# 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Life Insurance Agent | Cary Estate Planning [Call Now Click Here](tel:919-659-8433) Click [HERE](https://caryestateplanning.com/contact-us/) to speak with NC’s trusted statewide Estate Planning, Probate, and Special Needs Planning Law Firm! ![3 Ways to Spot a Bad Life Insurance Agent](https://caryestateplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed.jpg) # 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Life Insurance Agent Table of Contents Toggle Life insurance agents, just like some types of lawyers, can sometimes get a bad wrap. That’s because some agents fulfil the agent stereotype in the way they treat potential and actual clients. So, how can you spot the bad ones? There are generally three tell-tale signs that your life insurance agent is looking for a commission, not a client: ## Department of Labor Ruling The US Department of Labor has, in recent months, indicated its intention to impose new fiduciary duties on an expanded class of financial advisors and life insurance agents. Nearly half of life agents do not currently impose fiduciary duties on themselves when marketing and recommending insurance products to potential clients. Why is this important? Because the life agents will no longer be able to recommend high-commission products to potential clients unless they are truly in the client’s best interest for their financial circumstances. That means pushing a variable annuity product to someone it’s not a good choice for could result in liability to the life agent for a breach of his/her fiduciary duty to the client. Anyone complaining about this new fiduciary standard should stick out like a sore thumb. ### One-Size-Fits-All Agents I don’t care who you are. Some insurance products are not good for everyone. However, there are agents who will always push whole life insurance, or variable annuities, for EVERYONE, regardless of their age or financial situation. If you’re 25 and your agent is telling you to purchase a whole life policy instead of term, he’s most likely a bad agent. Why would they push these sorts of products? Because they pay big commissions to the agent. Same with long-term care insurance. There’s no such thing as the perfect insurance product for every situation. If your agent is pushing the same products for both you and your parents, he’s a bad agent. ### Constant Up-Sells Most life insurance agents get paid on commission based on the policies they sell. This means that agents are most likely to focus their business on volume or cost in order to maximize their commissions. High volume means more commissions, high cost means larger commissions. So, if you think about it, agents are incentivized to sell more or higher priced policies to increase their commissions. If your agent is constantly contacting you about “revisiting your term policy” or “adding on a universal policy” every year, or more often, your agent is worried about his commission, not his client. Cheers, Paul A. Yokabitus ### Author Bio ![James P. Kelly, ESQ](/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Paul-Yokabitus.jpg) **Paul Yokabitus** Founder & Estate Planning Lawyer Paul Yokabitus is the founder of Cary Estate Planning, where he helps North Carolina families protect what matters most through wills, trusts, probate, and special needs planning. Known for his “planning, not paperwork” approach, Paul turns complex legal concepts into clear, practical strategies so clients feel informed and confident at every step. He has been recognized as a Business North Carolina Legal Elite attorney and a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and was named to the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. A graduate of Campbell University School of Law, Paul lives in the Triangle with his wife, Alix, and their two sons. 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They value their clients and go above and beyond to make sure that no details are missed. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking to create an estate plan. Marylin I was referred to Paul by my Real Estate Attorney and I could not say enough about how exceptional the client service has been from everyone I spoke to. The communication is prompt and I feel like they really took the time to answer all my questions and set things up exactly as I wanted, but also recommended things to make it easier on my family down the line. Lee After attending one of Paul’s estate planning seminars, my husband and I knew we wanted Paul to assist us with our estate planning. His honest, professional approach to this necessary part of life put us at ease with the process. We will continue to recommend Paul and Cary Estate Planning. Jon We had a great experience working with Paul Yokabitus and the team at Cary Estate Planning to set up our Will and Estate Plan. 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