Disclaimer: We are not AIG Direct. Before I get into our AIG Direct review, let me clarify that we’re an independent life insurance agency who is very familiar with their call center operation. We also represent AIG life insurance products and think they’re a fine insurance company, but they’re just not for everyone.
Before you make your final life insurance purchase decision though, we recommend looking into some other company reviews as well, such as our reviews on
Zander Insurance,
Primerica Life Insurance and
United Home.
So whether you are looking into purchasing your first life insurance policy or looking to replace one you feel is not the best for your needs such as a
FEGI retirement benefit policy, we are here to help you!
I’m writing this article because of all our clients who started with AIG Direct, but found better rates with us simply because we recommended someone other than AIG. If you’re just looking to compare quotes, use our instant life insurance quote tool which will show you ALL the top rated life insurance companies available.
AIG Direct seems to be everywhere on TV and is quickly becoming a household name. In this article, I’ll cover:
1. Who they are.
2. Where they fall short.
3. Why you can do better.
Who is AIG Direct?
Lets start with who they are because that isn’t obvious on any of their advertisements.
AIG Direct is a marketing arm of Matrix Direct who is owned by
American General whose parent company is AIG. Did I confuse you? It confuses everyone I speak with. In a nutshell, you are contacting American General for
life insurance rates.
Update: American General changed their name to AIG. American General (AIG) is a great life insurance company. They have a strong financial rating and are in
SOME cases the best option. However, life insurance isn’t one size fits all. Every life insurance company will look at you differently and the key in finding the best rate is finding a life insurance company that will look most favorably at your situation.
AIG Direct DOES NOT search the entire market for the best rate.
Where does AIG Direct fall short?
- Selection of life insurance companies. AIG Direct doesn’t take the time to find the best option on the market. American General IS their best option. You’re better off finding an independent agency who isn’t married to a specific company. We replace AIG Direct policies all the time because we can significantly reduce their premiums in many cases.
- Incompetent for health impairments. Many of our clients come to us because they were declined by AIG Direct and American General. In most cases, we’re able to find them affordable coverage. We’re impaired risk specialists and will take the time to do the research and call our underwriters on your behalf BEFORE we proceed with an application. It’s not the consumers fault when they get declined – your agent just used the wrong company for your risk.
- AIG Direct is a high volume call center. Think of your AIG Direct “agent” as someone in a cubicle, reading from a script and under pressure to meet their sales quota. I visited their operation years ago and met some of their call center agents. Trust me when I say you’re merely a number to them. You won’t ever hear from your agent again.
You CAN do better Much better.
The reviews of AIG Direct Life Insurance Agency we’re hearing from consumers aren’t that great. That’s probably the reason many are still on the search for life insurance after contacting them. Read more about our top picks for the
best life insurance companies to help you make your decision.
The reviews on the internet aren’t much better. We understand that working with a call center leaves a lot to be desired. Especially for such an important financial commitment to protect your family.
You probably heard of AIG Direct on TV or the Radio because of their big marketing budget. I mean, they’re owned by one of the biggest life insurance companies in America, they can outspend anyone out there. However, that doesn’t mean they have the best service. AIG Direct simply outspends any true independent agency.
So don’t confuse brand recognition for providing the best rates and service.
Getting Lower Insurance Rates
There is a common myth that life insurance is an important investment. In most cases, that couldn’t be further from the truth. A lot of our clients are stunned to see just how affordable life insurance can be. Even if you have a pre-existing health condition or complication, it’s still possible to get cheap life insurance. There are a couple of ways that you can lower your rates, regardless of which company that you choose.
The first thing that you should do is cut out any tobacco that you currently use. Bad habits like smoking cigarettes or using chewing tobacco are going to make you a much greater risk to the insurance company. They are going to offset that by charging you higher premiums. In fact, smokers are going to pay twice as much for their life insurance versus what a non-smoker is going to pay for the same sized policy. Kicking those bad habits once and for all could save you thousands of dollars every year.
Another way to save money is to improve your overall health. Unless you buy a no exam policy, the results of the medical exam are going to play an important role in how much you pay every month for your insurance protection. Getting in shape is going to equal better rates, which means more money in your pockets every month. The two best ways to do this are to start getting regular exercise and cut out some of the junk food. You don’t have to be a marathon runner to get affordable life insurance.
Another way that you can save money is to bundle your insurance policies. The vast majority of insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders that have more than one plan with the same company. If you have your homeowner’s insurance, your auto insurance, and other policies with different companies, it’s worth it get quotes for holding all of your plans with the same company. You could get a decent discount for having them all with the same company.
Calculating How Much Life Insurance to Buy
Regardless of the company that you choose, it’s essential that you purchase enough insurance protection. The vast majority of Americans that have life insurance are under insured, which means that if something were to happen to them, their family would be left with some additional bills and expenses. Before you purchase life insurance, you’ll need to calculate your family’s needs.
The first number that you should look at is your debts and final expenses. Add up your expenses, like your mortgage, business loans, student loans, and anything else that your family would have to pay off if you passed away.
The next number that you should take note of is your annual income. If you’re the main income earner in your home, then your family would struggle to pay for any necessary bills. Make sure that your life insurance plan is large enough to replace your paycheck for your family members.
Bottom Line
If you value working with a knowledgeable agent that provides personable service, we’re your agency. We’ll make sure you secure the best life insurance rates available for your situation.
An independent agency like ours isn’t married to any company. We represent over 60 life insurance carriers and often times replace AIG Direct policies with much less expensive options.
We choose to spend the time researching your best options and answering ALL your questions until you are comfortable applying for coverage. As opposed to AIG Direct’s model of mass production and scripted sales.
Every insurance company is different, and all of them have various medical underwriting standards and rating systems that they are going to use. That means that you’ll get drastically varying rates depending on the company that you contact. Finding the perfect company based on your needs is going to be the difference in getting an affordable policy or getting one that’s going to break your bank every month when you pay the premiums.
Since we spend so much time up front, we just ask that you value our time. If you are serious about protecting your family, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We know that shopping for life insurance is not a fun task. Nobody wants to spend their time planning their own passing, but that’s why we are here to help. It’s our mission to ensure that you’re getting the best life insurance plan available to you. Not only can we connect you with the best possible insurance company, but we can also help you decide which type of plan is going to give you the protection that your family needs.
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