How do you want to get life insurance?
The short version
There are four common ways to get covered, and the right one depends on how much help you want. You can talk to a local agent, buy online yourself, ask the agent who already handles your car and home for a referral, or, for a complicated situation, find a highly qualified advisor. Below is what each path is good for, and where to go. We don't take your information or hand you to a salesperson, every link goes straight to a company or an official directory.
1. Talk to a local agent
Good if you want a person to explain your options, help you choose an amount and type, and walk you through the application. An agent can be especially helpful for permanent policies, where the choices are more involved.
How to do it: pick a company from our list of the largest insurers and contact it directly. Most of the big companies, especially the ones that sell through their own agents (Northwestern Mutual, New York Life, MassMutual, Guardian, State Farm), have a "find an advisor" search on their own site: you enter your ZIP code and get local agents, and many advisor profiles list their credentials. Coverage of those qualifications is uneven, so if it matters to you, ask. The direct-to-consumer sellers (like Ethos, Ladder, or Globe Life) don't use agents, you deal with the company online instead.
2. Buy online, directly
Good if you're fairly healthy, know roughly what you want, and would rather not sit with a salesperson. Online buying is fast, there's often no medical exam for those who qualify, and there's no pressure.
The trade-off: you do the comparing yourself, coverage amounts can be capped, and there's less hand-holding if your situation is unusual. Some companies sell their own policies online; a few digital agencies place you with a partner insurer, for example Ethos or Ladder. Confirm the insurer behind any online policy and check that it's licensed and financially strong.
3. Ask the agent who already handles your car and home
Easy to overlook: the property and casualty (P&C) agent who writes your auto and homeowners coverage often either sells life insurance too or can refer you to a life specialist they trust. You already have a relationship, and a referral from someone who knows you is a reasonable place to start. Ask them plainly: "Do you write life insurance, or can you refer me to someone who does?"
4. Complicated situation? Find a highly qualified advisor
If you own a business, have a taxable estate, a special-needs dependent, a blended family, or you're weighing permanent insurance as part of a bigger plan, it's worth finding an advisor with real credentials, not just a sales license. Two things to look at: the letters after their name, and independent directories that let you search for them.
Credentials worth looking for
- CFP (Certified Financial Planner) — a broad financial-planning credential with an ethics and fiduciary component. Good for whole-picture planning.
- CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) — a life-insurance-focused credential; deep on policy design and beneficiary/estate uses.
- ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) — a broad planning credential similar in scope to the CFP.
Ask whether the advisor is a fiduciary (obligated to act in your interest) and how they're paid (commission, fee-only, or both). None of this guarantees a good fit, but it raises your odds.
CLU and ChFC both come from The American College of Financial Services, and its consumer site, Your Advisor Guide, gives you two useful tools: a "find a financial professional" search for College-educated advisors, and a "verify a designation" lookup where you type a name to confirm someone really holds the CFP, CLU, or ChFC. The search lists only advisors who've chosen to be included, so it isn't everyone, but it's a solid place to find one and the surest place to check a claim.
Free directories to search
| Directory | Who's in it | Go |
|---|---|---|
| Let's Make a Plan | The CFP Board's search for CFP professionals near you. | Search → |
| NAPFA | Fee-only fiduciary planners; you can filter for insurance-related issues. | Search → |
| Your Advisor Guide (The American College) | Find, or verify by name, a CFP, CLU, or ChFC professional. Lists advisors who opt in. | Search → |
| Your state insurance department | Confirm any agent or advisor holds a real, active license where you live. | Look up → |
Who does what: the kinds of people who can help
It helps to know who you're talking to, because the title shapes the advice.
- A full-time life insurance agent knows policies and underwriting well and can shepherd your application. A captive agent represents one company; an independent agent or broker can shop several. Ask which they are.
- A financial planner looks at your whole picture, income, debts, retirement, estate, and where insurance fits. Best when insurance is one piece of a larger plan.
- A property and casualty (P&C) agent handles your car and home. Many also write life or can refer you, and they already know you.
Whoever you work with, you can, and should, confirm their license yourself. Here's how to verify an agent or company →
Want the basics before you talk to anyone?
Our sister site explains how life insurance works, with no sales. How to choose an agent → · Life Insurance Learn →
Sources
- CFP Board — Let's Make a Plan (letsmakeaplan.org).
- National Association of Personal Financial Advisors — Find an Advisor (napfa.org).
- The American College of Financial Services — Your Advisor Guide, find/verify CFP, CLU, ChFC (youradvisorguide.com).
- NAIC — state insurance department directory for license verification (naic.org).
Last updated: July 23, 2026