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The Library
Plain-English explainers, not sales copy. Start with whichever one matches your actual question.
How to check if your insurance agent is licensedA step-by-step walkthrough of your state's own license lookup, plus how NIPR's multistate system fits in.What the NAIC Complaint Index actually measuresA score of 1.0 is the industry median — but it's calculated for the carrier, not the individual agent. Here's the real distinction.Insurance churning and twisting, explainedTwo specific, NAIC-regulated forms of misconduct in life insurance and annuity sales — and the disclosure rule that's supposed to stop them.Why your agent needs to be "appointed," not just licensedA license and a carrier appointment are two separate, both-checkable facts — and marketing a carrier you aren't appointed with is a real gap a license check alone won't catch.Why your agent can't legally give you a gift for buying a policyAnti-rebating law bars an undisclosed inducement to buy — and a 2020 NAIC amendment carved out narrow, specific exceptions, not a repeal.Does your agent carry errors & omissions insurance?Almost no state requires it. Rhode Island is the clear, documented exception — here's what to ask everywhere else.The free-look period, explainedEvery state gives you a window to cancel a new life insurance policy or annuity for a full refund — often longer for annuities, seniors, and replacements.Captive agent or independent broker? Why it mattersA captive agent sells one company's products; an independent agent or broker can compare several. Knowing which changes what their advice actually means.How to file a complaint against an insurance agentYour state Department of Insurance can investigate a producer's own conduct for free — here's how to file a complaint that's actually useful.What the NAIC Data Security Model Law requires of your agent's agencyA real information-security program, an annual risk assessment, and a 72-hour breach notification clock — where your state has actually adopted it.Annuities: the "best interest" standard your producer is held toSince 2020, a producer recommending an annuity has to meet four specific obligations — care, disclosure, conflict of interest, and documentation. Here's what each one requires.The paperwork your agent has to give you before replacing a policyThe actual "Notice Regarding Replacement" form behind our churning and twisting explainer — what it has to say, and when it has to be signed.Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: two different marketing rulebooksOne is regulated directly by CMS, the other by your state's own adopted NAIC model. Here's the real difference and what each requires.Public adjuster or insurance agent? A different license, a different sideA public adjuster works for you, not the insurer, after a loss — a distinct, separately licensed profession most people learn about too late.Does your agent have to tell you how much they're paid?Usually not, unless a specific dual-compensation scenario applies — New York requires more. Here's the actual baseline rule.Term, whole, and universal life: the regulatory differencesNot a "which is better" comparison — a look at how nonforfeiture and illustration rules actually differ by policy type.California insurance producer licensing: what's actually differentFingerprinting, line-specific CE requirements, and a no-reciprocity rule for adjusters found in only two other states.Does selling GAP insurance require an insurance license?"GAP" is really two different products through two different channels — a dealer-sold debt-cancellation waiver, and a true insurance endorsement. Only one needs a licensed producer.