Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are living benefits in life insurance?

Living benefits allow you to access a portion of your life insurance death benefit while you're still alive if you're diagnosed with a chronic, critical, or terminal illness. This money can be used for medical bills, mortgage payments, or any other expenses. The Tipton Agency specializes in policies with living benefits at no additional cost.

Q: What is an IUL and how does it help with retirement?

An Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policy is a type of permanent life insurance that builds cash value based on stock market index performance (like the S&P 500) while protecting you from market losses. The cash value grows tax-free and can be accessed tax-free in retirement through policy loans, making it an excellent supplement to 401(k)s and IRAs.

Q: How much life insurance do I need?

A common rule of thumb is 10-12 times your annual income, but the right amount depends on your specific situation including debts, mortgage balance, children's education costs, and your spouse's income. The Tipton Agency offers a free life insurance needs calculator and personalized consultations to determine your ideal coverage amount.

Q: How do I become a life insurance agent with The Tipton Agency?

The Tipton Agency offers 80% to 130% commission contracts with equity partnership opportunities. No prior experience is required - we provide comprehensive training, mentorship, and warm leads. You'll need to obtain your state life insurance license (we help with that too). Apply on our Careers page to start the process.

Q: What insurance carriers does The Tipton Agency work with?

As an independent agency, we work with 30+ top-rated carriers including Mutual of Omaha, Transamerica, Foresters Financial, Americo, F&G, Banner Life, SBLI, United Home Life, American Amicable, and Corebridge Financial. This allows us to shop multiple carriers to find you the best rates and coverage.

Q: What is mortgage protection insurance?

Mortgage protection insurance is a term life insurance policy designed to pay off your remaining mortgage balance if you pass away. This ensures your family can stay in their home without the burden of mortgage payments. Policies can also include living benefits for disability or critical illness.

Question 1

What are living benefits in life insurance?

Question 2

What conditions qualify for living benefits?

Question 3

Do living benefits cost extra?

Question 4

What is an IUL and how does it help with retirement?

Question 5

Is IUL better than a 401(k) or Roth IRA?

Question 6

How much can I contribute to an IUL policy?

Question 7

What is mortgage protection insurance?

Question 8

How is mortgage protection different from PMI?

Question 9

How much life insurance do I need?

Question 10

How much does life insurance cost?

Question 11

Can I get life insurance with pre-existing conditions?

Question 12

How do I become a life insurance agent?

Question 13

Is being a life insurance agent a good career in 2026?

Question 14

What does a life insurance agent do every day?

Question 15

How much do life insurance agents make?

Question 16

Do I need a college degree to sell life insurance?

Question 17

Can I sell life insurance part-time?

Question 18

What is the failure rate for new life insurance agents?

Question 19

What is residual income in life insurance?

Question 20

What is the difference between a captive and independent agent?

Question 21

What is an IMO in insurance?

Question 22

What is the difference between an IMO, FMO, and NMO?

Question 23

What are the benefits of joining an IMO?

Question 24

What is a street-level contract in insurance?

Question 25

What is vesting in life insurance commissions?

Question 26

What is a chargeback in life insurance?

Question 27

Can I leave my IMO? What is a release?

Question 28

Do IMOs charge fees to agents?

Question 29

What questions should I ask before joining an IMO?

Question 30

What commission level should I expect as a new agent?

Question 31

Why choose The Tipton Agency over other IMOs?

Question 32

Does The Tipton Agency have a non-compete clause?

Question 33

What is the onboarding process at The Tipton Agency?

Question 34

What lead programs does The Tipton Agency offer?

Question 35

Is selling life insurance a pyramid scheme?

Question 36

Is life insurance sales an MLM?

Question 37

How hard is it to sell life insurance?

Question 38

Do I have to recruit other agents to make money?

Question 39

What if I don't have any sales experience?

Question 40

How long before I start making money as a life insurance agent?

Question 41

Will I have to buy leads or are they provided?

Question 42

Can I sell life insurance in multiple states?

Question 43

What is the best age to start a career in life insurance?

Question 44

How do top life insurance agents generate leads?

Question 45

What is the best CRM for life insurance agents?

Question 46

How do I sell mortgage protection insurance?

Question 47

How do I handle objections in life insurance sales?

Question 48

How do I build a personal brand as a life insurance agent?

Question 49

How do I use Facebook ads to get life insurance leads?

Question 50

How do I become a life insurance agent in South Dakota?

Question 51

Is a life insurance career good for military veterans?

Question 52

Can I become a life insurance agent as a career change at 50?

Question 53

Is life insurance a good career for teachers looking to change careers?

Question 54

What insurance carriers does The Tipton Agency work with?

Question 55

Where is The Tipton Agency located?

Question 56

What makes The Tipton Agency different from other agencies?

Question 57

How do I become a life insurance agent with The Tipton Agency?

Question 58

What commissions do Tipton Agency agents earn?