Insurance agents - the bad and the good

Someone has been posting strong comments that are critical of insurance agents. According to him, the insurance agents:

* Offer products that are not suitable for the customer
* These products provide poor value to the customers
* The agents will not buy these products for themselves
* The agent are only interested in the high commission from selling the product.

This is true to a certain extent. The blame is not with the insurance agents only. The insurance companies share in the blame for not serving the public well.

We must not overlook the fact that there are insurance agents who operate ethically, as follows:

* They educate the customer about their financial needs
* They offer products that suit these needs
* These products give better value, compared to other similar products available in the market
* They earn a modest rate of commission for their time and service.

Customers need the insurance agents or advisers to help them find the suitable products. There is a role for the adviser.