How to find agent to buy disability insurance?

[wcireader]

Dear All:

This is my first post. I will complete my residency at the end of June. I am looking to be covered by disability insurance when I start out as an attending.

I have read WCI's helpful series https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/disability-insurance-introduction/ .

I also read his helpful ?guest post on another website? http://www.acepnow.com/article/buy-disability-insurance/?singlepage=1 :

A disability policy cannot be legally purchased without the assistance of an agent (and indirectly paying a commission for that assistance), so you might as well get the maximum value out of that commission. Use an independent disability insurance expert who can sell policies from any of the “Big Six” companies: Berkshire, The Standard, Principal, Ameritas, MassMutual, and MetLife. You also want an experienced full-time agent. This means someone with years of experience who has sold at least 30 policies to physicians in the last year. Another benefit of that experience is that these agents are aware of and have access to significant “multi-life” discounts that a less experienced agent may not.

How do I now move forward to actually getting a policy? Should I just ask friends or the local medical society to recommend one or more agents, and then ask each agent (i) whether they can sell policies from any of the big six and (ii) how many policies have they sold to physicians in the past year?

Any centralized resources that can help me find such agents (e.g., web site)?

Thank you so much!!!

[canadianoutlaw]

For disability insurance I would just use one of the agents vetted by this WCI community. Probably easiest approach. He lists some on the website. I used Larry Keller, as have many other colleagues, and he was excellent.

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/websites-2/insurance/

[wcireader]

canadianoutlaw wrote:

For disability insurance I would just use one of the agents vetted by this WCI community. Probably easiest approach. He lists some on the website. I used Larry Keller, as have many other colleagues, and he was excellent.

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/websites-2/insurance/

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Thank you so much for your helpful reply!

[wcireader]

canadianoutlaw wrote:

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/websites-2/insurance/

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Just to double check - as I am nowhere near Woodbury, NY, this entire process (of comparing disability insurance plans and purchasing one through, e.g., Larry Keller) can be completed remotely, correct?

Thank you!

[jhwkr542]

wcireader wrote:

canadianoutlaw wrote:

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/websites-2/insurance/ 

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Just to double check – as I am nowhere near Woodbury, NY, this entire process (of comparing disability insurance plans and purchasing one through, e.g., Larry Keller) can be completed remotely, correct?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

Yes.  That's how I did it.

[canadianoutlaw]

yup, can be done accross state lines for sure. no reason to be in the same locale. god bless the internet

[wcireader]

Thank you both so much for your rapid replies!

[VagabondMD]

I have used Michael Relvas (MR Insurance Consultants), one of the recommended names and advertisers on the WCI site, for two policies, DI and life, and have been very happy with the service, interaction, products, and pricing for both.

[wcireader]

Vagabond MD wrote:

I have used Michael Relvas (MR Insurance Consultants), one of the recommended names and advertisers on the WCI site, for two policies, DI and life, and have been very happy with the service, interaction, products, and pricing for both.

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Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

[childay]

We used set for life, would recommend

[wcireader]

childay wrote:

We used set for life, would recommend

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Thanks!

It sounds like people have had good experiences with different agents listed on the site.

Do people generally just approach one agent or do they approach two (or more?) and compare the rates/coverage?

Thanks!

[The White Coat Investor]

wcireader wrote:

childay wrote:

We used set for life, would recommend

Click to expand…

Thanks!

It sounds like people have had good experiences with different agents listed on the site.

Do people generally just approach one agent or do they approach two (or more?) and compare the rates/coverage?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Just call one. You get the same rates and discounts for the most part. They're all very good. Only reason to switch is if you don't feel like you're getting good service. For the most part they bend over backwards to treat WCI readers well.

[wcireader]

Thank you, WCI, for your reply and for the helpful suggestion!