National Agents Alliance ripoff Dallas Danville Virginia

 The lead system is complex, I start with the telephone leads that are 0.15 a piece and less than 15 days old. All other leads are created from these leads, the reason the cost of these leads go up is the telemarketing dept takes over the qualifying and communicating after the 15 days. The downfall of the cheap telephone leads is they are none exclusive however, not everyone has the tenacity to go through all 100 leads and followup making the leads still valuable, just strike a connection with the person on the other line.

People like to talk about themselves, get the client talking before you ever set the appointment and you're golden.

I agree with the last responses. You Scott obviously did something wrong to not succeed. Not saying it is your fault or that you are not smart. Some people just dont make it. Stop kicking a dead horse and find your reason to succeed in life and go with it.
As far as the leads are concerned... we had an agent write a 200 thousand dollar annuity on an A3 lead. Someone didnt do their job, Scottcould that have been one of your leads that didnt close?
You guys are qouting American General, ING and Mutual of Omaha... WOW! They actually came to NAA and asked US to sell their products! In fact AG made a new product just FOR us.

You guys have fun complaining about how you have made bad decisions and how the world is out to get you.

Anyone that is looking to get into NAA, it is your choice whether you succeed or not. If you are basing your decision based on ex-agents in here then I would suggest talking to someone that has been in NAA for 3 or 4 months and see what they believe.

Not everyone can make it in every industry which as you can see with the mortgage market their lies have caught up to them.

Your whole report is pure speculation, "What if?"

I joined NAA about 1 1/2 years ago and they were just switching to the web based lead system. Before that I thought the same thing was possible but did not find it plausable seeing as how the leads agents buy are from all over the country. None the less, the web based system sends leads automatically to your "Lead Manager" on your web page. You can now even recieve leads via email as soon as a prospective client submits their request online! This is a fantastic organization with top notch leadership and integrity. This is a business that you can start for yourself for the cost of an Insurance Producers license and I think it is a fantastic way out of the rat race. Don't get me wrong, it is not easy but, it is very real.
Hard/smart work pays well. At this company you come for the leads but, you stay for the leadership.

I can't believe I sat and read all of this and see no clear case of a rip off of the consumer at all. I see several issues brought up but not too much in the way of facts.

Lead costs $138? Probably. Having been in business and running businesses for decades and currently a business consultant, I know that client acquisition cost is the biggest cost next most often underestimated, miscalculated or even overlooked. There is much more to costing practices than just the mailer or the ad itself. Getting it developed and out, all the "deadwood", handling all of it, fielding calls, getting it through the channels, etc... until it finally lands in someones hands to act on it.

Taking weeks to get through multiple hands and duplicate or more agents to market to, that is insane. NAA is mishandling the lead if that is the case then in turn they are ripping off their agents by selling the same lead to more than one agent. Just like an agent needs quality leads, the company needs quality agents. If their agents are not treating the prospect correctly then get rid of the agent. Don't sell the same info to another agent and force them to compete. You just destroy yourself from within.

B leads? Worthless waste of paper and company exploitation of workers. Some of those B leads would have been A leads if properly handled and is poor employee exploitation of the company instead. There are occasional mistakes made. But if a system is set in motion that maximizes potential then mistakes will be a minimum.

I am really uncomfortable about this paying for leads routine. You are not an employee of the company if you are paying them. Leads should be supplied as a part of doing business. A company should be looking to profit from an employee's efforts and results not profit off of the employee directly out of their pockets. I am not familiar with insurance industry practice standards but somehow it seems that is more the exception than the rule from the posts above.

NAA has products which are priced more than most competitors. Some are going in and the prospect already has coverage for less. So the lead is old the product expensive and some one is doing something bettet to get there first. A hole in the NAA system obviously. But the costs are high as are the commissions so product must be priced to cover that.

It seems NAA has more cons to work for than pros. Limited product lines and carriers, some second tier carriers, outdated 60's or 70's marketing model (leads class ala the movie "The Tin Men"), High pressure Hype on Agents to "perform" and the hunt for "fresh meat". Very unprofessional and unapealling sounding.

There are people that are taking advantage of the NAA system which is clear. It is detrimental to agents, the company AND to potential customers with higher costs and less service. There needs to be a system in place to monitor and protect against this including whistle blower saftey, thorough investigations and zero tolerance with terminations whenever warranted.

If NAA reviewed their operation and made some changes it would probably be a very good program to get involved with.

This is a free market economy and other than regulatory considerations, each company must set their price to meet their profit target based on costs and production levels. Some companies will always be "expensive" but they are selling something else whether it is extra "widgets" or premo service, white glove hand holding, etc... The customer gets what they want and are happy to pay for what they get. Some care nothing about anything but bottom line and want price only. Sometimes that is not the best value sometimes it is. But it is up to the buyer to make the choice. It is up to the sales person to ethically offer their "product" and meet the buyer need usually by offering a selection of options.

From an employee perspective, NAA does not look to be the best choice and it is possible there is some "rip off" in that direction.

But other than poor service in some cases and over priced products in others, there is no rip off of the consumer going on at all from what I can see above.

For someone to be just starting, thinking about starting or "been doing it 3 weeks" or couple months. I don't think there is a lot of room to be making accusations based on short term knowledge and experience. As there are others with longer term experience and better results, there is probably something there to work towards. As in anything, you will get out what you put in. One of our nations BIGGEST problems is not the economy today, it is our work ethic on average that helped lead up to this current state of affairs. Still, for someone new getting in, just starting, or been at it a few months, etc... it seems that depending on what agency you get in under is what predicates whether you will get a fair deal or be used. THAT is the biggest problem with NAA. Just from the posts it is clear there is a leak in company operations that allows this to occur and if plugged, then there would not even be a thread floating in the webiverse like this.

I just want to say that I have been in and around the Insurance business for quite some time....I am not an agent with NAA, but NAA is as legit as anyone else....The bottom line is that they use common business practices that even our military uses for their recruiters. If they do not have the cheapest products , who cares. I am a photographer and I am by no means even trying to be the cheapest around....I want to maximize my profit in any way that i can.....Not every hard working salesman is a scammer......Some people are truly driven and sincere. I recruit high school kids and profit share with them if they get sessions set up for me, Am I a Scammer?

I would like to say that I agree about the leads as far as them not being as good as their recruiters say they are, but you are completely wrong about the way the managers distribute them. Most managers that have a larger down line have employees that actually sit there all day and pull leads and dispirse them to all the managers agents. There are a lot managers out there to help you make money. Of course the more money the agents make the more money the managers make. There are quite a few managers that have so many agents under them that they dont have to work leads. They motivate and help agents new and experienced so those agents will go out there and make as much money as they can, yet help the homeowner as well. Most of these people whether they be agents or managers are good people. You can trust them to help you.

Thats what it is all about with the NAA,to bad its not about the client's......

You've stated no ripoff at all - only the concern that one could occur. In answer to your ending question, it's a matter of logistics. With thousands of agent and tens of thousands of leads distributed weekly, NAA determine that the most efficient and effective way to distribute leads was through a hierarchy structure, so no one person or portion of the organization would be overburdened. With current technology, distributing from a single point to these thousands of agents would severely delay the distribution of leads.

This aside, most managers simply don't have the time to pull this sort of slight-of-hand. They distribute the leads the day they receive them. They're making enough money through their overrides and personal production to simply buy 40 leads if that's what they want to work from.

You've stated no ripoff at all - only the concern that one could occur. In answer to your ending question, it's a matter of logistics. With thousands of agent and tens of thousands of leads distributed weekly, NAA determine that the most efficient and effective way to distribute leads was through a hierarchy structure, so no one person or portion of the organization would be overburdened. With current technology, distributing from a single point to these thousands of agents would severely delay the distribution of leads.

This aside, most managers simply don't have the time to pull this sort of slight-of-hand. They distribute the leads the day they receive them. They're making enough money through their overrides and personal production to simply buy 40 leads if that's what they want to work from.

You've stated no ripoff at all - only the concern that one could occur. In answer to your ending question, it's a matter of logistics. With thousands of agent and tens of thousands of leads distributed weekly, NAA determine that the most efficient and effective way to distribute leads was through a hierarchy structure, so no one person or portion of the organization would be overburdened. With current technology, distributing from a single point to these thousands of agents would severely delay the distribution of leads.

This aside, most managers simply don't have the time to pull this sort of slight-of-hand. They distribute the leads the day they receive them. They're making enough money through their overrides and personal production to simply buy 40 leads if that's what they want to work from.

[I][B]"Do you personally underwrite each policy and are you licensed with every carrier in the country?"[/B][/I]

Yes I am.....

[I][B]"you don't have 'surprises' where you thought you had acurately gauged the client's health only to find out through MIB, Pharmacy records, lab results, and APS's that your client had adverse factors you weren't aware of? And what happens when you go to the client with this 'other than applied for' offer?"[/B][/I]

Why yes...just last week I had a client come back as a smoker when he was telling his wife he was a non~smoker....we reissued the policy from $500,000 to $250.000....he is going to quit and we will re~write him next year.....


[I][B]"About 60% of the time they say 'just forget it' and they don't want to reduce benefits to get back in budget. Why?"[/B][/I]

maybe your clients....not mine......95% of my clients get what they apply for and need...

[I][B]"In most businesses I've ever been involved with, the key to success, the real bottom line; is to meet or exceed client expectations and I'm doing that more often than you according to the considerable data I've observed on this very topic."[/B][/I]

Used car sales are different from insurance planning.......

[I][B]"Do you feel any sense of personal failure when a client ends up without coverage because you couldn't get them what you promised? You should."[/B][/I]

None of my clients have chosen to not take any life plan that we applied for and you want to know why.....I know what their health conditions are because I am also their health insurance agent.......

[I][B]"I've already had the experience of getting a call from someone who cancelled my non-med because they found something cheaper, but now they are panic stricken because they were declined.."[/B][/I]

So there was something in their health history that was not put on your application....in that case now you HAVE to tell your company that they were uninsurable and your company should have never issued in the first place,because Life insurance is a privilege not a right.....

[I][B]"There are statistics available on how many americans have life insurance, and how many of those have adequate coverage, but they don't keep stats on who got the rock bottom best deal."[/B][/I]

Because the NAA does not give these to you ....... Because at that point you would quit and start to do right by your client.....

I joined NAA and was overwelmed by the money that they said I could make with the company. It is true you can make money but only if you have the resources to travel every weekend. I spent a lot of money on traveling because they did not provide any local leads and the ones from out of town seemed to be quite old. The problem was the fallout. Due to being out of town, I couldnt service the clients properly and lost almost everyone of them because I couldnt see them face to face unless I flew to see them. They are big on recruiting people but not so good on helping us succeed. Also, my manager was competing with me for leads and he seemed to always have them and I did not. I wasted several months and a lot of money trying to make it work. Since then, I have started my own agency and am now successful without the travel.

Scott,

The most bang for the buck?? Do you personally underwrite each policy and are you licensed with every carrier in the country? If not, you can't possibly predict who has the most bang for the buck, and even if you could, you would not likely be licensed with them about 1/2 the time.

More to the point, are you actually going to tell me that every month you don't have "surprises" where you thought you had acurately gauged the client's health only to find out through MIB, Pharmacy records, lab results, and APS's that your client had adverse factors you weren't aware of? And what happens when you go to the client with this "other than applied for" offer?

About 60% of the time they say "just forget it" and they don't want to reduce benefits to get back in budget. Why? Because they feel judged and rejected and human nature can work against their own best interests. The sad thing is, that even in a mild case of "unadmitted or unknown health factors" where they are reduced from preferred to standard, the entire landscape changes where I can just about guarantee you that another carrier is far more favorable at standard rates. The super cheap term companies are focused on preferred health because it keeps their risk pool in line with their lower premiums and favorable claims experience.

Do you reapply with a new carrier when this happens? If not, by your own definition, you are ripping them off. If you tell me that you DO reapply with another carrier in those cases, you lose all credibility because the vast majority of clients will tell you to just foget it.

In most businesses I've ever been involved with, the key to success, the real bottom line; is to meet or exceed client expectations and I'm doing that more often than you according to the considerable data I've observed on this very topic.

Do you feel any sense of personal failure when a client ends up without coverage because you couldn't get them what you promised? You should.

I feel proud that since the introduction of life products designed specifically for new mortgage holders, that hundreds of thousands of people have coverage in force that they wouldn't otherwise have. You don't reach these people. The prices you call ripoff beat fully underwritten products from hundreds of carriers including State Farm. One year later, certainly two years later, you can't beat them with any carrier due to attained age.

I've already had the experience of getting a call from someone who cancelled my non-med because they found something cheaper, but now they are panic stricken because they were declined or rated up by the "cheaper" company and need to reinstate their plan. Obviously, the agent didn't complete the required replacement forms, and they also didn't advise their client to keep the exisiting coverage in place until they had approval on the new product.

I have a far bigger issue with that sort of behavior than I do with an agent getting their client coverage, albeit at a higher cost than a presumed best case scenario. In one case, the client even told me that the agent said "if we put that other company down, the agent is going to call and harass you into keeping the other coverage." Very professional and compliant.

For those that have issues with the direct mail that goes out for mortgage protection and call it deceiving, what do you call those rate charts you send out showing super preferred rates for a 60 year old male? As I said originally, get over yourself; you are no better than anyone else. I'm not writing such a long response just for you Scott, I'm doing this to benefit anyone else reading that may not have been exposed to a broader, more considered view of this topic.

There are statistics available on how many americans have life insurance, and how many of those have adequate coverage, but they don't keep stats on who got the rock bottom best deal. Gee, maybe that's because that is not as important in measuring the reach of the industry.

GEE it's not about how cheap it is rather than getting your client the most bang for their buck or the amount of insurance they need instead of slamming them with a low face non~med life plan so you can get paid quicker.

GEE it's not about how cheap it is rather than getting your client the most bang for their buck or the amount of insurance they need instead of slamming them with a low face non~med life plan so you can get paid quicker.

GEE it's not about how cheap it is rather than getting your client the most bang for their buck or the amount of insurance they need instead of slamming them with a low face non~med life plan so you can get paid quicker.

Wow, so much ignorance in one place!! I'll just stick to the main topics that moved me to register so I could respond.

Leads. What do you call a lead? A lead in my opinion is not the name from the courthouse, that is a suspect, not a prospect. To generate a quality lead, a person needs to respond to a solicitation that clearly explains what is being offered. When a person writes in their own hand their telephone number and the best time to call along with personal information, it's fair to say they anticipate being contacted by phone.

In essence, they are saying "I read the letter about a benefit that would pay off the mortgage if my spouse dies and I am providing all of the information you need to contact me and help me decide if I want to obtain the coverage." Anyone who thinks that's the same as any given name and phone number from an unsolicited list needs to find another career because you are destined to work yourself to the point of insanity and earn a pitiful commission check.

I've run two companies that supply direct mail leads, and I wish everyone had to do their own mail campaign for two weeks. They would finally shut up about the leads. You get what you pay for. You complain about a $2 B lead being non-exclusive? Try $12 internet leads that go to 7 agents, 2-3 of whom are in call centers and will call within 15-20 seconds, and I'm not kidding. Some people expect a lead to be a person who writes "I'm begging you to sell me something and a blank check is taped on my front door. Please let me know your favorite beverage and I'll have it ready for you. By the way, I'm a personal trainer." Grow up and get to work!

Cheap term companies. I've been in charge of monitoring the metrics of a large agency and here are the hard numbers and these are from a large pool of business, over $20M in one year, so they are accurate. The ratio of submitted to placed non-med products averaged 63% and for fully underwritten products it was a lousy 41%! These were strong carriers mind you, WCL, Banner, Liberty, AIG, ING, Ohio Nat'l and others.

Why so low? More than 30% never completed their exams. Unbelievably, many others die on the vine due to outstanding requirements that either the agent or the client didn't bother with. The average agent trying to rep 15 carriers is going to suck at all of them because he doesn't have product and underwriting depth in any of them and constantly makes errors. Yes, I know, you insurance boyscouts have them all down pat.

Let's see you try to train 60 people to be proficient with a mess like that. Someone mentioned Genworth. Are you serious?? What a nightmare! If you want to spend 1/2 of each day chasing down their mistakes and endless requirements more power to you, it will leave a lot of unattended clients for my agents to talk with. I don't know about you, but I have bills to pay and I don't make money putting in 7 hours on a $63 case that has a 50/50 chance of being approved.

If your spouse is a lawyer or doctor, you can play businessperson all you want, the rest of us have to actually maintain a viable business. To you guys that only sell fully underwritten, I'm laughing thinking about all the "I'll get back to you" lines you've heard just because the guy doesn't want to stand on the scales or doesn't want a needle stuck in his arm by someone who is a cashier by day, nurse by night. Who are you to judge him?

Even for those people that bought a non-med plan that could have qualified for a lower cost product, how many of them do you suppose got the coverage because of a mortgage protection mailer and would have never pursued insurance otherwise? If that lady's husband dies and she gets a $150,000 check and keeps her life together, do you think she cares what they were paying for that plan? If another lady's husband dies and she has no insurance, do you say "well at least you didn't buy that non-med crap?"

Whining agents. As with the rest of life, you get out what you put in. I've had guys that were masters at working over age 65 leads, others know how to put young families in permanent protection plans, others do well with OLD leads. The point is, for every person who whines about a problem, someone else has figured out how to turn that to their advantage or at least eliminate the problem.

Stop looking for someone else to hand you a jar of fairy dust that will make everything easy and look to yourself and your gray matter to figure it out for yourself. Most of the time you don't even have to do that if you are smart enough to ask questions and observe others instead of standing in the corner sucking your thumb and wondering why nothing ever works for you. Again, grow up and get to work.

Finally, it kills me how some people think if you don't sell your client the absolute cheapest thing available on the market you've ripped them off. How many things do you have in your own home that you could have gotten cheaper? How much have you paid for "branding?" How much have you paid for convenience? Does it make you an idiot? No. Does it mean you were ripped off? No. Does it make you a hypocrite? Yes.

How would you best judge the good an insurance agent has done in his/her life, by how much money they saved their clients, or by how many clients they protected against financial devastation?

"I quoted him non med at $198/mo...the underwritten was $178/mo standard & $140/mo preferred. We both thought with his health regiment he would qualify preferred. That would save him $50 a month. Well after the exam, the insurance company rated him to $438/mo due to exam results. I priced him out of the market and his wife cried because he refused the coverage. It is not that agents job to quote 'cheap' term. It is our job to get the family covered 'at the best rate'. You should also be explaining the benefits of permanent insurance along with term to let your client. You should be educating the client. That is what NAA has taught me to do and I will continue to protect families first and foremost, secondly within their budget.
Jiim"

I am sure that is the story you tell all your clients but I am not buying it.......and if it is true then yes you did screw them .....you should have been contracted with 10 more company's that would have issued him at a better rate......but as a captive NAA agent you can't so you both lose......

The accusation that has been made on the practices of this company is another classic example of a person who wants to blame anything they can for there own personal failure. I have seen this mentality over and over again ...it is weak and a sure sign of a victom/loser mentality.

Enough already about writing "Affordable" insurance. Affordable insurance is insurance someone can "qualify" for first and foremost. It is not about "guessing" your client will qualify for "preferred" or better rates. No one can "guarantee" their client a preferred or better rate. Most companies and agent's choice is to quote "cheap" term to get the client to complete an application then work with the client once they are rated or declined.

Everyone should be in the business to explain BOTH options, medical & non medical, to their clients, and explain the advantages and disadvantages to both. Then the client can make an educated decision about what they feel will fit "THEIR" needs, not the agents. I mistakenly took the route of writing underwritten all of the time because I believed it was the most affordable option. Until, I had a client's wife who desperately needed coverage. She was disabled and her husband was the sole provider. He was fit and exercise regularly.

I quoted him non med at $198/mo...the underwritten was $178/mo standard & $140/mo preferred. We both thought with his health regiment he would qualify preferred. That would save him $50 a month. Well after the exam, the insurance company rated him to $438/mo due to exam results. I priced him out of the market and his wife cried because he refused the coverage. It is not that agents job to quote "cheap" term. It is our job to get the family covered "at the best rate". You should also be explaining the benefits of permanent insurance along with term to let your client. You should be educating the client. That is what NAA has taught me to do and I will continue to protect families first and foremost, secondly within their budget.

Jiim

If you call 40 leads and only get 8 or 9 appointments out of 40 leads then you need ALOTTTT of training and just so you know the managers get a set amount of leads a week. then however many leads you want the manager emails you and the amount you owe for the leads is took out the week after, they are not preordered the managers get a certain amount of leads a week and the agents get emailed however many they want and then charged the next week AND BY THE WAY OUT OF 40 FRESH LEADS. 30 APPOINTMENTS at LEAST

I 've been with Naa 1 year. I agree with everyone on some aspect of what they've mentioned good or bad. Yes, NAA pushes the non- medical. The non-med has certain built in features on Old Mutual such as 50% free accidental death rider, 6 months unemployment waiver of premium, and optional Critical Illness Rider. This is part of selling value. There are stories where someone got covered with the non-med and then was diagnosed with life threatening illness, but this is rare. If you are pretty sure they will get a preferred rate and they don't want the extras then you should write the fully underwritten.

Problem is many people will cancel or no- show the med because they get selfish and decide not to cover their family and then everyone loses. The a-leads are mostly fresh, but many people fill it out so they can tell the lead company to stop sending them. They aren't a company that wants you to fail and have very good sales training. Success depends on your attitude . I've plugged in to the system and have had some success. However, my main concern is the ability to control the amount leads I recieve and what area I get them in. They kept telling me if I stop getting them in my area I can't get the lead flow started back up. I wanted to travel to neighboring states that have the fully loaded Foresters product, but was told I would get less leads there so stay put. I like the owners that I've met, but I do feel like they too easily call you a loser and it's your own fault if you question the system. I've always wondered about the lead costs but, since they send to the same people 10 times plus and employ a ton of people at the distribution center I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

One of my big problems with the A-leads is if the person sends back multiple mailers they distribute them to other NAA agents. I was told a system was in place to catch this, but I've found this not to be true multiple times. Anyway I've backed off and stopped the leads. Wondering if anyone is experiencing the same.

I 've been with Naa 1 year. I agree with everyone on some aspect of what they've mentioned good or bad. Yes, NAA pushes the non- medical. The non-med has certain built in features on Old Mutual such as 50% free accidental death rider, 6 months unemployment waiver of premium, and optional Critical Illness Rider. This is part of selling value. There are stories where someone got covered with the non-med and then was diagnosed with life threatening illness, but this is rare. If you are pretty sure they will get a preferred rate and they don't want the extras then you should write the fully underwritten.

Problem is many people will cancel or no- show the med because they get selfish and decide not to cover their family and then everyone loses. The a-leads are mostly fresh, but many people fill it out so they can tell the lead company to stop sending them. They aren't a company that wants you to fail and have very good sales training. Success depends on your attitude . I've plugged in to the system and have had some success. However, my main concern is the ability to control the amount leads I recieve and what area I get them in. They kept telling me if I stop getting them in my area I can't get the lead flow started back up. I wanted to travel to neighboring states that have the fully loaded Foresters product, but was told I would get less leads there so stay put. I like the owners that I've met, but I do feel like they too easily call you a loser and it's your own fault if you question the system. I've always wondered about the lead costs but, since they send to the same people 10 times plus and employ a ton of people at the distribution center I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

One of my big problems with the A-leads is if the person sends back multiple mailers they distribute them to other NAA agents. I was told a system was in place to catch this, but I've found this not to be true multiple times. Anyway I've backed off and stopped the leads. Wondering if anyone is experiencing the same.

I 've been with Naa 1 year. I agree with everyone on some aspect of what they've mentioned good or bad. Yes, NAA pushes the non- medical. The non-med has certain built in features on Old Mutual such as 50% free accidental death rider, 6 months unemployment waiver of premium, and optional Critical Illness Rider. This is part of selling value. There are stories where someone got covered with the non-med and then was diagnosed with life threatening illness, but this is rare. If you are pretty sure they will get a preferred rate and they don't want the extras then you should write the fully underwritten.

Problem is many people will cancel or no- show the med because they get selfish and decide not to cover their family and then everyone loses. The a-leads are mostly fresh, but many people fill it out so they can tell the lead company to stop sending them. They aren't a company that wants you to fail and have very good sales training. Success depends on your attitude . I've plugged in to the system and have had some success. However, my main concern is the ability to control the amount leads I recieve and what area I get them in. They kept telling me if I stop getting them in my area I can't get the lead flow started back up. I wanted to travel to neighboring states that have the fully loaded Foresters product, but was told I would get less leads there so stay put. I like the owners that I've met, but I do feel like they too easily call you a loser and it's your own fault if you question the system. I've always wondered about the lead costs but, since they send to the same people 10 times plus and employ a ton of people at the distribution center I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

One of my big problems with the A-leads is if the person sends back multiple mailers they distribute them to other NAA agents. I was told a system was in place to catch this, but I've found this not to be true multiple times. Anyway I've backed off and stopped the leads. Wondering if anyone is experiencing the same.

I 've been with Naa 1 year. I agree with everyone on some aspect of what they've mentioned good or bad. Yes, NAA pushes the non- medical. The non-med has certain built in features on Old Mutual such as 50% free accidental death rider, 6 months unemployment waiver of premium, and optional Critical Illness Rider. This is part of selling value. There are stories where someone got covered with the non-med and then was diagnosed with life threatening illness, but this is rare. If you are pretty sure they will get a preferred rate and they don't want the extras then you should write the fully underwritten.

Problem is many people will cancel or no- show the med because they get selfish and decide not to cover their family and then everyone loses. The a-leads are mostly fresh, but many people fill it out so they can tell the lead company to stop sending them. They aren't a company that wants you to fail and have very good sales training. Success depends on your attitude . I've plugged in to the system and have had some success. However, my main concern is the ability to control the amount leads I recieve and what area I get them in. They kept telling me if I stop getting them in my area I can't get the lead flow started back up. I wanted to travel to neighboring states that have the fully loaded Foresters product, but was told I would get less leads there so stay put. I like the owners that I've met, but I do feel like they too easily call you a loser and it's your own fault if you question the system. I've always wondered about the lead costs but, since they send to the same people 10 times plus and employ a ton of people at the distribution center I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

One of my big problems with the A-leads is if the person sends back multiple mailers they distribute them to other NAA agents. I was told a system was in place to catch this, but I've found this not to be true multiple times. Anyway I've backed off and stopped the leads. Wondering if anyone is experiencing the same.

Zachary, You're a definite retard. The companies you name that NAA reps all SUCK. Compare their rates with Banner, Genworth, Chesapeake, AIG, Met Life, and 50 other A rated companies - if you know how to do this - and you will see the bald rip-off truth of what you are representing. You either don't have a clue or you're a greedy b*****d who loves money and will do anything to get it. Furthermore, I was on the leaderboard during my short career at NAA. As soon as a fellow agent showed me what end was up, I was gone. An independent agent represents many companies and has MANY UPLINE - not just one upline, as in NAA. Go soak you head in molten lead and see if it makes you any less intelligent. Frank Rier, Jay, Maine

Glad to see the home office shills are still looking in.

Zackary
"Scott you are completely off base thinking that NAA's statement is at all misleading. Full underwriting can and many times has lead to a higher payment, Well all said and done turned out he had problems and didn't know it."


Zack try VERY FEW TIMES and if you do not realize is that you could have saved his life by doing a paramed on him remember insurance is not a right. it a privilege.


Zackary
"Scott you accuse Chuck of clean sheeting a home certain app. You simply do not understand the product. You can have a bunch of health issues and still have the policy get issued. You can just not have too many health issues otherwise it will be denied. I think its interesting that you automatically attack his integrity instead of thinking how he does something legally and ethically."

also with fully underwritten plans also but you put down certain condition and they will both be declined.

Zackary
"Scott I don't quite understand your bitterness for non med policies? Is it because you can't sell them and you realize that they are easier and better for most clients? Maybe you should consider all those families that you left behind that didn't have time for a physical or told you that they were going to think about it, while in the back of their mind they are worried about what a physical will find. Stop classifying the entire population of the United States as ignorant or perfect of health. Some people ask for the non med option."

no I can sell the same plans you can. and no my clients have never refused an exam I told them they had to take and they got the RIGHT AMOUNT OF DEATH BENEFIT.

Zackary
"Scott, its nice seeing your name in my post again, looks like I'm noticing a pattern maybe some other people are too. Quick issuance is not a bad thing, wouldn't it be nice to have the client to have his policy within 1 or 2 weeks? I guess you like waiting 2 or 3 months while omfn orders a aps, dmv report, another para med because the lost the first one, meanwhile someone else comes and writes over your policy because you took two months and couldn't provide for your client. NO thank you. No physical may or may not result in a higher commission but it sure as heck raises my client retention rate."

Quick insurance is not a bad thing for the agent. its just not good for the client. but you get paid faster. I guess thats a good thing. and no, no one is coming in my back door when I have a case in underwriting selling them non~med plans. is this what you tell your agents...


Zackary
"I guess you came up again scott, it is a fact that a very low percentage of the population actually gets preferred or preferred plus, most people fall into standard, hence the name standard. If you showed the standard rates for the same companies for someone who is a little older. Lets use a 65 year old man for example.

65 M NT $100,000
Savers Select Standard $327.96
Savers Select Preferred $227.16
Home Certain $270.00"

that is just some more NAA brain washing there. If I do my job right over 75% of my clients get several levels of pref and why are you trying to sell a 65 yr old a $100,000 life plan.



Zackary
"Well I hope that I might have clarified some things about NAA. I am happy here. So happy in fact that the future mother of my children, who has a Ph.D. in genetics is quitting her job at the University of Minnesota to come work with NAA. This is not some pipe dream. It is a real opportunity for someone who can be teachable and likes helping families. That is what it is all about in the end, helping families.

Zackary - Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
U.S.A."


Yea helping families pay to much for life insurance and getting it issued fast so you can get paid. if you really want to help these families try writing the right face amount which can not be done with non~med. good to know your wife is well educated. at least she will have something to fall back on when all the charge backs start coming down the pike and you guys get hungry.

For Iris, your first problem is that you are trying to sell through NAA.....this is too funny. Look above at my suggestions (titled DITTO). As I mentioned, you don't need the NAA....they say that they have a niche market, and it may be a niche market, until people realize that they can buy the exact same quality insurance from other high quality Insurance Companies for much, much, less premium!

Those NAA managers keep saying that they are helping families.....that is so much bunk. If they were really helping families, they wouldn't be dumping high priced term insurance on them.

A 62 yr old male, nonsmoker, in reasonably good health, can buy a 200K Term policy for around $80 a month premium from an A+ rated carrier. The insurance companies at NAA cannot even come close.....LOL.

This is why you are having competition problems. Where would you buy a New Chevy Monte Carlo? ..... from the car dealer who has a sticker price of $34,000.00 or from the car dealer with a sticker price of $19,500.00??

People aren't stupid, they are logging onto the internet and pricing term insurance before you get there. What do you do? You have no choice but to offer them term insurance at comparable prices because they will buy from you rather than off of the internet. BUT, if you try to offer them an outrageously priced product (NAA products)....they won't buy it. And even if they do buy it....sooner ot later....they will be cancelling it for a better priced plan.

And for Zachary, that NAA manager did go into my clients' homes and attempted to blow up what I did for my clents....to the extent that he actually sold a client less insurance with a higher premium to boot!! His motive was to try to hurt me rather than 'help' any families. Which would you buy? $72,000 from me for $43/mo. Or $50,000 from an NAA manager (who says he's helping people) for $57.00/mo. AND the mortgage on the house is $72,000.00. Say what you want...believe what you want....I don't care. But I do care enuff to help familes get a good product for an affordable price.....and I definitely don't need the NAA to help me do that.

It's very sad to witness these people (who have been dazzled by all the glitz and glory and success stories of the NAA) defending the NAA pyramid.

Jon

For Iris, your first problem is that you are trying to sell through NAA.....this is too funny. Look above at my suggestions (titled DITTO). As I mentioned, you don't need the NAA....they say that they have a niche market, and it may be a niche market, until people realize that they can buy the exact same quality insurance from other high quality Insurance Companies for much, much, less premium!

Those NAA managers keep saying that they are helping families.....that is so much bunk. If they were really helping families, they wouldn't be dumping high priced term insurance on them.

A 62 yr old male, nonsmoker, in reasonably good health, can buy a 200K Term policy for around $80 a month premium from an A+ rated carrier. The insurance companies at NAA cannot even come close.....LOL.

This is why you are having competition problems. Where would you buy a New Chevy Monte Carlo? ..... from the car dealer who has a sticker price of $34,000.00 or from the car dealer with a sticker price of $19,500.00??

People aren't stupid, they are logging onto the internet and pricing term insurance before you get there. What do you do? You have no choice but to offer them term insurance at comparable prices because they will buy from you rather than off of the internet. BUT, if you try to offer them an outrageously priced product (NAA products)....they won't buy it. And even if they do buy it....sooner ot later....they will be cancelling it for a better priced plan.

And for Zachary, that NAA manager did go into my clients' homes and attempted to blow up what I did for my clents....to the extent that he actually sold a client less insurance with a higher premium to boot!! His motive was to try to hurt me rather than 'help' any families. Which would you buy? $72,000 from me for $43/mo. Or $50,000 from an NAA manager (who says he's helping people) for $57.00/mo. AND the mortgage on the house is $72,000.00. Say what you want...believe what you want....I don't care. But I do care enuff to help familes get a good product for an affordable price.....and I definitely don't need the NAA to help me do that.

It's very sad to witness these people (who have been dazzled by all the glitz and glory and success stories of the NAA) defending the NAA pyramid.

Jon

For Iris, your first problem is that you are trying to sell through NAA.....this is too funny. Look above at my suggestions (titled DITTO). As I mentioned, you don't need the NAA....they say that they have a niche market, and it may be a niche market, until people realize that they can buy the exact same quality insurance from other high quality Insurance Companies for much, much, less premium!

Those NAA managers keep saying that they are helping families.....that is so much bunk. If they were really helping families, they wouldn't be dumping high priced term insurance on them.

A 62 yr old male, nonsmoker, in reasonably good health, can buy a 200K Term policy for around $80 a month premium from an A+ rated carrier. The insurance companies at NAA cannot even come close.....LOL.

This is why you are having competition problems. Where would you buy a New Chevy Monte Carlo? ..... from the car dealer who has a sticker price of $34,000.00 or from the car dealer with a sticker price of $19,500.00??

People aren't stupid, they are logging onto the internet and pricing term insurance before you get there. What do you do? You have no choice but to offer them term insurance at comparable prices because they will buy from you rather than off of the internet. BUT, if you try to offer them an outrageously priced product (NAA products)....they won't buy it. And even if they do buy it....sooner ot later....they will be cancelling it for a better priced plan.

And for Zachary, that NAA manager did go into my clients' homes and attempted to blow up what I did for my clents....to the extent that he actually sold a client less insurance with a higher premium to boot!! His motive was to try to hurt me rather than 'help' any families. Which would you buy? $72,000 from me for $43/mo. Or $50,000 from an NAA manager (who says he's helping people) for $57.00/mo. AND the mortgage on the house is $72,000.00. Say what you want...believe what you want....I don't care. But I do care enuff to help familes get a good product for an affordable price.....and I definitely don't need the NAA to help me do that.

It's very sad to witness these people (who have been dazzled by all the glitz and glory and success stories of the NAA) defending the NAA pyramid.

Jon

For Iris, your first problem is that you are trying to sell through NAA.....this is too funny. Look above at my suggestions (titled DITTO). As I mentioned, you don't need the NAA....they say that they have a niche market, and it may be a niche market, until people realize that they can buy the exact same quality insurance from other high quality Insurance Companies for much, much, less premium!

Those NAA managers keep saying that they are helping families.....that is so much bunk. If they were really helping families, they wouldn't be dumping high priced term insurance on them.

A 62 yr old male, nonsmoker, in reasonably good health, can buy a 200K Term policy for around $80 a month premium from an A+ rated carrier. The insurance companies at NAA cannot even come close.....LOL.

This is why you are having competition problems. Where would you buy a New Chevy Monte Carlo? ..... from the car dealer who has a sticker price of $34,000.00 or from the car dealer with a sticker price of $19,500.00??

People aren't stupid, they are logging onto the internet and pricing term insurance before you get there. What do you do? You have no choice but to offer them term insurance at comparable prices because they will buy from you rather than off of the internet. BUT, if you try to offer them an outrageously priced product (NAA products)....they won't buy it. And even if they do buy it....sooner ot later....they will be cancelling it for a better priced plan.

And for Zachary, that NAA manager did go into my clients' homes and attempted to blow up what I did for my clents....to the extent that he actually sold a client less insurance with a higher premium to boot!! His motive was to try to hurt me rather than 'help' any families. Which would you buy? $72,000 from me for $43/mo. Or $50,000 from an NAA manager (who says he's helping people) for $57.00/mo. AND the mortgage on the house is $72,000.00. Say what you want...believe what you want....I don't care. But I do care enuff to help familes get a good product for an affordable price.....and I definitely don't need the NAA to help me do that.

It's very sad to witness these people (who have been dazzled by all the glitz and glory and success stories of the NAA) defending the NAA pyramid.

Jon

Hey I've been working with NAA for about 2 weeks now part time and I just recently became licensed in April so I'm very new to all of this. I haven't gotten an A leads yet, just b's but from what I'm finding, the main problem is not necessarily the leads, but the prices of the products.

I keep talking to people ( from the b-leads) who are either shopping around or just got term products from bigger companies for, (OK here are 2 examples- just purchased- a 38 yr old 298K mortgage with a $23/mo term policy covering the entire mortgage, or here's another on - a 48yr old 560K mortgage covering the entire thing for term 80$/mo- both with a very large reputable company that is constantly advertising on TV.

While I admit I'm new to this, the first appointment I went on I brought an experienced agent with me, so I don't think it's necessarily me; the price difference between what I was trying to sell her and what she had already differed by hundreds of dollars -tremendously, there was really no competition.

I had another guy last night in his 60's that wanted a policy for at least 200K Death Benefit but didn't want to pay more than 200$/mo. I couldn't get the price anywhere near there. I forsee my biggest difficulty in selling is being competitive price wise, ( and a slightly lesser concern is brand-wise.) Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture on this one, but Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on this or running into similiar problems ?

The guy who said that waists 90% of his time calling those "Free" leads. I on the other hand work 3 days per week on appointments and write between 10 and 15 thousand in annual premium per week. Why? Because I go out with 20+ appointments. How? Because I have qualities leads. Quality Leads? Yep. The Free leads you speak of are just courthouse records you can get for free telling you who purchased a home or refinanced within "x" number of months. The NAA leads are created from 1.8 million letters per week that are sent to those "free" leads you speak of. Of those, 15-20 thousand of them send back the letter. In other words, NAA just weeded through approx. 1.78 million prospects each week that you spend your time cold calling too. Each LEAD costs $134 dollars to create because it was the result of 1.8 million mailers! I can take $400 dollars worth of leads and go make $10,000 of income in my pocket. Don't believe me? My pops was #2 in the company last year, and made $200k off of his own pen, not to mention the agency he has built by teaching others our system (he started in Feb 2006 with no prior experience). I was #2 behind him in our master agency last quarter; and I will make right around $200k this year; my first year in the business. Say what you want, but I know the results of following the system. And FYI, last time I checked, we aren't an MLM b/c we don't rely on internal consumption to grow. We rely on protection families with the policies we right off the leads we produce. I make $3k on a BAD WEEKEND and $10K + on a DECENT WEEKEND. To all the skeptics: Please continue being skeptical so I can take your leads and make my fortune. Thank you for not coming into the business with your negative attitudes and burning through my leads. I appreciate it!

Well folks. I am an experienced life agent thinking of joining NAA but now I'm not so sure.

Does anyone know of any honest lead companies I could use to get these same type of leads? Can I really run my own mortage protection insurance business without NAA?

I'm already licensed with many companies at 100%, and now I'm having doubts about NAA. My NAA manager says my leads will be free, but I'm concerned about NAA having my banking information.

Any suggestions, with real information?

Look folks. Its simple. It does not cost over a 100.00 dollars to create a mortgage lead.If you believe that you are (figure it out) A 1000 piece mailing cost from as low as 450.00 - 650.00
Response rates are generally on average about 1-2% or 15- 20 leads. The mailers are almost identical to NAA. Companies offer lower cost for larger mailings. With the bulk NAA is mailing they are probaly paying about less than a cost of a stamp. They pay a small cost on each returned piece. They do not lose money on leads because they encourage managers to buy the stock and promote agents to travel.

They sell B-leads over and over so they cover the cost in that fashion or they get it in overide commission. Why someone would travel and add that expense is hard to figure. I can't get excited about 1 or 2 agents out of thousands telling of their traveling success. The agent creates the money and they give a good portion to the system.

Yes I think it is better to have control over your own leads. With all said I still think NAA is a good system. You can make it a good thing.

Look folks. Its simple. It does not cost over a 100.00 dollars to create a mortgage lead.If you believe that you are (figure it out) A 1000 piece mailing cost from as low as 450.00 - 650.00
Response rates are generally on average about 1-2% or 15- 20 leads. The mailers are almost identical to NAA. Companies offer lower cost for larger mailings. With the bulk NAA is mailing they are probaly paying about less than a cost of a stamp. They pay a small cost on each returned piece. They do not lose money on leads because they encourage managers to buy the stock and promote agents to travel.

They sell B-leads over and over so they cover the cost in that fashion or they get it in overide commission. Why someone would travel and add that expense is hard to figure. I can't get excited about 1 or 2 agents out of thousands telling of their traveling success. The agent creates the money and they give a good portion to the system.

Yes I think it is better to have control over your own leads. With all said I still think NAA is a good system. You can make it a good thing.

Look folks. Its simple. It does not cost over a 100.00 dollars to create a mortgage lead.If you believe that you are (figure it out) A 1000 piece mailing cost from as low as 450.00 - 650.00
Response rates are generally on average about 1-2% or 15- 20 leads. The mailers are almost identical to NAA. Companies offer lower cost for larger mailings. With the bulk NAA is mailing they are probaly paying about less than a cost of a stamp. They pay a small cost on each returned piece. They do not lose money on leads because they encourage managers to buy the stock and promote agents to travel.

They sell B-leads over and over so they cover the cost in that fashion or they get it in overide commission. Why someone would travel and add that expense is hard to figure. I can't get excited about 1 or 2 agents out of thousands telling of their traveling success. The agent creates the money and they give a good portion to the system.

Yes I think it is better to have control over your own leads. With all said I still think NAA is a good system. You can make it a good thing.

Look folks. Its simple. It does not cost over a 100.00 dollars to create a mortgage lead.If you believe that you are (figure it out) A 1000 piece mailing cost from as low as 450.00 - 650.00
Response rates are generally on average about 1-2% or 15- 20 leads. The mailers are almost identical to NAA. Companies offer lower cost for larger mailings. With the bulk NAA is mailing they are probaly paying about less than a cost of a stamp. They pay a small cost on each returned piece. They do not lose money on leads because they encourage managers to buy the stock and promote agents to travel.

They sell B-leads over and over so they cover the cost in that fashion or they get it in overide commission. Why someone would travel and add that expense is hard to figure. I can't get excited about 1 or 2 agents out of thousands telling of their traveling success. The agent creates the money and they give a good portion to the system.

Yes I think it is better to have control over your own leads. With all said I still think NAA is a good system. You can make it a good thing.

Wow there are just so many things to comment on. So I will just work my way down the blog as I go.

First for the initial complaint, lee is talking about a manager taking all the leads for himself and calling them, setting appointments and giving the rest to the agents, and billing himself for the ones he set appointments with.

While some managers that are insane might do this there are some logistical issues at hand as well. That manager has to allocate those leads later that week, Monday leads have to be allocated by Wednesday. If he was able to set all those appointments before Tuesday which is not very likely he could distribute the rest, but it if he didn't allocate by Wednesday he would get billed for all the leads. So the scenario of him billing himself for leads he set appointments with just doesn't work out. Another point to take into affect is that it is a lot of work setting appointments and running them it would be easier for a manager who is growing a agency to distribute the leads and grow. That makes him more money in the long run.



Lee the pressure is not on the managers to produce. The pressure is on the managers to have agents produce. We get blasts on producer production boards and agency boards. Managers are pressured to have the whole agency do well.



Scott you are completely off base thinking that NAA's statement is at all misleading. Full underwriting can and many times has lead to a higher payment, I will give you a recent example. One of my clients was looking at home certain and asked about if he could take a physical exam to get it cheaper. I told him yes its possible but it could come back higher. He told me that is fine since he is healthy and can pass it. Well all said and done turned out he had problems and didn't know it. He was rated higher then home certain would have put him. Thanks to full underwriting. He is just lucky he didn't get rejected, then his family would have had nothing. So tell me Scott what is better, a little higher cost for the assurance of a program or the risk of higher cost and the possibility of no insurance at all.



Scott you accuse Chuck of clean sheeting a home certain app. You simply do not understand the product. You can have a bunch of health issues and still have the policy get issued. You can just not have too many health issues otherwise it will be denied. I think its interesting that you automatically attack his integrity instead of thinking how he does something legally and ethically.....



Scott I don't quite understand your bitterness for non med policies? Is it because you can't sell them and you realize that they are easier and better for most clients? Maybe you should consider all those families that you left behind that didn't have time for a physical or told you that they were going to think about it, while in the back of their mind they are worried about what a physical will find. Stop classifying the entire population of the United States as ignorant or perfect of health. Some people ask for the non med option.




Frank, wow, 100% commission? 100% of what? Where do you get your clients from? The leads that you were buying where probably b leads, they are older, that is why they are cheaper and sold to multiple agents, go figure. You must be having fun bashing the conference calls, maybe the fact that you never made the leader board is why you criticize it. But until you knock down $15,000 - $20,000 in annual premium in a week maybe you be a little quieter. Pyramid operation? You still work in insurance, you are still in someones agency, someone is still making money off of you. The difference is you probably don't get trained by them or have the up line support that you had or could have had in NAA.
NAA has more then enough product lines to show their clients. From OMFN to Foresters to Fidelity to USFL and the many others I can't remember at the moment we have a product for almost anyone at almost any budget.


Scott, its nice seeing your name in my post again, looks like I'm noticing a pattern maybe some other people are too. Quick issuance is not a bad thing, wouldn't it be nice to have the client to have his policy within 1 or 2 weeks? I guess you like waiting 2 or 3 months while omfn orders a aps, dmv report, another para med because the lost the first one, meanwhile someone else comes and writes over your policy because you took two months and couldn't provide for your client. NO thank you. No physical may or may not result in a higher commission but it sure as heck raises my client retention rate.


I guess you came up again scott, it is a fact that a very low percentage of the population actually gets preferred or preferred plus, most people fall into standard, hence the name standard. If you showed the standard rates for the same companies for someone who is a little older. Lets use a 65 year old man for example.

65 M NT $100,000
Savers Select Standard $327.96
Savers Select Preferred $227.16
Home Certain $270.00

If you are willing to hope that a 65 year old man is healthier then most of America then you are a more hopeful man then I. But if you are wrong you cost him an additional $695.52 But if you are just out for a commission I see why you wouldn't mind just writing him on standard.




William, the leads are not exactly what you are thinking they are. Let me explain. Any guy with a computer or willing to walk into the county court house can get the leads you are talking about. They are available to any man, woman or child willing to do the legwork. Our leads are completely different. People open a letter we send them, fill it out with their height, weight, smoking status, and list phone numbers and when to call. I see that as more then just a lead its a request for information or coverage. Not just a name and number.
Also even if we are getting 55% starting it goes up with production. I would rather have 55% of $10,000 then 100% of nothing.
If you don't see the benefit of the program but also consider it lucrative maybe you are confused a little bit. We don't cold call. Throw those free leads where they belong, in the garbage, and pick up some families who want you to cover them.



William, william, william, the new recruit pays $20 and the Manager pays about half that. So a total of $30 is paid by agents in the field. If it costs $100-$200 for a lead to be generated, they have to sell it quite a few times just to break even. But if someone writes a policy on that lead it pays for quite a few. The real money is made on the insurance. The leads are just a break even preposition.

Why do they need to keep recruiting? Because there are still more and more letters coming in and people are needed to pick them up. I can only handle so many appointments every week. You can only run so many a week. If there are 1300 letters left over this week and another 1300 from last week that is 2600 families not helped. And NAA is not mailing to every county in ever state yet. They need more agents.

And about the money up front. NAA has no fee to join and many managers have free lead programs which are recycled leads. I wouldn't call that anything but trying to help the new agent. Maybe now that you know what NAA actually has by way of leads you wont be so quick to judge it as some scam.



Tabby, b leads are b leads, they are sold to many agents, you cannot help some of the agents who will set over their own people but some of us do not do that. One or two bad apples do not represent all of us. But even if they are sold to many people that does not mean that they were ever actually called. There are many b leads that I have called that were angry with me because they sent it in 6 or 10 months ago and nobody had called them yet. Maybe 1 agent had the lead maybe 20 did, but either way nobody called them. All it takes is for that one agent to get the lead and actually talk to the family. That is truly helping the client, not padding naa's pockets.
A leads are your managers for a period of time. He is responsible to have that family helped. Some people let a agent have it 1 or 2 weeks some let them have it for months. Either way it is yours for a period. You snooze you lose.



Jon, they were free, first of all you quit. Second you might have had a bad manager or maybe not. The free could have been a loan or floating them to you. I have no idea why he would write over your policies but maybe since you were not plugging into the system you didn't give the families what they needed or wanted, and he had to clean up your mess. Yeah you go hire your lead generation company. You will be telemarketing again, not calling families who want you. These families need our help and ask for it. They are not just names and numbers your manager wrote on a piece of paper.



Well I hope that I might have clarified some things about NAA. I am happy here. So happy in fact that the future mother of my children, who has a Ph.D. in genetics is quitting her job at the University of Minnesota to come work with NAA. This is not some pipe dream. It is a real opportunity for someone who can be teachable and likes helping families. That is what it is all about in the end, helping families.

I tried them out, as well, and came to the realization that the NAA seems to be nothing more than a pyramid scheme that needs to keep getting fresh bodies in the door. A manager sent me a bunch of 'Free' leads to test out and help get me going.

I found the leads to be very stale and later when I decided that this NAA thing wasn't for me, the 'manager' went into homes that I had sold and tried to blow up my cases and substitute them with his own. It's true, a manager has a lot of power over the leads with this NAA thing.

Furthermore, the 'FREE' leads turned out to be 'not so free' either, as the so-called manager then sent me a bill for over $2000.00 for them after he realized that I was not going to jump on board.

Why not just hang on to your own street contract as an Independent Agent, contract for 100% commissions (there are plenty of those contracts out there), get licensed and appointed with 15 or 20 different companies, hire your own lead generating company to produce your own exclusive leads, and go out and SELL? Who needs the NAA? not independent agents, for sure.

jonathan

I have a tendency to be open minded about many things and I KNOW that there are many opinions. But its finally come to the point where I have to add my 2 cents!

I've been with the agency since August of last year. The first agent manager I worked under suggested that someone new in the business start out part time and get some experience and work themselves into fulltime. She gave free leads until the person got use to the business and began to sell. Problem is that they just tossed you a bunch of forms and said go at it.

I requested the change to a different agency. Very nice people, very supportive, very thorough in training, problem is that all of a sudden I began duplicate leads-in other words the same leads (B-leads) that was getting was being sold to 2 and 3 different agents!! In some cases one of the agents called and reset appointments that I had already scheduled walked into their doors and wrote applications!!

I spoke with my agency manager about the problem and they basically shrugged their shoulders and said "you have to get into the door first!"

Isn't that insane? I think so. I pay hard earned money for leads (and I know that B-leads are secondary) and the same leads are sold to no telling how many agents and we have to "beat the other agent into the door?"

That really concerns me that maybe part of NAA success is selling and reselling old leads that are virtually worthless. Not only do we have to compete with the companies that continue sending mailers in to homeowners offering mortgage protection insurance, but now we have to compete with 2 or more agents to get applications from clients. What good is this $2 lead that we pay for? Its basically worthless!!

Think about an agent who knows that the same lead is being sold to 2 or 3 other agents. What is he likely to do? He is likely to rush into the clients home and write an application. Do you think he cares if he is TRULY serving the needs of the customer as much as he is lining his own pockets?

I didn't even order any leads for next week. I have to seriously sit back and think about this before I spend anymore of my hard earned money.

I would consider A leads, but once again, how can we be sure that the A-leads we buy are not also sold to 2 or 3 more agents?

I think the idea of NAA is a good idea. But I can see that there are so many little agencies set up here and there and more and more are developing each month. Also within these agencies the managers are recruiting more and more people. What How do you think it will affect those agents who are already trying to get enough appointments to make a decent living.

Someone told me recently that this is purely transactional. It is not a real career. I'm inclined to believe them because I certainly don't see things getting better but worst. And guess who gets left holding the bag? Those poor little competing agents who spend their hard earned money buying "leads" hoping to make a windfall!

My suggestion to anyone who is interested in working with this company is to beware! If it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, acts like a rat, it must be a RAT!

I have done some further research on this company and I believe this is a total rip off. What you are dealing with here is an MLM (multi level marketing company) think AMWAY. Only instead of having to buy products to sell, you have to buy LEADS and then sell policies.

I submit the bulk of the profit in this company is not from premium sales but rather the sale of LEADS down the line. Everyone has to pay from all levels of management down to the new recuit, who pays the most.($20/lead)

I have shown you, in the previous post, anyone with internet access can get the same leads for FREE! Sure the argument could be made that these are "hot" leads from those that want info from direct mail, but that is not certain. Are they using telemarketing also? Those leads usually stink. (They'll say anything to get off the phone)

Regardless, the newcomer is paying $20 each for those leads. Plus the upline managers are all kicking in as well. Think of the huge profit here! This is a great business if you can find suckers willing to go along.

Now according to their website they use a "unique" sales program which they make sound like a breakthru innovative program. But the problem is there is no recognition of this "outstanding" sales program (googled it) anywhere outside of this company and btw it was developed by one of the OWNERS! (Talk about blowing your own horn!)

Next. They say they have been in business since 2002. Yet, in 2007, they are still recruiting, I believe, in every major city in the US today. Hey if it was such a great deal why do they need to keep recruiting? Wouldn't they have enough agents by now?

Bottom Line: Forget this "opportunity". Any company that says it's easy to sell and you'll make all this money but then wants you to pay alot of money upfront, run from.

When I read that I almost fell off my chair. Let me first say I'm not in the insurance business but was exploring the option thru NAA when I thought to first check this site. Being in the real estate business I know I can get all the mortgage leads I want for FREE or next to nothing from most internet county recorder sites including the name, address, amount and date of origination.

That solves the lead problem. The other problem I see is that the commission structure seems to be around half of the "going" rate according to some of the posts. If this is true, I don't see much benefit in signing up with this company.

Again, I don't know the business but it seems pretty lucrative no matter who you end up with. Are there any starving insurance agents?

Something that I haven't heard anyone on here from NAA mention, which really surprises me, is the reason that we write non-medical instead of medical. Aside from rate-ups and such, here is the real reason:

When I first started with NAA I wrote a man on Saver's Select, 30 yr term for $200,000 (trying to save him money...not to mention spending it for him). He had no prior health issues, N/T and was 43 years old. He was in good shape, and had an overall healthy demeanor.

A few weeks after submitting the application, I received a phone call from the man. He had been turned down. So I gave him the phone number so he could inquire why he had been turned down. They told him he needed to go see his doctor.

He did, and found out that he had colon cancer, and hadn't known it. Is he insurable now? Only with a Graded Benefit Universal Life Policy for a max of $50,000 at more than $300 per month. Had I written non-medical he would have been approved.

FYI, with F&G the Saver's Select is not always cheaper. I sat down with a couple in their early 50's about 6 weeks ago who had a lot of prior experience in the insurance business, and wanted to go with a medically underwritten policy. I showed them the Saver's Select, and the Home Certain, and HC was actually cheaper. Don't ask me why because I don't know. I have noticed however that SS has gone up in the rates lately, and HC has stayed in the same ballpark.

Also, the real way to find out if a person believes in their product is to find out what they have on themselves. Myself, my father, and my wife are all in NAA...all of us have Home Certain or Strong Foundation (Foresters), all of which are non-medically underwritten. You will find that if you ask around, most of the NAA agents have one of those products on themselves.

Lastly to the creator of this posting. In regards to leads and lead distribution, those who say that the leads are no good are typically those who make excuses or point fingers when they can't close a deal. One of my best sales came on a 13 month old B lead, that turned out to pay $11k in annualized premium.

Also, the reason that NAA doesn't distribute directly to the agents is that it would be too expensive for the agents themselves. 1 lead that NAA generates costs $134 (learned that at the manager's meeting at our convention this year). The cost for an agent is $20 for that lead. His manager pays close to $25, and his manager pays close to $28, and on up the line. Because of that, everyone has some skin in the game.

If I send one of my agents 10 A leads he spends $200, and I spend about $50...(the spread). He makes 60%, and I make about 15% on the spread. It's about making smart investments and receiving a solid return on that investment. It's a business, not child's play.

Scott
It seems like you spend a lot of time here. Don't you have something better you could be doing? I don't work for this company and never have and you are even annoying me. To suggest that a company or individual should not sell a product or service at a more expensive rate than the customer could get it for somewhere else is pretty much communism. I mean, I am a salesman, and I sell a product that is more expensive than some competitors' and less expensive than others. It is the customers' responsibility to find the best value. An insurance agent sells the companies he is contracted with, not the ones he's not with. You sell the best of what you have. What do you do?...Get contracted with a new company everytime you find one with cheaper rates? If you don't, then youre not really doing whats best for your customers.
Why don't you just get over it?

--as for the original guy, Lee...Just because your company is doing something you don't think is the best way to do it, doesn't mean you put them on ripoffreport. How the heck does that help? The only thing that does is make the company you are selling for look bad to anyone who gets on here. Do you really think NAA gets on here to check out what theyre employees think they should change?

GET REAL!

Scot, you seem to have a lot of time to keep resoponding to everyone. Let me ask you, do you serve your clients?

George stated: "My business is split about 60/40 MED/NonMed. I'm appointed with several companies, not just one,..."


I am in agreement with George as far as I can tell. I inform my clients of their options. If they tell me it is worth it to them to pay the extra per month to get covered right away and not hastle with the med exams, I cover them. I take the time to inform them of the differences, pros and cons, but when it comes down to it, it is their decision. My goal is to help get them get protected and do so by accurately presenting them with the information they desire. (i.e. prices, time frame, benefits, etc) If they tell me they don't want to hastle with med exams and the price is ok, who am I to tell them how to spend their money? Does the waiter at the restaurant try to get you to not buy the deep fried dish because it isn't the most healthy on the menu? No, because you are telling them it is what you want.

I guaruntee you there are people in any company ripping folks off. Go to a Farmer's or Allstate or some other insurance company, you'll find some people that are trying to get as much money out of the customers as possible. So don't rip apart a whole company because of a few that may take advantage. Again, you'll find those people everywhere. I know I do the best for my clients and inform them accurately. As do my managers. I have no regrets or remorse at the end of the day. My conscience is clear.

By the way, I noticed that F&G was also at the top of the list. So, as a retorical question, do offer F&G to your clients? Cause according to you, they are the best offer. Just a question.

George wrote......."I have been working as an agent for NAA for 2 years. It is the agents responsibility to interview the client and see what medical issues are present. The HomeCertain product is cheaper than a comparably rated Med product"

____________

You are missing the point Mr. NAA agent ....YOUR HomeCertain is expensive compared to underwritten plans.....why do you guys seem to think everyone is going to get a b,c or d rating on their life insurance....people get pref. ratings every day.....here are some rates on a 35 yr. old male at a $150,000...your plan is at the bottom....


_________

Return of Premium Rider
30 Year Term Amount:150,000 Payment Plan:Monthly , 35 Year, Male, Non-Smoker
Company / Product A.M. Best* Premium Health Class Apply Now


Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance
Saver\'s Select Term 30/30 (ROP / 2001) A $30.65 Preferred Non-Smoker

The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company
30 Year Term (ROP) A- $30.77 Preferred Non-Nicotine

First Colony Life Insurance Company
Vantage Point 30 with ROP (Basic CV) A+ $31.52 Preferred No Nicotine Use

Genworth Life Insurance Company
Vantage Point 30 with ROP (Basic CV) A+ $31.52 Preferred No Nicotine Use

Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
PROTerm 30 (ROP) A+ $32.67 Preferred Best Non-Tobacco

Jefferson Pilot Financial Insurance
Advantage FlexTerm - 30 Year (ROP) A+ $32.97 Preferred Plus Non-tobacco

American General Life Insurance Company
ROP Term 30 (2006) A++ $34.36 Preferred Non-Tobacco

First Colony Life Insurance Company
Vantage Point 30 with ROP (Enhanced CV) A+ $34.68 Preferred No Nicotine Use

Genworth Life Insurance Company
Vantage Point 30 with ROP (Enhanced CV) A+ $34.68 Preferred No Nicotine Use

Life Investors Insurance Co of America
Ultima Elite 30 Year Term (w/ROP) A+ $35.33 Preferred Plus Non-tobacco

Peoples Benefit Life Insurance Company
LifePro 30 Year Term (w/ROP) A+ $35.33 Preferred Plus Non-tobacco

Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance
Saver\'s Select Term 30/30 (with ROP) A $35.91 Preferred Non-Smoker

Life Investors Insurance Co of America
Home Protector - 30/5 Year Level (ROP) A+ $37.62 Non-tobacco

Americo Financial Life and Annuity Ins.
Home Mortgage Series - 30/5 year/ROP A- $39.03 Standard Non-Tobacco

Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance
HomeCertain Level Term - 30/15 Year/ROP A $40.77 Non-Smoker

Americo Financial Life and Annuity Ins.
LifeTerm 30 (with ROP) A- $41.33 Preferred Non-Nicotine

Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance
Trendsetter ROP 30 A+ $44.87 Preferred Non-Smoker

Fidelity and Guaranty Life Insurance
HomeCertain Level Term - 30 Year/ROP A $47.79 Non-Smoker

I have been working as an agent for NAA for 2 years. It is the agents responsibility to interview the client and see what medical issues are present. The HomeCertain product is cheaper than a comparably rated Med product. So what do you do? You ask the client the health questions and figure out whats best for the client. My business is split about 60/40 MED/NonMed. I'm appointed with several companies, not just one, and I earn over $80,000 a year. I do the best for my clients and they give me referals. I spent about $250 to get in this business (class&licensing)and it has multiplied thousands of times. I dont have any problem recommending it to anyone willing to work.

joel states...."And as for the whole non-med. Either way you look at it, you're gambling. By doing med all the time, you take the risk that the client isn't as healthy as they think, and could wind up costing them more in coverage. On the flip side, you might cover someone non-med who would actually qualify for something cheaper fully underwritten. But when it comes down to it, I would rather cover them without the hastle of medical exams"

hummm ....no.....it might be because you like the big advance they give you when the non~med plans issue faster....when it comes down to it....you might not be looking out for your clients best interest.

joel states...."And as for the whole non-med. Either way you look at it, you're gambling. By doing med all the time, you take the risk that the client isn't as healthy as they think, and could wind up costing them more in coverage. On the flip side, you might cover someone non-med who would actually qualify for something cheaper fully underwritten. But when it comes down to it, I would rather cover them without the hastle of medical exams"

hummm ....no.....it might be because you like the big advance they give you when the non~med plans issue faster....when it comes down to it....you might not be looking out for your clients best interest.

I notice that there are a lot of opinions flying around, but no one offers pure fact. Because in reality, all there is as a consumer is opinion.

I see one person complaining about leads. Well, if your manager lacks integrity, work for someone who has integrity. No matter where you go, you'll more than likely find people taking advantage of others. It's sad, but true. I for one work with awesome managers who help me out any time of the day, every day.

I have, however, worked with managers that lack good business ethics. So I do the mature, adult thing. I confront, then leave when nothing changes.

And as for the whole non-med. Either way you look at it, you're gambling. By doing med all the time, you take the risk that the client isn't as healthy as they think, and could wind up costing them more in coverage. On the flip side, you might cover someone non-med who would actually qualify for something cheaper fully underwritten. But when it comes down to it, I would rather cover them without the hastle of medical exams, like they asked me too, and then once they have coverage, do the med to find out if you can get it cheaper. That to me is true service to the client.

But again, it's all opinion and perspective. You're never going to find a perfect company without complaints. If you have, I beg you to tell me who they are, and I guarantee I'll find someone that has a problem with them.

So let's be mature and use this site for true scams, not complaining because a business didn't work for you.

I worked for NAA and I can tell you it is one of the most incompetent companies I have ever been associated with. The leads in Maine were routinely many months old, and to make matters worse they were giving these old dogs to multiple agents! Life Investors Insurance Company dropped NAA.. wonder why?

There is a lot of rah rah sales cheering to the agents every week - almomst everyday. These are mostly new agents who don't know that they can earn 100% and up for reputable broker organizations representing great companies and products. They are really a pyramid operation, too.

The main focus is on recruiting new meat so you can get an over-ride on each of them while they get their measley 60% commission. I still sell life insurance and I do fine without pushing everyone into non-med products. Sure, non-med has a place, but it isn't the cure-all and it is way overpriced if you're healthy.

NAA doesn't offer enough product lines to show a client that he would be better off with a lot more coverage at the same rate as non-med - and you still get paid! And your client gets the best coverage; that way I sleep at night.

Frank - Jay, Maine
U.S.A.

stop selling non~med life plans and do right by your clients and get them their best deal.....

Someone just seems to have a personal problem with the NAA. I have been with the company for three weeks. So far I am loving it. I am working part time hours and making 4 times what I made with my first company. My manager is fantastic, always available and always reminds me that I am my own boss. He is genuinely interested in my success.

We do not do the high pressured glad handed salesman thing, we are honest with our clients and our policies actually benefit our consumers.

The leads are excellent, even the B leads. The only problem I have is that a lot of people are just not home when I call.

I understand your concern about the potential for abusing the lead system that NAA has. When I first went to work there, my husband had the same concern, especially since I was paying for the leads. I can't speak for other managers with NAA, but I can assure you that if the manager I worked under was scaling leads off the top, he would have dropped dead from exaustion by now.

Between training agents, taking phone calls, answering e-mails, picking up scrubbing apps, dealing with the corporate office, and recruiting, there really isn't any time left for managers to book appointments and go on calls. For the short time I was there, I was one of my managers top producers, and I took up quite a bit of his time with these functions, not to mention the 15 other agents he had besides me.

NAA is a great company to work for, but like all agencies, you have to do the work. I made great money with them, and found their practices, and prducts to be above board. The only reason I am not with them today, is because I accepted an offer making 6 figures with salary and commission. I do have to say, if it wasn't for my experience with NAA, I wouldn't be in the position I am in today.

Gee James....you call scaring people into buying expensive non~med life plans as "Agents who honestly want to help people" a good thing.....

Gee James....you call scaring people into buying expensive non~med life plans as "Agents who honestly want to help people" a good thing.....

Gee James....you call scaring people into buying expensive non~med life plans as "Agents who honestly want to help people" a good thing.....

Lee, if you actually lookk at the upline model, you would understand that the District and General managers are not being pressured to sell, or even asked for that matter. They earn an override commission for all of their downlines, so why the heck would they want to produce 8 or 9 apps a week? A Managers job is to train and recruit. They get the commissions from their agents performing. Let me ask you this: Would you rather make 55% commission on a $1000.00 AP or 85% upline commission? The markup on the products sold is 150% in the 1st Year. Thats more than most, so the managers are well compensated. I have personally met Philip Hudgins, one of the 3 owners of the company. He explained to me how it all works, which actually is pretty public info. And the leads only get cold if 1): You don't perform as well as other agents/agencies in your area or 2): you are buying "B" Leads at 2 bucks apiece (Which are 8-12 weeks Old). The system is design for "Go-Get-Em" Agents who honestly want to help people and A): Are Coachable, B): Are Passionate, and C): Want to be part of the fastest growing trend in the insurance industry. Yes, sometimes the agents are "Green" and only get licensed to do this program, but hey, if I was 21 Years old again and learned that I didn't need to go to college and get a degree and drive myself broke in the process to make 65,000 a year, and that All I had to do was 40 hrs of related education and pay the price of licensing to make a Million in 5 years, I would do it too. I wish someone had offered this to me before I went to college and drove myself 52000 in debt only to get ripped off by "Other" Captive-only Carriers at a measly 45% Commission, making 22000 a year. Last year I turned 110,000 by doing a grand total of 9 months of work, now how did you get ripped off so bad? Were you not performing or un-coachable? People can do 1 of 3 things in a bad situation: The Can Complain, Explain or Change. I Changed, and I am happy. Get back to running the apps Lee, it pays off!!!

good work there chuck....if someone is rated table d on a fully under written life plan means he has health problems......and your answer to him is to do a non~med and clean sheet the application.....gee how long do you plan on staying in the insurance industry......

Man it never ends just another agent that does not know what products to use when. So you would write Saver's Select over Home Certain lets compare with a policy I just wrote

Male 39 N/T health issues wants 200,000 30 yr policy was rated up table -D 200% = 93.60 a month on Saver's Select FULL UNDERWRITING & placed this customer in the MIB for all to see

Male 39 N/T health issues 200,000 30yr Home Certain issued STANDARD 79.20 a month. NO UNDERWRITING

Thanks for your insight on taking advantage of some one to get $14.40 more.

I have seen the letter that NAA sends to potential clients about thier morgage....let me quote the bottom of the mailer....

"The above referenced mortgage life and disability insurance plan may be purchased by homeowner at a later date BUT may be subject to a medical exam and more extensive underwriting which in many cases can result in a higher rate"

This in my book this constitutes as misleading the client and the agent that works these leads and sells them non~med policys are ripping off thier clients.....also I sell F&G BUT DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER THE HOME CERT. PLAN BECAUSE F & G has better rates on other products(fully underwriten)...as well as other companys...if you would like to read more about NAA try going to insurance-forums .com and look under the agent forum...lots of good posts from ex NAA agents....

Lee if you are getting 100 leads to set 10 appts. there is some thing wrong in what you are doing and you might want to change that. It should only take 10-15 leads to set 10 appts a week???

Futher more why in the world would a manager want to call all the leads him self and do 100% of all the work?? Mangers want 1% of 100 peoples efforts not 100% of there own. You really need to learn what the concept of this business is. You see Lee a managers roll is to help another agent or agents succeed. That is where the real payoff is.

Lee if you are getting 100 leads to set 10 appts. there is some thing wrong in what you are doing and you might want to change that. It should only take 10-15 leads to set 10 appts a week???

Futher more why in the world would a manager want to call all the leads him self and do 100% of all the work?? Mangers want 1% of 100 peoples efforts not 100% of there own. You really need to learn what the concept of this business is. You see Lee a managers roll is to help another agent or agents succeed. That is where the real payoff is.

Lee if you are getting 100 leads to set 10 appts. there is some thing wrong in what you are doing and you might want to change that. It should only take 10-15 leads to set 10 appts a week???

Futher more why in the world would a manager want to call all the leads him self and do 100% of all the work?? Mangers want 1% of 100 peoples efforts not 100% of there own. You really need to learn what the concept of this business is. You see Lee a managers roll is to help another agent or agents succeed. That is where the real payoff is.

I havre a question for how long does it take to call 100 leads?

I HAVE CALLED 100 leads in less than an hour. And if I get 10 appointments calling 100 leads I am OK for the week.

THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE IS THERE, AND I SUSPECT SOME MANAGERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.

There is a big difference in calling 100 leads and calling 10 leads.

What Can Prevent A Manager From Abusing The System?
Anwser Nothing.

THE PRESSURE THESE MANAGERS ARE UNDER TO PRODUCE IS GREAT.

The only way to stop this abuse is for NAA to send leads directly to agents who paid for them.

The managers at NAA do not try to call all the leads for themselves. I understand your complaint that they COULD, but these leads that are given to everyone is the same accross the board. Some managers have over 90 producers. And the smaller managers are in an upline of many more managers. That would be extremely time consuming trying to call all of his leads and the other leads for his 90 producers.

Bottom line, the people that distribute these leads are doing just that, giving leads to the people that request them. There are plenty of leads to go around, no one is trying to compete over anything. I've never had the feeling that I was in competition of my manager and I'm sure I'm not the only person that feels this way.