than Street.... They Bonus instead.... So the OP commission already has to be very low to start where he/she is at.

 

[flow6]

Sorry about the confusion.
Yes ritter is the fmo
But I work with a group of agents.
I assumed the group was my fmo.
Like I said I'm new. Lol
It's the group I have the issue with.
I won't mention who they are and it doesn't matter.
My concern is going at it on my own. I know it will be hard but I'm seriously considering it

 

[goillini52]

Ritter will require him to get a release before side stepping an agent.....

Being with Ritter already makes me think he is with an agency and not a true FMO..... Maybe only a General Agent with Highmark BlueSheild in PA, thus the close relation with Ritter (also in PA).

Ritter does not normally give out contracts with higher than Street.... They Bonus instead.... So the OP commission already has to be very low to start where he/she is at.

I only mentioned that about Ritter because he was already dealing with them. I don't have anything with them. I checked them out a few years ago and their commissions seemed on the low side.